Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
“I still think I should go with you.”
“You have a meeting.”
“Screw the fucking meeting.”
“Daddy, these people need you.” It was one of his pro bono cases and the woman he was representing had to meet at a time when her husband wasn’t around, so she could sneak out of the house.
“I’ll walk you down.”
She rolled her eyes at him and he slapped her ass. Then he took her hand and walked her to the elevator. As the doors opened, a frightened, thin-looking woman with heavy makeup appeared.
The woman gave them both a frightened look and Faith glanced up at Reuben meaningfully. He had to stay and talk to this woman. She looked like she was going to bolt at any second.
“Mrs. Merryweather, come in. Blossom, text me.”
“Bye!” She smiled at the woman, then jumped in the elevator before he could change his mind.
At least Reuben seemed to trust Rafael or Charlie to watch out for her. Rafael was a bodyguard, and even though Charlie was a Little, he was very muscular.
When she got downstairs, she saw Charlie waiting across the road at the lights. But the restaurant was on that side of the street, so she gestured to him to stay there.
The street was busy since everyone was out for their lunch break. As she waited at the pedestrian crossing, she felt someone step up behind her.
Then suddenly someone gave her a sharp push. She fell just as a car went to turn the corner. She screamed, fear filling her.
It felt like everything slowed down, and yet she couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but watch as the car slammed into her.
She found herself flung into the air before she landed with an agonizing thud.
And then the world went black.
Reuben’s phone rang.
He glanced down to see Charlie’s name on the screen.
That was weird. Why would Charlie be calling?
Faith hadn’t forgotten her phone, had she?
Sometimes when she got excited, she could also become forgetful.
“Sorry, Mrs. Merryweather. I have to take this.”
“That’s okay.” She got up, looking worried. “I’ll . . . I’ll come back another day.”
Shit.
“No, just wait a second.” He got up and she flinched.
Poor lady. Christ.
“Charlie?” he answered the phone when he was in the other room. “What’s going on?”
He’d insisted the other man take his number when they’d met last week.
There was yelling in the background, and someone was calling for an ambulance.
Suddenly, he just knew.
“Reuben! It’s Faith!” Charlie cried, his voice filled with fear and panic.
“What’s happened?” he snapped as he ran through the office to the elevator. “What’s happened to Faith?”
“She’s been hit by a car! At the crossing outside your building. Reuben, hurry!”
Fear unlike anything he’d ever felt in his life filled him, making the world go blurry around him as he rushed out of the elevator and through the ground floor of the building.
Nothing could happen to Faith.
Because if it did . . . he knew he wouldn’t survive.
64
Reuben watched her breathe.
It was becoming an obsession.
In. Out. In. Out.
He had two fingers on her pulse, even though there were monitors keeping track of her oxygen levels and pulse.
But he had this awful feeling that if he left her side, she wouldn’t wake up. That she wouldn’t survive.
He knew it was stupid. That she was doing well. She’d woken up once, but she was heavily medicated and had been disorientated.
However, he couldn’t stop watching her.
He’d gotten to her as quickly as he could. But he should never have let her out of his sight in the first place.
Next time, he’d reschedule his meeting. No matter who it was.
Fuck. Mrs. Merryweather.
Getting out his phone, he sent her a quick message but didn’t get a reply.
“Reuben?”
He jumped to his feet, instinctively moving to cover her from the threat. No one would harm her.
Never again.
“Hey. It’s me. Alejandro. I wouldn’t harm Faith. You know that.”
Alejandro.
He was safe.
“I’ve got Cat with me.”
Faith loved Cat.
Reuben sat and placed his fingers back on Faith’s pulse.
“Oh, Papi.” Cat broke into a small sob and Reuben tensed.
He had to reassure Cat. But he was finding it difficult to find any softness. It was all reserved for Faith.
“She’s all right.” That was all he could manage.
Cat walked over and tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder. He concentrated on watching Faith breathe. But he didn’t knock away her hand.
“I hate seeing her like this,” Cat said.
So did he.
“What did the doctor say?” Alejandro asked.
“He said that she’s doing well.”
“She’s badly bruised,” he added. “It’s only because the car wasn’t going very fast and immediately slammed on its brakes that she didn’t end up with a broken femur. Or worse.”
Dead. She could have died.
“Her left wrist is fractured from landing on it wrong,” he said. “Maybe from trying to shield her face and head. There are lacerations along her left side. Bad bruising on her right hip and the top of her right thigh. But on the whole, she was lucky.”