Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Is there any way I can grab my stuff at my apartment?” I asked them. “I have some keepsake stuff I don’t want to lose.”
Andrew nodded.
“You and Rhett will go to your apartment. Akio will find a new place for us to stay, and Benjamin and I will take him to the police station,” he said, developing my plan more. “Agreed?”
Rhett threw his arm around my shoulders playfully to lessen the tension.
“Agreed,” he said as he flashed me a grin. “I’ll take good care of her.”
Andrew met his gaze with a serious nod.
“Yes, you will,” he replied before looking at me. “We all will.”
My heart fluttered as I smiled at all of them. They worked so hard to keep me safe, and I just hoped I could properly thank them one day for putting their lives on the line for me. They had no idea how grateful I was to have them by my side.
“Do you think it’s safe enough to spend one more night here? We’ll probably need rest before getting back on the road,” I asked them.
“We’ll be fine for a night. We’ll take shifts staying watch,” Benjamin replied before suddenly throwing me over his shoulder. “I’ve got first watch.”
“Oh, that’s what you meant.” I laughed as Benjamin carried me off. I waved goodnight at the others, who chuckled and watched me disappear into my bedroom. A gasp left me when Benjamin dropped me down onto the bed before flopping down on his back next to me.
I crawled close to him, resting my head on his chest and listening to his rapid heartbeat. I frowned slightly as I rubbed his chest in slow circles, hoping to calm him down. Gradually, his heartbeat started to slow down and maintain a normal rhythm.
“Everything is going to be fine, right?” I asked him, hearing the low drone of the others talking in the living room. I hadn’t seen them so tense before, but a lot had changed since the start of their job. Our connection was deeper and more intense. There was more at stake if things went south.
“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Benjamin promised me as he stroked my back, holding me close to his side.
I breathed in deeply before nodding. I had no doubt that they would fight like hell for me, so I coaxed myself to relax and listen to his heartbeat, letting its strong, steady beat lull me into a deep sleep.
17
RHETT
Usually, I could make light of any situation, but there was only seriousness as the guys, the attacker, and Emery stood outside of the cabin. We were about to split up and make our next moves to get Emery somewhere safe and figure out who was after her. I hadn’t ever felt so determined to do my job before.
“Alright, everyone knows what to do?” Andrew asked as he looked between everyone.
Akio nodded as he held one of the attacker’s arms to hold him in place.
“Ready,” he confirmed.
“Yes, we’ve been over the plan a million times. Let’s get going,” Benjamin sighed, getting antsy the longer we stood out there.
Andrew shot him a glare before turning to Emery, who looked tense but determined. It was hard not to admire her resolve throughout all of this craziness.
“We’ll see you soon, okay? Stay with Rhett at all times,” he told her.
Emery peered at all of us with a worried expression on her face.
“Please be careful. All of you,” she said before moving to my side. “Don’t let me out of your sight.”
I held my arm out to her as I gave her a grin.
“You think I ever take my eyes off you, beautiful?” I quipped, sparking smirks and laughter from the others. At least that lessened the tension a little. It was killing me.
Emery rolled her eyes at me playfully before letting me lead her to the sleek, black Sedan that we would be taking back to the city.
I opened the passenger’s door for her, letting her slip inside before closing it behind her. I turned to the guys and jokingly saluted them.
“See you on the other side, losers,” I chuckled before getting into the car. I would’ve been lying if I said my nerves weren’t pretty shot right now, but my job was to keep calm for my client. Except, Emery wasn’t just a client to me.
We hit the road, and I blended in with the flow of traffic. Our main goal was to be invisible until we sought out the enemy and were ready to take him down. We had to be smart about every move we made now that we were back out in the open.
“Alright, it’s too quiet in here,” I said after thirty minutes of tense silence had passed. I knew that she was sitting there overthinking, and I didn’t want her to stress herself out. Plus, chatting would distract me from my own racing thoughts. “What are your plans after the world becomes normal again?”