Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22109 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Doc looks through the front windshield of the van, and Ellie still has her eyes closed. “I’m going to get unlocked and set up. Bring her on in.”
I nod and rush around to the passenger side. “Ellie, honey, we’re here.”
Her eyes snap open, and she sits up. “This is a waste of time, Gray. I promise I’m fine.”
I help her out of the car and put my arm around her shoulder. “That’s good. I just want to hear him say it, okay?”
She isn’t happy with me. “Come on, it will be quick, and then I’ll let you rest.”
She stops and looks up at me. “Are you staying at the apartment tonight?”
I bring my hand up and rub it over my heart. I swear ever since Jason said the diner was being robbed, it’s been racing. “Yeah, honey. There’s no way I’m leaving you tonight.”
She smiles up at me. “Promise?”
“Yeah, I promise.”
She walks ahead of me. “You should have started with that, Gray.”
She gets to the door, and I can’t take my eyes off her. I’m all kinds of confused. Has she been wanting me to stay the night with her? I thought I was doing the right thing by staying at the clubhouse, but maybe not.
Ellie opens the office door. “You coming or not?”
I walk to her and grab on to the door to hold it open. We walk hand in hand to the back of the office. There are so many things we need to talk about, but now is not the time. After the night she’s had, she needs to rest, and I’m going to make sure that happens.
Chapter 12
Ellie
I’m in bed, and Gray has waited on me hand and foot. I’m wrapped around my new pillow, and there is a steaming mug of tea on the nightstand. Gray is sitting on the chair across the room far away from me.
“What are you thinking about?”
He’s leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and he’s worried about me. There’s no other way to say it. Instead of saying want I want to say, which is What the hell are you doing all the way across the room? I say something else that’s been weighing on my mind. “I’m a weenie.”
His forehead creases. “A weenie? Why would you even say that?”
I shrug. I hate feeling this way, and quite honestly, I’ve always thought of myself as some sort of badass or something. Obviously not, though, because I was freaked out. “Because during everything—I mean, the guys had guns pointed at us, and of course, I was freaking out. Not Tara, though. She was completely calm and cool about the whole thing. Literally, she was trying to keep me calm. She smiled, Gray, and said everything was going to be fine. She even gave up her wedding ring and told the guy she’d be getting it back.” I slap my hand over my mouth and sit straight up in the bed. “Oh my God, my wedding ring.”
Gray stands up and moves closer to me but sits on the end of the bed. He grabs on to my foot that’s under the cover and rubs it. “It’s fine. You’ll get it back.”
“Are you sure?” I ask him.
He nods. “I’m sure, and also, you’re not a weanie. By any chance did Tara tell you about her house fire?”
I shake my head side to side. Oh my God, I probably talked about myself the whole time. “No, she didn’t mention it. Did her house catch fire?”
He nods but has a big smile on his face. “Yeah, but it was a while back. It’s been rebuilt now, but let me tell you, after that experience, it’s no wonder she handled everything like she did tonight. Tonight was probably a walk in the park compared to that.”
I wrap my arms around the pillow and hug it tightly. It’s nothing compared to being in Gray’s arms, but for some reason, he’s keeping his distance. “What happened with Tara and her house?”
“She and Jason live up on the mountain. They were dating then, and one of her ex-boyfriends was not happy that she had moved on. Anyway, he lit the mountain on fire while Tara was in her house. She was completely surrounded by flames.”
My stomach drops. “Oh my God, what happened?”
“We all went up on the mountain to put the flames out. Jason flew in a helicopter and saved her from her roof.”
My mouth drops. “Are you kidding me?”
He laughs. “No, I’m not kidding. I swear it was like something you’d see in the movies. But see, that’s probably why she was so calm.”
I nod my head. “She did mention that the Guardians would be showing up.”
His hand is firm on my ankle. “Honey, any time you need me, I’m going to come for you. I promise you that.”