Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
There was a long silence. Vienna knew Zale willed her to look at him, but she refused, instead once more examining Raine’s face. There was bruising around the cut. “Harlow did a good job with the butterfly stitches.”
“Where’s the truck?” Zale asked. “We need to have someone take care of it. Your fingerprints are in that truck, Vienna.”
“Raine has to report any accident she’s in to her people.” Vienna refused to turn around. “They told us to get out of there and they’d have the truck towed. We saw the tow truck as we were driving away.”
“Her people?” Rainier echoed. “A computer analyst, an independent contractor for the government, has the kind of clout to call in that kind of cleanup crew that fast?” There was total disbelief in his voice.
Vienna did turn. She couldn’t push down the flash of temper. “Yes, Rainier. Her people. Zale said someone had to take care of the truck. I presume he meant your people. In this case, it was our good luck that when Raine reported she’d been in an accident, her people took care of the truck. If your people and her people want to sort that out between them and gather the evidence to see who wants you dead, it’s all right by me. I just don’t want to hear your take-charge voice in our house when we did you favors, and now, you’re sitting in our Airbnb and probably expect to eat Shabina’s excellent meal.”
“Vienna, honey, come here.” Zale’s voice was gentle.
She felt the burn of tears behind her eyes. She knew she was too tired and her body ached. She was still in mild shock from the accident. She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to look at Zale. Really look at him. That first look always took her breath away. Always. It wasn’t that he was so incredibly gorgeous—and to her, he was—it was the way he appeared so invincible. He looked as if he could handle anything, no matter how difficult. Even more than that, it was the look on his face. His expressionless mask disappeared, his cold eyes softened and he looked at her with such raw intensity she didn’t know what to do with it. There was just a glimpse. Just a moment, and then it was gone, but in that moment, she felt as if she belonged.
“I’m going to check that wound, Zale.” Pride kicked in, mostly because Rainier was watching her and she had to put her anger somewhere. She was angry. At Rainier because he was still working in a field he should have gotten out of a long time ago. He was an intelligent man. He didn’t need to stay in it unless he was an adrenaline junkie, and what did that say about Zale?
“Snowflake . . .”
She glared at him. “Just don’t say anything for a minute. No one talk until I can breathe again. It was terrifying to have Shabina and Raine in the truck with me and know I had no control. It was terrifying to know you and Rainier were wounded. Rainier’s side of the truck had far too much blood on it. You may think only you two worry, but all of us do as well.”
She caught up the medical kit and stalked over to him, trying not to breathe him into her lungs. The moment she got close enough to him, Zale reached out and shackled her wrist, gently pulling her between his thighs.
“I have to know if you were injured.”
“Just knocked around. A few bruises. I don’t have a cut on my head like Raine does.” She tugged at his shirt until he obliged and took it off. The wound was lower this time—not his biceps, his actual chest. He was lucky the bullet didn’t hit a bone or an artery. She sighed and removed the bandage to take a closer look.
“What about you, Shabina?” Rainier prompted. “Are you injured?”
She glanced up from where she was working in the kitchen. “Nothing significant.”
He frowned. “That tells me nothing.” There was a distinct warning in his voice.
Vienna paused cleaning Zale’s wound and turned slightly to view Rainier. He did sound concerned. She shouldn’t be so upset with Rainier simply because he was still working at his chosen profession and she didn’t want Zale to make that same choice. That wouldn’t be Rainier’s fault. She knew she had to come to terms with her emotions. She wasn’t the kind of woman to believe a man—or a woman—should have to change to be in a relationship. She’d fallen for Zale because of his character. Rainier was very much like him.
“I didn’t hit my head, so no concussion.” Shabina was matter-of-fact. The Instant Pot was already on and she had prepared something else to slide into the oven. Vienna couldn’t see what it was on the flat tray, but the aromas coming from the kitchen were adding hunger to her already frayed nerves.