Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 111359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111359 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Raid straightened. Shit. Was this about Hannah?
He hadn’t stopped thinking about what Melody and Brye had told him yesterday. In fact, he’d barely slept last night. Every possible scenario he could think of had rolled around in his brain.
But he’d yet to decide what to do about it. How he could break through to her.
“That’s right. I saw him. Is something wrong with Hannah?”
Another pause. “Before I tell you that, I need to talk to you about your intentions with her.”
“My intentions with her? What does that mean, exactly?”
“That’s what I want to know. Duncan said that you told him you would take responsibility for her. But since you haven’t spoken to me about that, and since Hannah hasn’t said anything, I’m thinking he meant for that evening and nothing more. Am I right?”
Raid ground his teeth together.
Fuck. He had a really bad feeling.
“Something has happened to Hannah, hasn’t it? What?”
“I can’t tell you–”
“You rang me!” he said in a sharp voice. “What’s happened to Hannah?” He was aware of Tanner growing closer to him, but Raid didn’t look up from his boots.
This feeling of panic . . . it wasn’t something he’d felt before. And it gave him that last push he needed.
He cared about Hannah.
A lot.
He’d come to the conclusion that he’d need to start off by being her friend. That he’d need to show her that she could trust him so he could coax her into talking.
Slow and gentle.
Even if he knew nothing about going slow and gentle, he figured he could learn for her.
Right?
Maybe.
“You sound worried about her.”
“Jake, don’t fucking mess with me.” Fuck. He knew what he had to do. “I’m taking responsibility for her. I’m her guardian, so you need to tell me.”
“You get that you can’t just declare that and it’s suddenly so. Hannah has to agree.”
“She will,” he vowed.
Jake grunted. “I wouldn’t normally do this, but Hannah isn’t herself at the moment.”
“I know,” he said. “I know she isn’t and I know why.”
“You know all of it?”
No. But he didn’t want to tell Jake that.
“I know enough.”
“Both Molly and I have been trying to get her to talk. So have her friends. She’s not talking. Fuck, if you can get her to open up . . . then I’m going to take this chance. Raid, Hannah fainted today.”
Fuck. Fuck.
Had he waited too long? Should he have gone straight to her apartment after talking with Melody and Brye?
Had she done something to herself? What was going on?
“Where is she? At the hospital in Freestown? Is she okay?”
“She’s not in the hospital. She fainted at work this morning. Jenna wanted to admit her to the hospital for further tests, but Hannah refused.”
“What the hell? And you let her?”
“Let her? I can’t force her to go to the hospital.”
“You’re the sheriff. It’s your job to take care of the women of this town.”
“I thought you were taking responsibility for her?” Jake drawled.
Fuck. Yeah. He was.
“Where is she now?” He’d go to her and drag her to the hospital. “And you should have fucking well led with this.”
“I wanted to know if you really cared or if this was just some sort of temporary interest.”
“I’m going to ignore you fucking insulting me like that,” he said through gritted teeth. “Where is she?”
“She might not welcome you either. She’s not letting anyone help her. She’s locked herself in her apartment and ignoring everyone. If you weren’t interested in what happened to her, I was going to get Molly over here with me and do a welfare check.”
He sucked in a breath. A welfare check happened when Jake had cause to believe that someone in town might be close to harming themselves or in danger and unwilling or unable to reach out to their guardian or Jake for help.
It didn’t happen often. In fact, he couldn’t think of another instance. But that meant Jake was seriously worried.
“I’ll get through to her. Did Jenna tell you anything?”
“Not much, just that there was no visible sign of injury or illness and it could be low blood pressure as Hannah had just stood up when she keeled over.”
Fuck!
Fuck this going soft shit.
That was clearly not the right path to take. Hannah needed him in her life keeping her safe and healthy.
Which was exactly what he was going to do.
Raid raced up the stairs.
He hadn’t wasted any time in getting to her apartment, only stopping to briefly fill Tanner in. His brother had looked concerned, before telling him to go. That he’d explain to Alec and Mia what was going on.
Jake was sitting at the top of the stairs. He stood when Raid reached him.
“She hasn’t spoken to you? Let you in?” Raid asked.
“Nope. I was gonna give you another ten minutes, then I was going in by force. Out of everyone in this town, Hannah has never given me cause to worry. I’ve never had to warn her about following the rules. She doesn’t speed, doesn’t even jaywalk. She’s always been sweet and kind to everyone, so I don’t need to tell you how much this worries me.”