Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
“And will you teach your son the same? I often wonder what my mother taught me. Of course, when I think about it too hard, I get a terrible headache.”
“It’s different. He’s a child,” she argued.
“But children learn from their parents. I’ve heard this said many times. If someone was hurting your child, how would you handle that? Would you simply ask the person to stop? If that doesn’t work, how would you handle that?”
“I wouldn’t let anyone hurt my child.” The line of questioning was making her anxious. “Are you trying to say I’m a bad mother?”
“No, I’m trying to understand. Brody is my friend and he’s in a bad position. He loves you, but I think you don’t want him to love you. I think you don’t want anyone to love you and that makes me feel sad. Ariel says we should talk about the things that make us sad even if there is no solution.” Tucker looked back at the screen. “I want to be there for Brody if he needs me. I think he’s going to because I think you’re going to break his heart. He’s not a man who can allow those he loves to be hurt. Even if they crave the pain of being hurt.”
“I do not.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes pain is good. I think I miss my pain. I can feel it simmering beneath the surface, but I can’t remember why it’s there. If I knew what I ached about, maybe I could ease it. Maybe I could find a way to turn it into something else. Is that why you went to Africa?”
She stood up. “I’m not having this conversation with you. It’s too personal.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I guess I did, but I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was trying to understand more.” He flashed her a sad smile. “I’ve been told I’m annoying.”
She was about to agree with whoever had said that when the door came open and Taggart entered.
“Charlie?”
Charlotte nodded. “I’ve placed guards on the nursery and to watch over our guests.”
He lowered his head and kissed his wife. “Thank you. Now for the fun stuff. Introductions. Don’t kill the newbies.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Not the mercenaries?”
Brody walked into the room, his eyes finding hers.
What would she do if someone was hurting him? Would she stand back and let him handle it because he was an adult and he should have the choice? Or would she stop whoever was doing it at any cost because she loved him?
Love. She loved him and that scared the shit out of her.
“No mercenaries. We have an interested third party.” Liam stood beside a tall, lanky man with blond hair.
He looked incredibly familiar. A name came to mind because she was almost certain she’d seen that face before in a photo. “Fedor? Are you Anya’s brother?”
He nodded slowly. “I am and you are her employer? The doctor?”
Brody tried to step in front of her. “She’s none of your business.”
“Yes, Anya works at my clinic.” She couldn’t seem to get around him.
“You are the one who left her behind to die?” Fedor asked. His friend stepped in next to him.
“Hey,” Brody began.
Guilt flooded her system. “I thought she would run. She offered to stay behind for a few minutes and then she would run.”
Fedor’s cold blue eyes found hers. “My sister is brave. I can see agreeing to risk her own life to save others. You are coward for allowing her to do this. You and the piece of shit I have taken into custody. You both ran and left my sister to take your punishment.”
“Ukrainians.” Charlotte made the word sound like an admonishment.
“Russian,” Fedor shot back. He said something in a language Steph didn’t understand.
Charlotte did the same.
Taggart put a hand up. “I didn’t even know some of those words and my Russian is pretty good. It’s best that I didn’t since if I thought for a second that you called my wife nasty names, I would say our peace treaty is over and you should get ready to fight.”
Fedor took a deep breath. “I am sorry, Mr. Taggart. And Mrs. Taggart. I am not friendly with your wife’s people, as I pointed out before. This is why I will keep the man and allow you to keep the woman for as long as I believe you intend to work with me to free my sister.”
“Allow?” Taggart asked.
Brody took her hand and pulled her to a corner of the room while Fedor began to talk to Taggart. “Are you all right?”
Not at all, but there was nothing she could do about it now. “He’s right. I should have waited for her.”
Brody’s jaw tightened. “Damn it, you had to protect our son.” He sighed, a long-suffering sound. “That bastard has no idea what it was like and no right at all to blame you. But you won’t listen to me about that, will you?”