Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81581 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81581 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“Your father?” I ask, my voice soft.
He shakes his head. “He’s the cause, honestly. Mom always collected things in our basement. But when Gwen got sick, she started trying to record and save all her moments. Both of them became obsessed with collecting things. It drove my dad crazy. He ended up spending more and more time at his apartment in the city near his office. Eventually, he never came home.”
My stomach roils when I imagine his mother’s house. How could it be worse than that?
“So, they’re divorced?”
He sighs. “No. He paid off the house and always saw to it that she had enough money.” He pauses and his eyes shift away, but I don’t miss the storm brewing in them. “She won’t ever leave the house, though. I’ve taken over paying utilities and sending groceries to the house. Dad won’t come see her. They’re married, but he hasn’t seen her probably in twenty years.”
I gape at him. I suppose everyone has skeletons in their closets. His are apparently full of hoarded skeletons.
“She needs help,” I tell him softly. “That can’t be safe.”
He stands and prowls over to me, anger written all over his face. I flinch when he raises his hand. The action makes his hard features crumple. Vaughn has ruined me forever.
“She used to see a therapist each week but eventually got angry with Dr. Ward and quit going. We’ve tried everything. At first, it was just her room. Then, she took over two more rooms. I refuse to let her take over anymore. Sometimes, she brings her things to Mom’s. They find room in that shithole somehow.”
I swallow and close my eyes when he touches my cheek. His other hand grips my hip and he drags me closer. I love that his masculine scent is quickly chasing away the horrible one from Gwen’s room. He rests his forehead against mine, and it grounds me. Something about this guy affects me.
His mouth is so close to mine, and if I were to tilt my head up, I’d be able to kiss him. I want to kiss him. But a kiss will lead to more. I’m certainly not ready for more with him.
“I should go,” I murmur, trying to ignore the way his thumb rubs my hip.
“I wish you didn’t have to.”
I place my hands on his firm chest that I’d love to explore more and push him away. “Can you take me please?” I bite on my lip and frown. “And please don’t tell her I…saw.”
He shakes his head. “I won’t. It would send her into a tailspin that I can’t afford to mentally deal with. I have too much else on my mind.”
It reminds me that he’s a successful businessman who spends his day acquiring hotels and businesses left and right. But a small part of me hopes that I’m also on his mind.
“Let’s go then,” I breathe out.
His gaze falls to my lips and he clenches his jaw before nodding his agreement.
I wake up in a cold sweat.
And naked.
Why do I keep undressing in my sleep? Am I sleepwalking again?
Dread consumes me. It’s been years since I’ve had the night sweats where I would find myself in various places around the apartment. What’s triggered this? Is it Gray?
I squeeze my eyes shut and will myself to sleep. But then I hear it. A ping. I jolt upright in bed and still my breath. Then a creak.
Holy shit.
The hair sticks up on the back of my neck. Someone is in my house. I slide out of bed and snag my gun from under the mattress. I keep it loaded and ready to fire. Once I have it in my grip, I call out in a shaky voice.
“Who’s there?”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The footsteps are heavy and a scream gets lodged in my throat. He’s coming for me. It’s Vaughn. He’s here and he’s going to drag me back home with him by my hair.
No!
I stumble backward until my bare ass hits the wall with the gun wobbling out in front of me. It’s dark aside from the moonlight pouring in from the open curtain.
The front door swings open and crashes against the wall before slamming again. My heart jackknifes in my chest. I bolt through the apartment and then twist all the locks into place. As soon as the last one engages, I start to cry.
He was here.
It had to have been him.
I’m panicking. I don’t know what to do. I can’t call the cops because he’ll kill me and my mother. That was something he always told me he would do. At times, I didn’t care about me, but it wasn’t fair for my mother.
My hand trembles, but I keep hold of my gun while I hunt for my phone. I dial Gray and pray he’ll wake at this ungodly hour. He answers on the fourth ring, his voice thick with sleep.