Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Please,” Layla whispered. “Please, if you get me out of here…if you get me out of here, I’ll teach you how to play Horse Lords. Please…help me. Please.”
Her normally husky voice was a shade of itself, the whisper of a terrified child. It pulled directly at my gut, summoning a fierce need to keep this woman safe. To protect her from anything that made her this scared. She was as tormented by her fears as I was by mine, and now it was my turn to be strong for her.
“I’ll hold you to that,” I muttered while tucking her into my side. I maneuvered Vali, so he stood next to her. “Just follow me.”
I stepped forward, but she was a dead weight at my back. When I turned around, I found her completely hidden by her long, dark hair, her entire body curved into herself as if she expected a blow. Arms crossed over her midsection, protecting her vital organs, head tucked into her chest to guard her throat. Vali stood between us, but he wasn’t looking at me. He studied his mistress.
When he did glance at me, his worried look clearly said, “Do something, human. Fix this.”
One of my men started to approach us, but I held up my hand. “Clear a path to the doors for me.”
“Sir, it’s packed with people out here—”
“I said clear a path!”
Normally, I never raised my voice or showed much emotion, so my volume had the intended effect. We left the elevator, approaching the big group of people all trying to get out six blocked doors. A ragged trail opened before us as my men pushed people back, providing us a narrow pathway across the massive glass and stone foyer of the Cordova building. Clearly unhappy people dressed in everything from doctor’s scrubs to ten-thousand-dollar suits milled about. They gave us cutting looks as we plowed our way through, my security not giving a shit who stood in our way.
A few times we were bumped hard enough to ricochet off the people next to us, but I managed to keep us on our feet.
Despite the interruptions, we made good time to the front doors despite the mass of surly people.
I was grateful for that, because Layla wasn’t doing so well.
Pressed so close to me that she reminded me of a baby bear clinging to a tree, I practically carried her as she trembled. Her heart thumped so hard against her ribs, I feared she might pass out. The complaints rose in volume behind us as a door opened and we were ushered through, out into the fragrant night air.
I swear, it was like stepping into a different world.
Yeah, car horns blared as traffic inched down the street, and there were people everywhere despite the late hour, but it was sure as fuck better than inside the Cordova Building. Soon enough, I’d have to head back in and help Leo organize that mess, but right then, I relished being someplace that didn’t stink like four-hundred people locked inside a building that hadn’t had air conditioning for a few hours.
The sun had set long ago, and streetlights illuminated the massive cement planters filled with bright pink flowering shrubs that lined the sidewalks.
I looked down, expecting to see Layla’s dark eyes staring up into my own, but all I saw was her curtain of hair.
“Layla?”
No response, and she continued to cling onto me so tightly, I couldn’t have pried her off if I tried.
I brushed her hair back and lifted her chin so I could get her to meet my gaze.
Jesus, she had pretty much checked out of reality. When she said she was agoraphobic, I didn’t know it made her go into a fugue state. Her blank gaze reminded me of the thousand yard stare dead people get. That empty look chilled me and I swallowed hard, trying to figure out how I could bring the life back to her eyes.
Vali nudged at her hand, and her fingers twitched as she continued to stare back at me. More makeup had smeared off her cheek, but I purposely kept my gaze off her birthmark. She was obviously extremely sensitive about it, and I didn’t want to do anything to cause her anymore distress.
She needed me in a way I couldn’t help but respond to.
I took an experimental step forward, and she willingly followed me as I walked us over to a set of benches beneath a row of enormous palm trees. In the indirect, golden glow of the garden lights, I slowly brushed Layla’s silky hair back from her face, but she kept her eyes focused firmly on her lap. Vali nudged his way under her arm then nuzzled his face against her belly. Her hand twitched, then she buried it in his fur and held on tight.