Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Wrapping her hand around her middle, she nodded and climbed inside the car. Until she could disarm him, she couldn’t risk giving him a target. She’d protect this unexpected baby with her life and hope that when Knox realized she hadn’t called him on her way to or from her appointment… he’d start searching for her.
Chapter Eleven
Knox leaned back in his chair behind his desk at the stadium and groaned, stretching sore muscles from an earlier workout. He was waiting to hear from Jade after her therapy appointment. The details were none of his business, but how she felt afterward was.
He glanced at the time on his cell and frowned. Her session was scheduled to be forty-five minutes, and he should have heard from her by now.
He patted the small box he’d slipped into his pants pocket this morning. Though he didn’t plan on asking Jade to marry him today, he figured he’d keep the ring close, just in case the right moment presented itself.
He jiggled the mouse on his computer and his emails settled on the screen, but he couldn’t concentrate. He tried to call Jade but it went to voicemail. He’d give her some more time and then he’d check with her office. If she wasn’t at work, he’d start to worry.
Who was he kidding? He was already worried something had come up in her session that had sent her running. He drummed his fingers on the desk when he heard loud voices outside his office.
“I’m sorry but you can’t just go in there.” Olga sounded loud as she objected.
Knox rose just as his door flung open and Celia rushed inside. Just what he didn’t need. His ex-wife giving him grief.
“I’m sorry. She pushed past me,” Olga said from behind Celia.
“It’s okay. I’ll handle it.” He nodded and Olga stepped out again.
Knox ran a hand through his hair. “Come on, Celia, I thought you had more pride than this?” She hadn’t come crawling back after she’d cheated. Her pushing him now didn’t make sense.
“I do. I… Look, I’m here because of Theo. He’s out of control.”
Knox narrowed his gaze. “I didn’t know you and Theo were still… a thing.” Not that he cared.
“We’re not.” She sat down in a chair, obviously out of breath. She took a moment and dropped her handbag on the floor. “If you hadn’t blocked my number, I’d have explained sooner,” she muttered. “Here’s the thing. When Theo saw that first photo of you and Jade on social media, he was jealous. He told me he asked you to stay away from her, and you wouldn’t listen.”
“Why would I?” he asked. And the asshole hadn’t asked, he’d ordered.
Celia waved her hand in the air. “Let me finish!” she said, her voice trembling. “Theo then asked me to try and get back together with you.”
“To keep me away from Jade,” Knox surmised.
She nodded. “Right. But obviously, it didn’t work.” When he opened his mouth to speak again, she held up her hand in a stop gesture.
“Let you finish. Got it.” He leaned back against his desk, half sitting on the edge.
“I got the message that we’re over, Knox. I did. I’d already felt bad about sleeping with Theo. I made so many mistakes when we were married, but I thought maybe enough time had passed and we could fix it. But I saw how furious you still were, and I knew I’d really ruined things for good.” She paused, still drawing deep breaths.
“Are you okay?” He clenched and unclenched his hands, needing the information she had but knowing he had to let her tell the story her way.
She nodded. “I rushed over here. Anyway, as I’m sure you know, this past weekend, the Rockets lost in the playoffs, and I think Theo lost his mind. He called me the other day, rambling. He knows he’s going to be traded.”
“Only if another team wants him,” Knox muttered.
“Right. The next day, he went to lunch with Holly and called me after. He looked at Holly’s phone when she went to the ladies’ room.”
“What?” Knox was going to kill his brother. He’d known Theo was using Holly for a reason. No wonder she’d been moping around, unwilling to discuss what was wrong.
Celia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He knows Jade is pregnant.”
“Shit.” Pacing, he paused and rubbed his eyes with his palms. “What else? Tell me quickly, because I should have heard from Jade by now and I haven’t.”
Celia’s blue eyes opened wide. “Theo got drunk last night and called me first thing this morning. He was hungover but he had a plan. He thinks if he can get Jade somewhere alone, he can convince her to come back to him. Then he can take her away from you. He’s even willing to raise your kid. He called it the ultimate fuck you.”