Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
“Because she passed out before she could take them. But that’s also why I didn’t want to leave her. However, she needs you.”
They pulled into a park about a block and a half from her house.
“Why are we here?” he asked.
“We have to walk the rest of the way.”
Brody didn’t understand why, but he nodded. He was still in shock over what he’d learned. She’d passed out, drunk, and tried to take sleeping pills. Because of him?
The Fox checked his phone and then turned to him before he undid both of their belts.
“She could have overdosed,” Brody said. “If you hadn’t been here . . . I could have lost her. I just needed time to think.”
“Look at me,” the Fox commanded.
Brody turned to him.
“I know this is my fault. I laid a lot on you.”
Was he . . . was he apologizing?
“But you were supposed to look after her.”
“She won’t ever talk about what happened. She buries it deep.” It was actually a relief to have someone to talk to about his worries.
The Fox hummed. “You think she should talk about it?”
“I think it’s not healthy to bury it.” Brody clenched his hands into fists. “I won’t leave her again. I shouldn’t have in the first place.”
“I wanted to take her with me tonight.”
“What?” He’d nearly taken her?
“But she had a panic attack when I told her. She was worried about you. I can’t give her everything she requires. She needs both of us.”
“I won’t fail her again.”
He followed the Fox to her house. The Fox unlocked the door and turned off the alarm, resetting it once they were safely inside.
“You have a key?”
“Yes.”
“You know her alarm code.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes.”
“You have cameras in here.” How else could he be keeping a watch on her?
“Yes.”
“Are you stalking her?” Brody whispered.
“Stalking her? Hmm . . . I don’t know, I suppose that depends on how you define stalking.”
Stalking was stalking. Wasn’t it? Following her around without her knowledge.
He’d never said how he’d known where Brody was. He scowled, thinking about that. He had to be tracking him somehow.
But if he hadn’t been . . . then tonight might have ended up very differently.
Brody would likely have been mugged and beaten up. Maybe worse.
And Autumn might have overdosed.
That kind of took the wind out of his argument, didn’t it? He ground his teeth together as he followed the Fox into her bedroom. He was standing over her, and the look in his eyes . . . it made Brody’s stomach go whoosh.
It . . . the other man looked vulnerable.
Human.
He’d never imagined that the cold assassin could look at someone like this.
“You really care about her,” Brody said in a low voice. “Don’t you?”
The Fox turned, staring at him. “She’s my everything. And I’ll kill anyone that gets between us. I tried to stay away. But every moment she pulls me in deeper, ensnaring me. I see the way you look at her. Like she’s your everything.”
“She is,” Brody admitted.
“I know what you did to her ex.”
Brody’s gaze jumped to his. “You do?”
“Yep. A computer virus. I like that vindictive streak in you.”
“Her ex is a bastard. And you . . . you’ve been causing all the other issues, haven’t you?”
“Just a bit of fun. Unfortunately, my Bunny has objections to me killing him and that bitch of his. So I might up my torture. Find some things to really hit him where it hurts.”
“I want in on that.”
The Fox smiled. “And that’s another reason why you fit with us.”
Brody’s eyes grew wide as the Fox moved toward him. He backed out of the room. The Fox half-closed the door before turning back to him.
Then he caged him against the wall. “You’re mine, Pup.”
Brody swallowed heavily. “Because she wants me?” He wanted to be wanted for himself. “You don’t have to do that. We can share her without being involved.”
“Do you think I claimed you lightly, Pup? That I want you only because she does? I’ll confess, in the beginning, I wanted to get rid of you. I thought I could make her forget you. But she does better when you’re around. And I felt this weird thing toward you. Possibly gratitude. Or maybe it was gas.”
Gratitude wasn’t enough. It wasn’t desire. It wasn’t want. Need.
You are worthy.
Stone’s words echoed in his brain.
“But that all changed tonight. You were nearly hurt, Pup.”
“And that makes you . . . gassy?” He winced. Why did he say that?
Idiot.
“It makes me furious.”
Oh, fuck.
The look in his eyes. Yep, Brody could now see that he might have misread things.
“That someone could have placed even a scratch on you . . . I want to go back and torture those assholes slowly. To cause them immense pain. The only reason I didn’t is because you were there. I had to protect you. Because. You. Are. Mine. Got it?”