Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
I don't want Dimitri to disappear from my life when this is over. I think…no, I know it'll break my heart if he does. I want him to be my once upon a time and my happily-ever-after. Even if it means existing in the dark with him.
When he touches me, all I feel is fire. Fire everywhere. And I want to burn.
"Woof," Dizzy says, dropping to his backside in front of me.
I lean down and rub his broken ear, shaking my head ruefully. "Perhaps letting you explore on your own was a bad idea, Diz," I murmur. "You're far too mischievous for your own good."
He bumps his furry head against my thigh, nearly knocking me over. I laugh quietly, scratching his ears as I call for the rest of the crew to come back to the patio.
They come running from every direction, bounding across the grass with more exuberance than I've ever seen from them before. It's as if they feel safe here too. Even shy little Rabbit is content, though she still hasn't ventured far beyond the suite into the rest of the house. She pokes her head out into the hall, but that's as far as she's gotten.
Surprisingly, when Belle stops by to visit, Rabbit will crawl out from beneath the bed for belly rubs. It makes me happy to see her coming out of her shell with one person, at least. She doesn't hide when Dimitri is in my suite, either.
"Rosy!" I cry in dismay when I spot her loping out of the trees. "Not you too."
Like Dizzy, Rosy is covered in mud. It flies from her paws as she races across the yard toward me, barking in excitement. She's always barking, always happy.
"Where did you two even find a mud puddle?" I demand, kneeling to scratch her ears when she skids to a stop in front of me, panting and out of breath. "The whole yard looks like it belongs in a fancy magazine."
"Woof," Dizzy says again.
I assume that means he's not going to tell me his secrets.
"Hey, there you are," Belle says from behind me.
Dizzy bounds to his feet as she steps outside, wagging his tail. He makes a beeline for the open door, Rosy hot on his heels.
"Dizzy, Rosy, no!" I cry, scrambling back to my feet and lunging for Dizzy. My hand brushes his tail as he darts around Belle's legs and into the house. I land like a starfish sprawled on the patio. Rosy steps on my back as she races into the house after Dizzy.
"Oh, my," Belle says and then a soft peal of laughter erupts. "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't laugh, but she left a pawprint on your back."
"Please tell me the bedroom door is closed." I roll onto my back to look up at her.
She shakes her head, grinning ear to ear as she stares down at me, her honey-colored eyes dancing with humor. "Afraid not."
I groan, taking the hand she extends to help pull me back to my feet. "I can't believe they just rushed in like that," I say, brushing myself off. "I'm so sorry. I don't even know where they found a mud puddle!"
"Don't worry about it," Belle says, smiling at me. "A little mud never hurt anything. Besides, it's good to see that they're settling in. I was worried they might not adjust well after being out there on their own for so long."
"I better go corral them before they leave mud all over the house." I pause. "Um, is there somewhere I can bathe them? I didn't want to put them in the bathtub without permission."
"We have a mud room downstairs with a shower in it," she says. "You can use it. Dante and I both like to wash work off us before we come into the house. You never know what you might pick up at a hospital." Her gaze flickers over my face. "And, well, there are some things I'd rather not have him bring into the house."
"Does it bother you?" I ask quietly. "The things they do, I mean."
"I thought it would," she whispers. "I'm a doctor. I took an oath to save lives. Loving a man who does the things he does should be antithetical to everything I believe, but I trust Dante. The things he does, he does for a reason." She blows out a sharp breath. "This world can be violent and dangerous. There are awful people in it, but the man I married isn't one of them, regardless of what anyone thinks. That's all I need to know."
"Dimitri isn't one of them either," I say softly.
Belle shakes her head. "No, he isn't."
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Of course."
"If my stepmother…" I choke on the word. It feels wrong to call her that. She hasn't earned the title and she doesn't deserve it. "If Delilah manages to get what she wants…if she manages to kill me, can you make sure that Dimitri knows it wasn't his fault?" I whisper. "Can you make sure he knows how much I appreciate everything he did for me?"