Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
He hadn’t forced her to study at home through high school. She’d gone to a public school, and that had been … interesting. Bill, her bodyguard, had always been present. Okay, he hadn’t been present, but after one particular day of bad bullying and sporting a black eye, Bill had followed her to school.
One quick glance toward the parking lot, and she saw him standing there, watching her. She held her hand up and gave him a quick wave.
In response, he lifted his hand. It looked more like an alien gesture, but she took it. He meant well.
Finishing off her apple, she then grabbed her sandwich.
Since being married to Roman, he’d denied Bill’s presence. The man worked for her father, so he wouldn’t allow the other man anywhere near her. Last night, her father told her that he’d have people looking out for her. She was going to be a target now, not just for his enemies, but also for Greco’s enemies.
Personally, she’d done nothing wrong, but it would seem, in their world, they liked to make people pay for others’ mistakes.
Leaning back against the tree, she slowed down her eating so she wouldn’t give herself a stomachache.
She missed Bill. Missed her dad. Missed Mellie, the cook back home. That woman had a way of making her feel loved and safe.
Roman had a chef at one of his restaurants who dealt with meals. They were delivered every day at the same time. Breakfast was served at exactly seven thirty. Lunch at twelve thirty, and then dinner by six thirty. She never got a say in what was cooked. The food looked pretentious, like it had spent a lifetime attempting to win awards.
Alex hated it.
Mellie’s noodle soup and dumplings and lemon cake, and the list kept on going, those were the best. Just thinking about them now made her a little homesick.
After dusting off her hands, she put her wrappings all together and went in search of the necessary trash bins. She put her trash inside and then glanced down at the time. She had five minutes to get to English class.
Glancing back toward the parking lot, she saw Bill was there. She wanted to go to him, to thank him, at the very least hug him, but she knew he wouldn’t like that. Bill liked to keep things strictly professional. At least outside, in the open. When they were alone, he let her hug and sob against his shoulder.
He was like daddy number two.
Shaking that loneliness off, she headed toward English class, only to come to a stop when she caught sight of Roman. He didn’t look at her, and she stepped behind one of the thick oak trees and glanced toward her husband. He was talking to a man, but she didn’t recognize who he was.
He hadn’t come to get her, so what was he doing on school property? Did it matter?
Roman glanced toward her, and she sank against the tree, not wanting to be seen.
Her heart started to race. Did he see her looking?
She should just make it to English. Snooping, or spying, was not for her.
Alex was about to make a break for it when fingers wrapped around her wrist, stopping her. She spun toward the person who’d grabbed her and saw Roman was there. How had he moved from across the grounds toward her so fast?
“What are you doing?” Roman asked.
She tugged at her wrist. “Let me go.” She didn’t want to cause a scene. Not many people were around, but there were a few. She hated bringing attention to herself.
“Why are you here?” Roman asked. “Who sent you?”
Why was he accusing her?
“I’m going to class,” she said. “Please, I don’t want to be late.”
“Sir, I suggest you let her go.”
This was Bill. This was going to be very bad.
She looked from Roman to Bill, then back again.
“Why are you here?” Roman asked.
“I have it on strict orders to keep an eye on her, to protect her, while she goes to school,” Bill said.
“She is my wife. She is coming with me.”
Bill stepped in front of Roman, stopping him.
She tried to tell Bill to just step aside, but he’d been given orders by her father.
“Alex, go to class,” Bill said. He didn’t take his gaze from Roman as he brought his cell phone to his ear. “Sir, I have Roman here, and he is trying to remove Alex from school.”
She saw Roman’s jaw clenching. This wasn’t good. This was very, very, bad.
As she looked between the two men, Roman took the cell phone. He didn’t remove his fingers from her wrist.
“What?” Roman asked.
Bill had one hand at his waist, and she knew he was getting ready to strike. Bill was deadliest when he appeared calm and collected.
This wasn’t going to end well.
Roman handed his cell phone back, but he didn’t let her go.