Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Without warning, she dropped the Beretta in his hands and covered her mouth. Then she ran through the unlit room, falling with a thump near the toilet.
“Lucia?” He holstered the gun and searched for the light switch.
When he found it, the sound of retching shuddered the air.
CHAPTER 15
“Shit.” A surge of panic sent Tate racing toward Lucia’s doubled-over body as she emptied her dinner into the toilet.
The guards would be outside on the street, probably out of hearing range. But just in case, he would have to keep his voice soft.
“Did you get your medicine this morning?” He dropped to his knees beside her and gathered her hair.
“Yeah.” She moaned weakly with her head in her hands and elbows wobbling on the seat. “Nighttime is always the worst.”
He stroked her back, vibrating with anger at his own helplessness. “What can I do?”
She vomited again, and tears streaked down her pallid face. “I’m sorry.”
His chest caved in. Why the fuck was she apologizing?
Her arms dropped, and her head hung over the toilet, swinging back and forth and plopping tears into the bowl. “I raped a man this morning.”
Fucking Christ. This was wrong. Wrong timing. Wrong place. Wrong everything. As each wrongful second passed, he felt more and more useless.
“You just puked the only thing you’ve eaten today.” He hit the toilet lever and glimpsed specks of blood before it flushed away. “Goddammit!”
There was no drug store. No urgent care. Nothing in this apartment to help her. There wasn’t a goddamn thing he could do. Nothing!
“Please, don’t be mad,” she whispered.
“I’m not mad.” He was so fucking livid he couldn’t think straight. “What hurts?”
She sat back on her heels and wiped her mouth. “I probably look like the living dead, but I feel better.”
Her complexion was ghost-white, her eyes sunken and bruised, and she appeared to have lost ten pounds she didn’t have to lose. But despite it all…
“You’re beautiful.” He touched a knuckle to her chin.
Her pretty, pixie-like features contorted in misery, and her chest heaved in sudden bursts, as if she were swallowing down a sob. “You’re lying.”
“Lucia—”
“Don’t.” She made a wretched sound and pushed him away.
He wouldn’t budge and instead reached for her.
“I don’t want you to see me like this.” She twisted, giving him her back. “Please, Tate. Just go. Go back to Texas.”
“You’re fucking crazy if you think I’ll leave you.” He shifted around her and got in her face. “We’re doing this. Together. Us. Get that through your stubborn head.”
She laughed, a painfully broken sound that sent more tears skipping down her hollow cheeks.
“What?” he asked softly.
“Us? What does that even mean?”
“It means I’m staying—”
“For how long?”
He wanted to sling her over his shoulder like a damn caveman and take off tonight, right fucking now.
She must’ve read it in his eyes, because she heaved a frustrated breath. “Let’s say I left with you. Hypothetically. What happens next?”
“I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” His pulse accelerated as he edged closer and brushed the hair out of her face. “We can stay with your sister in Colombia or go home to Texas. We’ll get you healthy and safe.”
“Then what?” More tears brimmed her eyes.
“Then we can…I don’t know…get a Netflix subscription, rescue a dog, take a road trip to wine country, whatever people do. I don’t give a fuck as long as you’re well and we’re far away from here.”
“You talk about us and we in terms of a relationship. In terms of always.”
Goddamn, woman. He wasn’t prepared for this conversation.
“You’re in love with Camila,” she said.
“This isn’t…” Jesus fuck, he wasn’t pursuing a relationship with anyone. His focus was on here and now and keeping Lucia alive.
“It’s not what?” she asked.
“We’re not doing this right now.” He gripped her elbow. “Can you stand?”
“You just said we’re doing this. Together.” She stared at the floor and didn’t move. “I want to understand.”
“You’re right.” He closed his eyes and gave himself a second to calm down. “We can talk about the future, but right now, I’m focused on your health and the danger you’re in. You’re hurting, and it’s…” Helpless rage locked up his fists, and he breathed through it. “It’s not in my DNA to sit back and let you dictate how this will go.”
“Okay,” she said numbly.
“Tell me what you need.” He bent down to capture her gaze.
Her chin trembled, and she hugged her waist, shaking her head. “Why do you have to be so nice?”
It looked like she needed a hug more than anything else.
He pulled her onto his lap and embraced her tightly. “You’re about to spend some time with me, and you’ll find out just how not nice I am.”
“You might be crazier than I am.” She looped her arms around his neck and buried her nose against his throat. “Thank you for the food.”