Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“You and I both know it’s the only option, Erin,” I smile at her, trying to make her feel less panicked.
It doesn’t work, because she knows me, and she knows my smiles. She knows that smile was so damned forced it isn’t funny.
“You’re not convincing anyone, Ellie. Not even yourself...”
“Perhaps not, but I do have to do this. They’re going to keep me safe. Tonight...tonight scared me. I don’t ever want to feel that awful fear again. I was so sure he was going to take me...”
My voice wavers, and I look away. Erin scoots over and throws her arms around me, hanging onto me. “I’m so sorry I didn’t answer. And I’ll talk to Tatiana about leaving you, she knows-”
“No,” I say firmly, pulling back. “No, this is not her fault. She didn’t want to leave. I insisted. I should have gone with her, this isn’t on her.”
Erin nods, understanding. “Yeah, okay. But honey, things are dangerous now, you have to be...more careful. Be more aware.”
“Yeah, I know,” I tell her.
“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”
I shake my head. “You have to work really early tomorrow, and you have nothing here. Go home, get some rest. I’m okay here.”
“But you’re not familiar with this place, or Slater, and I know you’re uncomfortable right now.”
“Yeah,” I admit, because it’s the truth, I am. “But I know I’m safe, and Slater won’t hurt me. So, I’ll be okay.”
Erin exhales. “Okay, well, I’m going to call you first thing, and come and see you as soon as I’m finished work tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay,” I say, trying not to look upset, even though I feel it.
So bad.
Erin hugs me, and we say our goodbyes, then she leaves.
When she’s gone, I have a shower, get changed into some clothes she ran home and got me, and then look around the huge room. It’s lovely. There is a huge bed right in the middle of the room, and a big desk looking out the large window. I even have my own bathroom. This house, it’s incredible, and homely. I can see why the boys haven’t let it go.
My mind drifts to Slater, and I wonder what he’s doing right now?
Am I making him uncomfortable, also?
I decide to go downstairs and get some water, I can’t sleep without some by my bed. I tiptoe out of the room and down the stairs, walking through the halls until I reach the kitchen. Only when I get to the kitchen do I realize my body automatically led me here. I haven’t yet been into the kitchen, and somehow, instinctively, I knew where it was.
My chest clenches.
I wish my mind and body would meet up, hell, even somewhere in the middle.
I open the fridge and get out some cold water, pouring it into a glass. Then I put it back and turn around, squealing a little when I see Slater standing at the counter, shirtless, hair messy like he’s been laying down. His eyes on me. For a moment, we stare in awkward silence, and then he says, “You okay?”
I nod, holding up the glass. “Water.”
“You can’t sleep without it.”
He’s stating a fact he knows, not asking a question.
And it only frustrates me more that I can’t remember.
I’m wide awake, the events of the night having stolen my sleep. I look to Slater, and say, “Can I ask you something?”
He looks at me, and then murmurs, “Yeah, if you’ll let me ask you something.”
That’s fair.
I nod and walk out of the kitchen and into the living room, sitting on the sofa and crossing my legs. He follows, sitting on the sofa across from me, and leaning forward, elbows on his knees, causing his muscles to pull and tighten. I try not to look, but it’s hard. It’s so damned hard. He’s beautiful in every way it counts, and I am still a woman, regardless of everything I’ve been through.
And I still have urges.
And I still crave the touch of a man.
Which is something I’ve had very little of.
I think.
“You wanna go first,” he says, looking into my eyes with that intensity that makes me squirm.
“Yeah,” I nod. “Yeah of course. I, ah, I wanted to ask you...and it’s okay if you don’t want to answer but...”
I swallow.
“Spit it out, Ellie. Not goin’ to make it hard for you. You can talk to me.”
I nod. “What happened...to get me in the hands of whoever sold me to Paul?”
Slater’s eyes flash, and he looks away for a moment, pain and regret filling his vision. I already know it has something to do with him, payment of some sort. I’d overheard conversations in the past about me being payment for someone’s mistake. I have figured out enough to know that mistake is Slater’s.
“Lincoln got into some shit. Got himself tangled up with the wrong people. I tried to help him out, clear his name, so we could go back to normal. Got myself tangled in that shit and fucked up. Got told they’d make me pay, starting with anyone close to me. So, I broke up with you. Broke your heart, but if you weren’t in my life, they couldn’t touch you. I thought I was protecting you, and it nearly killed me watching your heart break, for something that wasn’t even real. And then you went missing. Days went by, and I couldn’t find you. You got taken by the man I was working for, and he sold you for payment. That’s when I started working for Shanks. He knew the man. Knew about you. And told me if I was loyal to him, worked for him, he would help me find you...”