Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
If there’s one thing Falcon is all about, it’s family.
I clear my throat. “If you’ll all excuse me, I need to…go to the bathroom.”
Falcon touches my cheek. “Don’t be long.”
“Of course not.”
I have the information for Giancarlo and Mrs. Shaw from my earlier talk with the clerk.
I want to see Mrs. Shaw, make sure she’s okay. But how can she be okay? She’s a widow…and it’s all my fault. I’m probably the last person she wants to see.
I head to her room anyway, summoning all my courage. Her door is open, and I peek inside. She appears to be sleeping, and I don’t want to disturb her. A nurse walks by me to enter the room.
“Are you a friend?” she asks.
“Yes. Is she doing okay?”
“She’s doing just fine, but that’s all I can say unless you’re family. Would you like me to wake her?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m glad to know she’s doing well. I’ll come back another time to visit.”
I leave, relief sweeping through me. Relieved that Mrs. Shaw is fine, but also because I got a temporary reprieve from talking to her.
As much as the guilt is consuming me, though, I’d gladly have Mrs. Shaw yell at me into next week to avoid seeing Giancarlo.
But I must.
I find his room, and his door is closed. I knock.
“Yeah?”
Is it his voice? It’s crackly and raspy, and I don’t know him well enough to recognize his voice anyway.
I open the door, and he’s lying in bed. Oddly, there’s no bandage on his neck, but he looks pale.
“For fuck’s sake,” he says when he sees me.
I try to calm my rapid heartbeat. “Hello, Giancarlo.”
“Hello, bitch.”
I breathe in. One, two, three… “The other night at the restaurant, you thought you knew me. Thought we had met.”
“I knew who you were.”
“I get that now.”
“Get the hell out of here. It’s thanks to you I’m in this hellhole.”
“What did you expect?” I keep my voice steady. “You trespassed, held Falcon at gunpoint, and you were going to kidnap me.”
He says nothing.
Of course not. I know the drill. You say nothing that could be used against you.
That’s been drilled into my head since I could understand the words.
“What do you want?” he demands.
“I’m just checking on you.”
His lips move as if he’s trying to smile but can’t quite get there. “To make sure you’re not a murderer?”
I steel myself, will myself to stay calm. “I wouldn’t be a murderer anyway. You and I both know that.”
He doesn’t reply.
Yup. He can’t.
He lifts his arm an inch, displaying his IV. “As you can see, I’m going to live. I got four units of blood, and I’m still weak.”
“You’re living because of Falcon, and you know it. Or didn’t they tell you how he saved your stupid life?”
Nothing, of course.
“I hope you’re planning to let Jordan go. I can’t have her involved with the likes of you.”
“Who she sees is her business.”
“And mine. She’s one of my best friends, and I sure as hell don’t want her involved in what you do for a living.”
No reply.
“Fine. We’ll leave it at that. You’re alive thanks to Falcon Bellamy. You owe him your life. Don’t forget that.”
“Oh, he won’t.”
I jerk at the voice.
The voice that turns my insides into quivering snakes. The voice that once said “I love you.”
I turn.
Miles McAllister stands in the doorway to Giancarlo’s room.
“Hello, Savannah.”
I clear my throat, willing my heart to stop beating like a hummingbird’s.
I should have seen this coming, but I didn’t.
I told Falcon I was going to the bathroom. How long have I been gone? I’m not even sure how much time has passed. No more than ten minutes at the most. I think.
Falcon wouldn’t think anything of a woman spending ten minutes in the bathroom. Would he? He spent the last eight years of his life behind bars without any contact with women using the facilities. I have no idea what he would think. If he’s even thinking about me at all. He’s focused on his sister, who he loves and is frightened for.
“I was just leaving.” I brush past Miles and—
“Not so fast.” He grabs my arm.
I yank it away—or attempt to. Miles is stronger than I am, and I haven’t been eating well since…
Well, since all of this went down.
Realizing Falcon was my parolee.
Ashley’s accident.
Ashley’s death.
Giancarlo and Abel.
My attack on Giancarlo.
Abel’s death.
And now this…
“You’re not going anywhere,” Miles says.
“Think again,” I say.
He digs his nails into my flesh. “Do you think your big burly cowboy is coming to your rescue? He doesn’t know where you are. He thinks you went to the bathroom.”
“How do you know that? Who do you have watching me?” I demand.
“Sweet Savannah.” Miles chuckles. “I’ve been watching you since you turned eighteen. You don’t make a move without my knowing.”
My jaw drops as the blood in my veins turns to ice.