Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
A phone rang, and Linc’s deep voice said, “Yeah,” as he took long strides out of the kitchen.
Not even a hello to me. Nothing. I looked back down at my plate and felt like if I tried to eat it, the first bite would get stuck in my throat.
Twenty-Nine
Branwen
Glancing down at my phone, I frowned at Linc’s name lighting up the screen as it rang. When had his number been put into my cell phone? I was tempted to ignore it.
Yesterday morning, he had shown up in the great room while Stevie played with her new toys to tell her he had to leave to do some work. She’d thrown her arms around his neck, and he’d hugged her before giving me a nod, then walking away. Again, not one word.
It was almost thirty hours later, and we hadn’t seen him since. Yet his number had been programmed into my phone, which I had not put in there, and he was calling me. The third ring, I gave in and picked it up.
“Yes,” I said in a clipped tone.
“I need you both ready by four. Jayda knows what you need to pack and will help you. Than will pick you up and drive you to the airstrip.”
I waited for a moment for more information, but he said nothing.
“Okay, but where are you taking us?”
“Florida. Stevie needs to meet her brother.”
Oh. OH. I had known she had a brother. I remembered the wild little boy Levi had been. But I hadn’t really considered the fact that Stevie had a sibling.
I’d not been back to Ocala since I’d left at twelve years old. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. This might be good for us. Going somewhere. Stevie and I needed out of the house. The pool was great, and the house was huge, but we had been here for days. Although it wasn’t like I had a choice.
“Okay,” I agreed, but said nothing more.
“Is she good?” he asked me. His tone was still businesslike and detached.
“Yes, but she needs to get out of the house. I mean, after this trip. We can’t stay here all the time.” I tried to keep my voice equally cold.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I will make sure that happens more often.”
“Good.”
“See you then,” he said, and then the call ended.
I pulled the phone from my ear and stared at it. He’d really just hung up. If I didn’t have a bite mark on my shoulder, where he had locked into me when he unloaded inside me the last time, and my butt didn’t have small bruises from his fingertips digging into it, then I’d have thought I’d dreamed up the other night. The man he’d been that day was someone else. He’d dropped his charm on me, and I’d done whatever he said.
Seemed he had gotten his fill of me all in one night.
Jayda came walking outside to the pool with concern etched on her normally smiling face. Maui went running to her with his tail wagging as a wet and giggly Stevie chased him. I sat up from my reclined position on the lounger.
When she reached me, she glanced back at Stevie, who had picked up Maui and was playing with him, then swung her gaze back to me. “Hey, uh, there is a man at the gate for you. Hudson? I’m not allowed to open the gate for anyone unless given instruction to by Linc or Luther.” She winced as she said it.
I swung my feet off the seat and onto the ground. Shit. What was he doing here? How had he found me? I hadn’t given him an address. More than that, it was dangerous for him to be here. Thank God Linc wasn’t home.
Snatching up my cover-up, I pulled it on and looked over at Stevie. “Can you watch her for me? I need to call him and get him to leave.”
She nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry. I’d let him in, but…”
I shook my head. “Don’t apologize. I wouldn’t want you to. God knows what Linc would do.”
Slipping my feet into the flip-flops I’d worn out here, I hurried for the patio, then decided to go inside in case Stevie could hear me. She hadn’t asked about Hudson in days, and I didn’t want to confuse her. This was all still very new, and she was happy with it.
I dialed Hudson’s number while I stepped inside the house.
“Why is there a security gate to get up to this house?” Hudson demanded when he answered.
If you knew, you would not be sitting there.
“Hudson, why are you here? You need to leave.”
“No. Not until I see you. I came to talk to you. Beg you to reconsider. And you’re locked behind a gate, and I can’t get in. This is concerning, Branwen. I don’t feel good about this. You breaking things off seemed so…so not like you. I’m now seeing some major red flags here. Are you okay? Is he…is he holding you in there? Fuck, I don’t know. The man seemed dark and twisted. He might be Stevie’s father, but he isn’t someone you need to be around.”