Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
The man before me continues to strain his neck, trying to look at Romy. He’s huge and muscular. If he had put his hands on her, there’d have been no escaping whatever his plans were.
Or whoever’s behind this activated soldier…
His phone rings—a peculiar ringtone—and then, as if he wakes out of a daze, he relaxes as he reaches into his pocket for his phone. I stare him down as he answers, not yet bothered by my arm against his throat.
“Hello?” he rasps out. Then he chuckles. “Wrong number.”
The man blinks and then blinks again. The super-fixated expression on his face is gone. He frowns at me in confusion.
“Can I help you?” He shoves me away from him, a flash of fiery anger morphing his features.
I stumble away, no match for the man’s power now that he’s snapped out of his daze. “You were eyeing my girlfriend. Got a problem with her? Who sent you?”
The man sneers, holding up a hand to reveal a wedding band. “I’m married, asshole. Check your jealousy. You assumed wrong.”
He storms off down the sidewalk without sparing me a second glance. I shake off the uneasy feeling and stalk back toward the café. Romy, with a box in hand, and Eva exit the restaurant. Romy scowls at me before casting a worried glance past me.
He’s gone, little girl.
You’re welcome.
“We’re leaving,” I say to her, grabbing hold of her arm. “Let’s go.”
She wrenches out of my hold and sneers at me. “You have some nerve, Caius.”
My eyebrows fly up. “Excuse me? I just fucking saved your ass.”
“From what?” She scoffs and puts on a show of false confidence. “All I saw was you stalking me. You don’t own me, you know. I’m a free woman.”
Eva nods, agreeing with her. I want to throttle them both.
“Go home,” I growl to Eva. “I’m taking Romy back to the hotel where it’s safe.”
“Aren’t you being a little overprotective?” Eva asks. “Romy’s lived here her whole life and managed just fine without you.”
I sigh heavily and run my fingers through my disheveled hair I had no time to fix this morning. “Please, love.”
Romy softens at the gentler tone. I nearly miss it, but there’s a fleeting flash of relief in her eyes. The man scared her, as he should have, being what I know him to be, and she’s grateful I came for her.
“I need to bring these back to Kaitlyn anyway,” Romy says to Eva. “It was good spending time with you.”
The two women hug and Eva hurries over to a waiting SUV. I sling an arm over Romy’s shoulders, pulling her to me. It’s a long walk back to our hotel, but I need the time to think.
She doesn’t wriggle away but instead leans closer to me. This relaxes me. I don’t, however, take my eyes off every person we pass as I search for threats.
Did Dad send him?
Is this his attempt to clean up some of this Romy mess?
Because she is messy. Ever since Theo brought her into our lives, she’s complicated everything. Does Dad see something I don’t? Am I getting in too deep with her?
The reality is…yes.
I’m beginning to truly care about her well-being. She’s more than just a problem to be managed. I didn’t want her, much like with Kaitlyn, but now I have her and I can’t ignore that.
“Who was that guy?” Romy finally asks, no longer brimming with irritation.
“Not sure. Scared him away, though.”
She’s silent for a beat as we cross the road to get to the next block. Wind sweeps between the buildings, pummeling us until we’re once again shielded by the next set of buildings.
“I think he wanted to hurt me,” she says, voice shaking. “Why?”
I am not about to explain to her the intricacies of the Crowne Unity Project or the secretive side project CUP Stars.
“I don’t know,” I state, “but you wouldn’t have had this issue had you not bolted without a word, not telling me where you’d gone.”
She shakes her head, huffing, a white cloud bursting out in front of her. “You can clearly track me down with no problems. Next time I’ll leave my phone at home.”
There won’t be a next time.
I’ll be damned if I let her slip from my grip a second time.
“You hurt my feelings last night,” she says softly. “I thought… I thought we were breaking new ground. I was wrong.”
Her words are a punch to my chest. I know I upset her last night. I’d intended to smooth things over this morning by taking her to breakfast. Having her as my enemy won’t do.
“I’m sorry,” I grit out. “I was getting too emotionally involved.”
She stops suddenly and turns, the box nearly smashing between us. Wide eyes peer up at me as she studies my expression, searching for lies. There are none.
I can’t help but lift a hand to smooth away her blond hair that whips into her face. She leans slightly into my palm. My thumb brushes over her cheek. So fucking soft.