Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 112069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
“Isn’t that right, Raggy?” I heard someone say. I recognized the voice, of course. Vaughn and I had watched plenty of Scooby-Doo cartoons when we’d been kids.
As Violet’s sobs slowed, I turned and watched in surprise as Remy continued to speak like Scooby. Big fat tears rolled down Violet’s chubby cheeks, but her wide eyes were fixated on Remy as he switched from Scooby’s voice to Shaggy’s. I remembered how he’d changed his voice the night I’d been waiting for him inside his apartment.
Ronan worked quickly as Remy entertained Violet with a Scooby/Shaggy conversation about Scooby Snacks. When Violet held out her hands, Remy dutifully leaned over her so she could pat his face as he spoke. She was completely fascinated with the young man.
The toddler wasn’t the only one.
A maelstrom of emotions built inside of me, but fuck if I could figure out what any of them were. No doubt guilt was the main one, but the rest… the rest just left me feeling empty and full at the same time.
I wasn’t proud of it, but I turned and left the room.
Just walked out.
No comment that I wasn’t going far or that I’d be right back.
I just started walking.
“Where to, sir?”
The voice startled me and I was reaching for my gun before I even realized it. My bodyguard, Stan, tensed up at the move.
“Sorry,” I muttered as I dropped my hand.
“No problem, sir,” Stan replied warily. “Are you ready to go?”
Go?
Huh?
It was then that I realized in my daze I’d left the house altogether and was standing by the car. What the hell? I had no intention of leaving.
So what the fuck was I doing outside?
“Uh, no,” I muttered. “I, uh…”
That was all I got out before I turned on my heel and went back to the house. I looked up at the wide-open front door just in time to see Remy turning away, Violet in his arms.
“Fuck,” I whispered to myself.
By the time I got back inside, Remy was nowhere to be found. I went to the kitchen but only Ronan was there. He was pouring milk into a baby bottle.
“Is she all right?” I blurted.
Ronan put the cap on the bottle and tightened it before he turned to face me. He leaned back against the counter. Not surprisingly, I couldn’t read his expression. That kind of made me glad because the last thing I needed was to be judged by a guy who’d bested me on so many levels. The first time I’d met the man, he’d been like this.
Cool as a cucumber.
Confident.
Powerful.
All the things I’d always considered myself to be.
“He wanted to tell you himself,” Ronan finally said after several beats. “She seems to be okay,” he added.
The relief that Violet was unharmed warred with confusion over Ronan’s first statement.
Remy had wanted to tell me Violet was okay himself? Why?
I managed to keep the string of curse words in my head to myself as I realized what it must have looked like to Remy to see me standing by my car, the door held open by my driver.
“I wasn’t leaving,” I announced, though I didn’t know why. I didn’t owe Ronan any kind of explanation. The man didn’t fucking know me.
I felt like a bug on a slide as he studied me.
“Here,” he finally said as he reached for a small stack of what looked like clothes. “They were Jamie’s when he was a little older than her. They’ll probably run a little big, but they should be okay until we can get her some new ones. We don’t have any diapers but there’s a Pull-Up in there. I’ll have one of my guys make a run to the store—”
“No,” I interjected as I reached for the clothes. “I’ll send my guys.” Somehow the idea of Ronan buying Violet clothes and diapers irked me, but I wasn’t sure why. God, why was I so off balance?
“He’s giving her a bath in my daughter’s bathroom. Second floor, third door on the left.” He put the bottle on top of the pile of clothes. He turned his back on me which, oddly enough, stung.
Fuck him, I didn’t owe him anything.
I turned to leave the room, then stopped. “You said she’s okay?” I murmured.
Fuck my pride, I needed to know that the beautiful little girl hadn’t had her innocence stolen.
Thankfully, Ronan didn’t keep me waiting. “I didn’t see any physical signs that anyone touched her. No needle marks either. I drew some blood so we can run some tests, but she appears to be okay. I told Remy that we’ll want to have her examined by someone who specializes in kids who’ve undergone trauma, but I don’t have any reasons to suspect that anyone laid a hand on her.”
I still had my back to Ronan, but he must have seen the breath I released because I sure as hell felt it. It almost made me light-headed. I needed to thank him, but my throat felt too tight at the moment, so I just nodded my head and then went to find Remy so I could explain why I’d left.