Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Once we were inside the car, I turned to her. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of her face.
She nodded, her eyes downcast. “I’m just embarrassed. And I’m sorry you had to come so late at night.”
I started my engine. “Stop apologizing. I told you, I hate apologies.” I pulled out onto the street, turning the direction toward my house rather than Storee’s. Before she could protest, I said, “You’re coming home with me. I need to keep an eye on you.”
“Wait. What? Locke—”
“Storee, I’m not asking. You need someone to take care of you, and that someone is me,” I said firmly, cutting off her protests. “You’re in no condition to be alone right now, and I don’t want to risk anything happening to you again.”
She sighed, but nodded her head in agreement as she leaned back against the seat. I could see the exhaustion etched on her face, and I knew that she needed rest.
I turned my attention back to the road, my mind already working on a plan to keep her safe. She had promised me she wouldn’t do The Hunt, and yet she broke her word. I should be furious.
Maybe I was.
As if reading my mind, she said, “You have every right to be mad at me.”
She fell silent, staring out the window as we drove toward my house. I knew she was still scared, still shaken up from the events of the night. But I also knew that she felt guilt for not following through on what she’d told me.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my temper, my hand gripping the steering wheel tighter. “It’s not about being mad,” I said finally, breaking the silence. “It’s about keeping you safe.” I took another deep breath, not sure I wanted to hear the answer. “You said nothing happened, but,” I swallowed hard, “did that man succeed in The Hunt?”
She shook her head. “No. Once it started, I knew something was different. Off. So I panicked and ran. I wanted it to end.”
“You can’t end The Hunt once it starts.”
“I know. But I tried.”
“Why did you feel it was off?” I was still waiting for her to give me any reason to call my partners at The Vault and demand the execution of the fucker who’d hunted her. If she so much as gave me a hint that he’d broken protocol in the slightest, he was a dead man.
“It wasn’t like the first time I did The Hunt. I guess I wanted—” She shrugged, stopping mid-sentence, her eyes still fixed on the passing scenery outside.
We drove the rest of the way in silence, the only sound the hum of the engine and the occasional shuffling sound of Storee repositioning in her seat. When we finally pulled up to my house, I helped her out of the car and carried her inside.
As soon as we entered my living room, I pulled out a blanket and draped it around Storee’s shoulders. She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
I didn’t know what to say. Instead, I guided her to the couch and sat beside her, my arm still wrapped around her shoulders. She leaned into me, and I could feel her breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, repeating my earlier question.
She nodded, her head resting against my chest. “Why do you do this, Locke? Why do you protect me?”
I leaned in closer to her, my eyes never leaving hers. “Because I care about you, Storee.”
She looked away, her eyes downcast. “Like a father?”
I frowned, not liking the implications of her question. “No, not like a father. Something more,” I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Storee looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise. “What… what do you mean, ‘something more’?”
I knew I was treading on dangerous ground here, but I couldn’t help myself. I had cared about Storee for a long time, and now that she was sitting here, vulnerable and scared, I knew that I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“I mean that I’ve always had feelings for you, Storee. Deep feelings. And seeing you so close to danger tonight… it made me realize that I can’t keep pretending that I’m just your friend. I want to be more than that. I want to protect you, take care of you, be there for you no matter what. And not just from afar.”
For a moment, Storee just stared at me, her mouth hanging open in shock. But then, slowly, she reached up and touched my cheek, her fingers tracing the lines of my face.
“I’ve always cared about you too, Locke,” she whispered. “But I never knew if you felt the same way. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship by saying something. I didn’t—”