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)
“Fuck. Fine.”
“What about the girl?” the Scot asked. “She looks like she doesn’t want to leave him.”
“I don’t get it,” Faith said. “He hit her. And he’s not a nice man. He said—”
“How about we don’t repeat what he said right now, honey,” Alejandro told her in a soft voice. “We’re trying to keep Reuben out of prison, remember?”
“Yeah. Good plan. You’re a smart guy. Cat’s lucky. I like Cat.”
“She likes you as well.”
“We have to take Cammie home with us,” Faith told Reuben.
“No,” Reuben replied.
“Yes.” She gave him a firm look. He thought he always got to be in charge? Well, maybe he did in most things.
But he also had to listen when something was important to her.
And this was important.
Cammie couldn’t stay here. Faith didn’t know what they were going to do with Eric. That was something for Reuben to deal with.
But Cammie was her business.
“She’s coming home with us, Reuben,” she said firmly. “She needs me.”
“I need you.”
Faith patted his shoulder gently. “You have me. I’m here.”
He narrowed his gaze at her as though he could sense her need to roll her eyes.
“Someone needs to keep an eye on her,” Alejandro said. “Make sure she doesn’t talk.”
She shot Alejandro a look. “That is not why she’s coming back with us.”
To her shock, he grinned. “Growing that backbone, aren’t you, chica?”
“It’s always been there. It’s just been a bit wilted, lately.”
Reuben grunted, not looking happy.
“Feeling safe has helped me find it again,” she said softly. “If I didn’t feel secure, then I wouldn’t be able to speak out.”
Reuben’s face cleared and he blew out a breath. Alejandro winked at her as though he knew she was manipulating Reuben and approved.
It was just a slight manipulation, so surely it wasn’t all that bad, right?
“I know what you’re doing, brat,” Reuben whispered. “I’ll take it out on your ass later.”
She shivered. In anticipation, not fear.
47
“Fine,” Reuben agreed. “She can come home to our place. The Scot can take you both to Aaron, then to my apartment.”
Oh no.
Hell, no.
She tightened her hold on him. “I want you to come home with us.”
Not only because she was scared to leave him here with Eric, but also because she needed him.
Right now, she was keeping all of her fear and anxiety at bay. The memories threatened to drag her into the shadows. And without him holding onto her, she knew everything would come rushing in to crowd her.
Scare her.
Harm her.
By now, she was shaking, her teeth chattering.
“Hey, Little Blossom, shh,” he said soothingly. Moving, he took her out onto the front porch. It was far cooler out here, but that felt like a good thing. Her skin was overheated, and it was getting harder to catch her breath.
Walking up and down the porch, he crooned to her in a low voice, jiggling her up and down.
As the panic faded, she was able to hear the words.
“Hush, Little Baby, Don’t You Cry?” she asked.
“It seemed appropriate. My grandma used to sing it to me to get me to sleep.”
Darn. That was so unbearably sweet that she felt tears fill her eyes.
“That wasn’t meant to make you cry,” he said in alarm.
“It . . . I’m just emotional right now.”
“You need me.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.
“I’m s-sorry.”
“Hush,” Reuben said firmly. “You don’t ever need to be sorry for needing me, you understand?” He reached up with one hand to tug her head back. “I’d be upset if you needed me and didn’t tell me.”
She fought back her tears.
“I’m so proud of you, baby.”
Faith blinked. That was unexpected. Suddenly, a door opened, and the other bodyguard stepped out. He held up a blanket. She glanced up at Reuben, who nodded before the silent man wrapped it around her.
That was so nice.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The big man disappeared as quietly as he’d appeared.
“That’s Cairn,” Reuben told her.
She drew the blanket around her. She hadn’t realized how cold she was.
“Why would you be proud of me? I didn’t do anything. Well, I did Mace him. But I think I could have fought him off better. We should kept running instead of hiding from him.”
“Listen to me.” He set her on the banister of the porch and stepped between her open legs. His hands were on her hips so she didn’t slip off. “I’m proud of you because you did exactly what you should always do in these circumstances.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“You call me as soon as you can, and you keep yourself safe until I get to you.”
“I thought you might tell me that if I’d just moved in with you that I could have avoided all of this.” She’d been feeling guilty about that.
Why hadn’t she just done what he’d wanted?
“I make terrible decisions. I don’t seem to be able to read people. I knew Eric didn’t like me for some reason. That he didn’t want me here. I should just . . . I shouldn’t be trusted with anything.”