Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
“Needing,” she interrupted. “I need to protect him as well. He looks out for everyone, Javier. I can’t help who I am. I need to look after him.”
“Look after him all you want. It will be good for him. I want that for him. His entire family wants that for him. But you have to allow him to protect you as well. He’ll go insane if you hold things back from him.”
Rory could hear her heart beating too loud. There were so many things she didn’t know about herself. Things that could possibly hurt Gideon. She would never share that with Javier. That was for Gideon alone. No one else. She could barely face knowing she might have something dangerous in her past that could harm others, let alone tell others. It had taken a tremendous amount of courage just to tell Gideon.
“He came into the bar tonight and asked me out. I told him I was seeing someone, and he backed off right away, but he stayed the rest of my shift. I noticed he didn’t flirt with any of the women in the bar, not even Dana, and she’s gorgeous. He paid a lot of attention to the doors and any conversations I had with the customers.”
“You’d never met him before?”
“I’d never even seen him before.”
“You’re certain?”
She wasn’t going to tell him she remembered faces and conversations. He didn’t need to know too much about her. She wanted to see Gideon again before she made the decision to leave or not. Already she was going back and forth. It was pathetic.
“I’m very certain. I didn’t have to close, so I stalled a little before I left, just to make certain he wasn’t waiting outside, and then I started home. I don’t think he would have caught me off guard, but I was so worried about Gideon that I didn’t pick up on the danger until he was there. Mostly, he just wanted to talk to me.”
“About?”
“A man living in the same apartment building. His name is Harvey Matters. The crazy thing is, I don’t even know Harvey except to say hello. He hung out in the gym sometimes when my friends and I were working out. Or in the laundry room when we were doing our laundry. He was always with other men. He didn’t really say much to any of us, and never to me in particular. The odd thing about it is the cops think I have something to do with Harvey as well.”
Javier was silent, but his gaze was intense, piercing even, like twin laser beams. She felt his scrutiny, as if he were analyzing every word of her statement, looking for a lie. She wasn’t lying. She didn’t understand why everyone thought she had a connection to Harvey. She was beginning to think she was going insane. Maybe she didn’t remember her relationship with Harvey, just like she didn’t remember her parents.
“What did he want to know about Harvey?” Javier asked.
“He wanted me to give Harvey a message the next time I saw him. I explained I had no reason to see him. I told him Harvey was wanted by the police. It didn’t seem to matter.”
“What was the message?”
“He didn’t give me a verbal message for Harvey. And you came and interrupted us.”
Again, Javier studied her. “Did you get the feeling he was an associate of Harvey’s?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes, I did. I tried to make it clear I didn’t want anything to do with Harvey or him. It didn’t seem to matter what I wanted. He scared me,” she admitted. She wanted to add, Not half as much as you do.
“Did he give you something to give to Harvey?”
She remained silent, looking at him. She would only tell Gideon. She only trusted Gideon.
Javier sighed. “I’m trying to help you. I know it’s difficult to trust anyone, Rory, especially if you’ve been alone for a long time. Gideon’s my brother. I would do anything for him. I’m just trying to help you out while he’s recovering.”
“If you know how hard it is to trust, then you’ll have to let this go. It took a lot to go out with Gideon. I don’t do that sort of thing. You don’t have to believe me, but I don’t. He’s different. And very hard to resist. You may be afraid for him, but I’m terrified that I let down my guard and trusted him. I let him in. If he isn’t the man he says he is, I’ll have no one and nothing. He has all of you. That may not be a big deal to you, but I feel pretty vulnerable. Trust is fragile, Javier, as you should well know.”
Javier leaned toward her. “Gideon is one of the best men I know, Rory, if not the best. He’s a good man. He’s all in with you. All in. One hundred percent. He’d be here instead of me if he wasn’t hurt tonight.”