Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
The way he’s looking at me sets me more than on edge. The idea of him derailing Alannah’s life? Of him digging into her life to find dirt to use against her? Of him getting rid of her the way he got rid of Adam as a factor in my life? No. No way. There is dirty laundry in Alannah’s family. For Alannah personally, too. I know her secrets and no way will I give him ammunition to punish me by hurting her. Or punish her for getting involved.
“You can go, Lan,” I say softly, eyes moving from Derek to Alannah. “We’ll talk. I’ll message you tonight. And again tomorrow morning.”
She stares at me, forehead crinkled.
“I’ll walk you home, Grace. Be right back, baby,” Derek says, leaning over and kissing me on my forehead and then giving me a look of promise, as if he’s pleased with me and is about to give me a reward.
“I’m right next door,” Grace repeats, eyes bouncing between me and Alannah. “I’ll get your number, Alannah. You can check in any time.”
“I’ve got her number; I’ll give it to you,” Derek states, opening the front door for his sister.
I watch them leave and then turn my attention to Alannah, who is staring at me with her mouth open.
“Ugh,” comes from me. I put my fingertips to my temples.
She says, “I don’t know whether I love you or hate you. I mean, I know I love you, but I hate you a little bit right now.”
I rear back. “Huh?”
“Gorgeous, no,… gor-geous. Gorgeous and filthy rich man obsessed with making all your dreams come true? I mean, if you’re gonna have a psycho stalker, this is the right kind to have.”
“Yeah, I’ve hit the psychopathic hot guy lottery.” I roll my eyes and then I burst into tears.
She pulls me into an embrace. “Does he hurt you?” she whispers. “Tell me.”
I shake my head. “Not so far. He scares me. How the hell am I gonna get out of this?”
“I’ll help you figure it out,” she says firmly. “We have to play this carefully. His family? Some people make them seem like well-dressed thugs. From what Jeffy told me, that was just the brother that got killed. The rest of the Steele brothers and the father? Dangerous. Cunning. Connected. They have the money and power to make things go their way and make problems go away. They’re not sloppy or careless. We can’t make waves without playing this carefully or I’d have called the cops already.”
I sigh.
“If you want me to leave here right now and call the police, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll tell Craig everything. But I advise against it.”
“What if you and Craig then disappear off the face of the earth without a trace?”
“I know enough between Craig and Jeffy to know this is a serious situation. I do think you need to play things very carefully with Derek. Yes, he’s gorgeous and clearly smitten with you but he’s obviously cracked. The sister seems like she has her head on semi-straight and she’s right next door.”
“She seems a little cracked, too, no?”
Alannah tips her head side to side in contemplation. “You might not be wrong, but I think mostly she’s a spoiled rich princess without a grasp of how the world operates outside her circles. I think she’s mostly excited about her brother wanting to get married. Acting normal. Says she thinks you’re good for him. Clearly this is out of character for him but in a way that has her thinking it’s a positive thing.”
“Or is this part of a psychotic break that’ll lead who-knows-where?”
Alannah’s face drops. “Okay, let’s go then. I’ll call 9-1-1 right now. Your immediate safety is the priority.”
I shake my head. “No. I… I need to think. You go home. I’ll call you later. Big stakes here.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” she asks. “Why are you considering staying? What is he threatening you with? Or are you falling for this guy?”
I give my head a sharp shake. “No, definitely. Threats are mostly implied. Nothing specific.”
“Then I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here.”
“I don’t think you have a choice. I don’t want you to make any ripples. I need to think about all this.”
“How did it go down with Adam? How did all that transpire?”
“He could be back any second but let’s just say Adam has a sweet deal if he cooperates. Big threat if he doesn’t.”
“Same as what he just tried to say to me. Without specifically threatening me.”
Derek walks back in and assesses us with humor lit in his eyes. “My ears are ringing.”
“As they should be. So listen…” Alannah rises. “I don’t know what to do about you, neither does Chloe. We realize we have to play things carefully with someone who might be on the razor’s edge of sanity, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to get whatever you want. It doesn’t mean this is all up to you.”