Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“You do?”
“Yeah, her name is Alexandra. We call her Sandy. I have a brother too. Both younger than I am. I love them the way you love Emily.”
“Yeah? And what would you do if someone did to your sister what you did to Emily?”
“I’d want to fucking kill him.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I would never like him. And no, I wouldn’t kill him. That would be murder, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life behind bars. But I would never trust him. I would never accept him. It would be damned hard to accept his help when I needed it.”
“So you get it.”
“I do. But I would take the help. I would take that help for the woman I love. That’s what you’re going to do as well.”
“We’ve been through this. I already said I’d work with you. I’d accept your help.”
“Then stop fighting it. I know it’s hard. Really, I do. But we’ve got to work together. You’ve got to stop fighting me on every fucking thing.”
He’s right. This isn’t about him or about me. Or about Emily or about our past.
It’s about Aspen, pure and simple. About what’s best for Aspen. And that is Luke and me working together.
“I’ll try.”
“You’ve got to do better than try, man. This is your woman we’re talking about. I can’t change my past. I would if I could, but I can’t. All I can do is be the best man I know how to be now, in the present. To do the best I can for you and for Aspen.”
“Fine.” I purse my lips.
Luke pulls into the rental car place.
My body tingles.
Aspen is here.
I open the passenger door and am out of the car before he even stops. I race into the rental car place. “I’m looking for Aspen Davis.”
The clerk gestures to someone who must be the boss.
He comes toward me. “Are you Mr. Ashton?”
“No. That’s him.” I point to Luke as he enters. “I’m Buck Moreno.”
“I’m Luke Ashton.”
“Mr. Ashton. Ms. Davis is in the back room.”
“How did you keep her there?” I ask.
“We just said there was some extended paperwork because she had an out-of-town driver’s license.”
“And she bought that?”
“She didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t going to get a rental car.”
Ants scamper through my body. I need to see Aspen, and I need to see her now. “Just take us to her. Please.”
“Right away.”
Luke and I walk around the back of the counter and follow the manager to a back room. Aspen is sitting, her back to us, facing a desk.
Without turning around, she says, “Finally. Can we get on with this please?”
“Aspen,” I say, my voice a growl.
She looks over her shoulder, rises, her eyes wide. “Buck! What are you doing here?” Then she turns to the manager. “What the hell have you done?”
“Aspen, what are you doing?” I ask. “I don’t understand.”
Luke glances at the manager. “Could we give them some privacy, please?”
“Sure, Mr. Ashton.” The manager leaves.
Luke follows him, closing the door behind him.
“I just…” Aspen shakes her head, her voice shaking. “Please, Buck. Just let me do what I have to do.”
“No. Did you really think you could get away with this? You do know that Luke has top-notch security. His camera saw you go.”
Aspen closes her eyes and sighs. “I thought I found them all last night. And I tried to be so quiet.”
“You could’ve been quiet as a mouse, baby, and Luke’s security would’ve seen you go.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“One of the guards followed you.”
She huffs. “That’s a total invasion of my privacy.”
“Yeah,” Buck says, “and I don’t give a rat’s ass. I’m glad Luke has such good security. I’m glad we followed you. Because who knows what kind of trouble you would’ve gotten into otherwise?”
Aspen narrows her eyes. “Don’t treat me like I’m some kind of fool.”
“You’re not a fool, baby. No one thinks you are. But we all love you, and we want to protect you. Let us help you.”
She sighs. “I was never going to get away with this, was I?”
Buck shakes his head. “No. Not on my watch.”
I grab Aspen and pull her to me. She melts into my arms and lets out a choking sob.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
“I really ought to shake some sense into you.”
Any anger I felt is overshadowed by pure relief. I’m so happy she’s safe. So glad we got to her in time.
“I’d tell you I’m sorry,” Aspen says, “but I’m not, Buck. I love you too much to drag you into this.”
“I’m already in it, baby. And right now I’m so fucking relieved that you’re okay. But part of me is angry and hurt. Why don’t you trust me?”
“Are you kidding? I trust you more than I trust anyone. I trust you with my life, Buck.”
“Then why did you run?”