Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Millie’s face softened. “You’re welcome. Are you all right? Are you sure I can’t get you anything else? We’re going away for a few days, but one of my other friends can come see you.”
“Oh no, thank you. I’m fine. I mean, besides being messed up in the head and a total burden.”
Crap. She hadn’t meant to blurt that out loud. But there was something about Millie that made her easy to talk to.
“Oh, sweetie. You are not a burden or messed in the head.”
“Millie, I can’t feel my legs. And it’s all in my head. The guys and I . . . we’re still new, and they have to do everything for me. They’re soon going to figure out that I’m not worth all this work.”
Millie’s gaze turned fierce. “Do you think they’re dumb?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“Do you think they would move just anyone into their house? Take care of her like this?”
“No.”
“That’s right. No. Because you matter. You mean something. Spike said they haven’t had a woman since Steele’s sister died. Don’t you think that means that you are firmly in their life? That you are everything to them and they would do whatever was necessary to take care of you? These are alpha men. They are badasses. They don’t do things by half measures. When there’s a challenge, they don’t back down, they conquer it. So have a bit of faith, sweetie.”
“Millie!” Spike called from outside the room.
“I gotta go. See you soon. Come on, Mr. Fluffy.”
The dog let out a woof, then lumbered to his feet, shooting Effie a long-suffering look before he left.
“Keep the faith, Effie,” Millie said at the door. “They’ll see you out the other side.”
She lay back once Millie was gone, feeling exhausted. Although how she could be exhausted when she wasn’t doing anything, she wasn’t sure.
But something had to give. Something had to change. Because she couldn’t keep doing this.
You’re moping. No one likes someone who feels sorry for themselves, Effie.
Maybe she should just get up and try to walk. If this was all in her head, then she should be able to just fucking walk, right?
Plus, she had to pee. So she slid to the side of the bed and pulled her legs over the edge.
Still not co-operating. She took a handful of jelly beans for good luck, eating them quickly.
“Right, listen, you two. You’re gonna do what I need you to do without any arguments.”
Crap. Now she was talking to her legs like they were people.
She heaved herself up, holding onto the nightstand so she was standing. Hey, that was better than she’d thought. And then she tried to move. And fell flat on the floor with a cry.
“Effie? Fuck, Effie!”
Great. Now there was a witness to her humiliation.
She stared up at Grady through blurry vision. “I’m leaking.”
“Little one, what did you think you were doing?”
“Being an idiot.”
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Just my pride.”
Grady picked her up and set her down on the side of the bed. Then he crouched in front of her. “Effie, you should have called me.”
“I need to pee.”
“You still should have called me. That’s twenty.”
“Twenty?” she gasped as he picked her up and carried her to the toilet.
“Yes, twenty.”
“What’s going on?” Steele appeared in the doorway to the bathroom.
Grady set her down on the toilet. She wasn’t wearing any panties.
“Another twenty to the tally. She tried to walk by herself instead of calling one of us.”
“What? Are you hurt, Effie?”
“Just my pride,” she said with a groan as her bladder protested. She really, really had to go.
Steele gave her a stern look. “Think that might mean an immediate spanking.”
“You guys need to leave.”
They both stared at her.
Good Lord.
But she couldn’t hold it back, so with a quiet sigh of annoyance and relief, she peed, then cleaned herself up before Grady picked her back up and carried her to the sink to wash her hands. Then he took her back to the bed, setting her down. They both stood, looming over her.
“You won’t spank me while I can’t walk, remember?” They were treating her like she was made of glass. “I’m too much of an invalid for a spanking.”
There was silence and she looked up to see them staring at each other. Not a good sign.
“You know what . . . I’m suddenly feeling tired.”
“You just woke up two hours ago,” Steele told her.
Drat. She glanced at the clock. It was only ten in the morning.
“Effie, what’s going on?” Steele asked. “Why did you try to walk on your own?”
“This isn’t fair to the two of you,” she whispered. “None of it is fair.”
“Baby girl, when are you going to get that it has nothing to do with fair and everything to do with the way we feel about you?”
She shook her head.
“Something has to change,” Steele said, picking her up and putting her on his hip.