Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
There was a good chance I needed to seek professional help. I wasn’t going to, of course, but the fact remained that I probably needed it. She loved me. She wanted to be with me. I should feel more stable, yet I couldn’t seem to ease the other shit in my head.
What if she ever found out the things I’d done to get her here? Would she understand it? Did she love me enough to forgive me or simply overlook it? The things I had done were fucked up, but I had done it all for her. So I could have her here with me. In love with me. Wanting only me.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t replaced the tires I’d slashed. I’d put four brand-new tires on that car. If she hadn’t fucking tried to run, I wouldn’t have had to hire Marty to shoot at my Jeep. I hadn’t wanted to scare her like that, but desperate times and all. It had worked like a charm too. She was here with me. That had been the goal.
When she found out that Netta Ball had taken a bad fall and was no longer on this earth, she’d be relieved. The attorney I had getting Briar custody of Dovie was already pulling the legal strings I needed to make sure that it was a smooth process. I wanted it done before Briar’s birthday. It was going to be one of her presents. One of so fucking many. I had twenty-six birthdays to make up for. I intended to be thorough. Noor should have been one of those gifts, but I’d been unable to keep her a secret. The moment I had seen the Appaloosa, I’d wanted her for Briar. She wasn’t for sale, but I convinced the owner to let me have her. The fact that I’d bought two other more expensive thoroughbreds from the owner helped that decision. I was sure he was still in deep with his wife over selling off her horse. Not my problem though.
Reaching over, I brushed her hair back off her forehead. She was my beautiful girl. My own fucking siren. No one and nothing would take her from me. If that meant I was a touch more psycho than Thatcher, then so be it. I was going to burn in hell long before I laid eyes on her. Now, it was just going to be worth it. I’d happily go to hell after I got a lifetime with her.
I should get some kind of reward though for not killing every bastard who had touched her body. I was fighting off that urge every damn day. There was a good chance I could snap and do it eventually. I wasn’t making any promises.
Her phone lit up with a text, and I reached over to pick it up. No one needed to be texting her this late at night. For that matter, no one but me and Dovie should have this fucking number.
Pepper: Checking on you. Haven’t heard from you in a couple of days. Guys are missing you, but as long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters. I’m here if you need me.
I liked Pepper Abe, but I didn’t like this fucking text. The guys were missing her? Oh fuck no was she reading this text. I was all Briar needed. Me. I was here if she needed something. Not Pepper Abe.
I deleted the text and then scrolled through her Contacts, realizing there were very few. The text messages were even fewer. Relief settled over me as my finger hovered over Pepper’s name. It would be safer if I just deleted the contact or blocked it. But that felt gross to me. I was already going behind Briar’s back, doing shit I knew she wouldn’t be okay with. Even though I had to do those things.
I’d leave Pepper’s name in here for now, but I was having all the texts that came through on this phone sent to mine. I had to monitor my girl. She might love me, but there was that trust thing I was struggling with. I had to make sure she wouldn’t decide to run. It would be futile if she did. There was nowhere I wasn’t willing to go to get her back.
Placing her phone back on the bedside table, I pressed a kiss to her temple.
“Mine.”