Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
I will not, absolutely not, start having fond thoughts for my husband.
“I guess not you.” She takes my arm and we walk outside together. “Shall we imbibe while enjoying the sensuous pleasures of the hot tub, my lady?”
“Only if you promise not to make a move.”
Kim puts a hand on her heart and looks scandalized. “How dare you besmirch my honor.”
“You’d gladly besmirch mine if I let you.”
She laughs as we fumble around at the controls before finally turning the jets on. I take off the cover-up and Kim only glances at my bruises, a dark look passing over her face, but she doesn’t say anything.
We spend the next couple hours talking, soaking, drinking, and enjoying each other’s company to the point that I forget all about my brooding French husband.
When the sun starts to set, Kim changes in the bathroom. Julien appears again as we’re on the way down.
“Let me call a car to take you home,” Julien says, taking out his phone. “I’ll walk you both down.”
“No need,” Kim says, giving me a huge grin. “I can afford my own transportation.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Julien speaks French into his phone briefly before hanging up. “The car will be awaiting when we get down.”
“Are you this helpful to all your guests?” Kim asks him.
“No,” he says, looking at me. “Only my wife’s friends.”
In the elevator, Julien stands on the far side of the car, while I lean up against Kim. He glares at the two of us, and I try hard not to laugh at the sour look on his face, but it’s kind of hard. Even Kim seems amused by his bizarre grumpy mood. Once we reach the bottom, Julien walks beside me and touches my wrist to get my attention.
“The guards. Did they bother either of you?”
“After they let us up? No, not at all.”
He nods to himself. “That’s good.”
“Why do you seem like something awful happened?”
He gives me a hard look as Kim says a flirty goodbye to the two armed men sitting at the lobby desk.
“I wanted to be the first one to take you into my hot tub,” Julien says, voice pitched low.
My mouth falls open. “Wait, seriously?”
“Number twelve on your list.” His mouth quirks as he leans in closer. “Get fucked in a hot tub.”
My cheeks burn crimson as he walks away. It takes me a second to gather myself, because of course I wrote that on the stupid freaking list, and of course he has the means to make that fantasy come true.
A black car’s waiting on the opposite side of the street from the lobby. Kim hugs me goodbye and starts to cross as an engine roars and a truck whips around the corner, hurtling down toward her.
I don’t have time to do anything. I barely make a noise, more like a gasping shout than a scream. I try to get her attention, but Kim’s hurrying over to the car waiting for her, and she doesn’t see the truck until it’s too late.
The front fender clips her side, right in her hip. It hits her hard and she goes tumbling, her body rag-dolling on the ground as the truck hits its brakes.
“Kim!” I scream and try to rush forward.
Explosions crack the air in half. At least, they sound like explosions. I don’t understand what’s happening as the glass behind me breaks and a car alarm goes off, and then Julien’s tackling me to the ground. He hits me fast, knocking me to the pavement. I hurt my knee and skin my elbow, but he holds me down, covering me with his massive chest and shoulders, breathing hard as the explosions continue for another few seconds.
Then horrible silence. Air rushes back into my lungs, and I realize I’m screaming.
“Brianne,” Julien says, pulling back. The truck peels out as Julien’s guards appear, both of them armed. They fire off a few shots, but the truck is already speeding away. “Baby, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I say and grab his shoulders. “Kim. Kim, she got hit. She’s—”
Julien’s already up. He barks orders at his men. One grabs me and drags me back to the building. I kick and try to fight, but he’s like iron. Julien rushes across the street and I catch one final glimpse of him kneeling down beside Kim’s unmoving body, his hands gently touching her still chest, and I scream and scream as the guard keeps me inside, sobs ripping themselves from my raw throat.
Chapter 18
Brianne
Machines beep and nurses walk down the halls. The stink of antiseptic floats through the air. Doors open and close, and the hushed whispers of doctors and patients filter into the room.
Kim looks tiny in the hospital bed. Her hair’s down and her eyes are closed, and her chest rises and falls at a steady rhythm. She’s got a line in her arm, a heart monitor on her finger, and a scratchy blanket pulled to her chin.