Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Abby nodded. “Yes, they’ll do that. In most cases I would tell you as long as you’re not in a club or a D/s setting, you fight for your place. In this situation, I think you should hand it all over to the men who have the money and connections to fight it. There’s a time and place to challenge your Dom, and sweetheart, this is not it. Let them take out their swords, and you and me and Olivia will drink mimosas and watch some trashy TV under the watchful eyes of whoever Big Tag sends to guard us. I hope he sends a couple of the young ones.”
“Abby,” Kim said with a grin.
Abby winked her way. “I can appreciate a work of art. From a distance. And my oldest daughter Lexi is eager to meet you, Nicole. You should know she’s going to ask you a million questions. She and her friend Serena are fighting over who gets to be inspired by your story.”
“I say both.” Kim had kicked off her shoes and seemed to be treating this like a fun sleepover. “They are very different writers. Give them the same prompt and they’ll come up with two different stories.”
Nicole wished this was just a fun hang with the girls. She turned to Kim. “What kind of options do I have? I can go along with the whole Nora’s dead scenario, but what kind of future can I have? Should I leave the States? There’s always the possibility I could run into them someday. My brother-in-law won’t be easily fooled. He’ll want to see a body.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about this, and I talked it over with my partners,” Kim began. “We actually think the best solution might be you coming back to Colorado with me.”
“She’s not stepping foot outside of Texas,” a deep voice said. “She might not step foot outside of the ranch if she’s not careful.”
Josh. He was here, and he’d brought his dads and Grim along. They all looked big and tough and ready for a fight. Well, Josh and Jack did.
Grim stood next to Sam, and though they didn’t have a bit of blood between them, it was clear they had a connection. They were both sighing and obviously not impressed with Josh’s outburst.
Grim moved to kneel in front of her. “Baby, I know you’re mad, but you have to see we can’t let you leave. It’s dangerous.”
“She’s not going anywhere, and she’s going to get a hell of a spanking if she tries to run again.” Josh stared down at her. “Where the hell did you think you were going? You didn’t even have any shoes on. You were running out into the Austin night in lingerie?”
“Oh, they’re going with a good-cop, bad-cop play,” Abby whispered, though everyone could hear her. “This actually could be good for you. The bad cop is usually quite nice. At least Jack is.”
“Abigail,” Jack barked.
If Abby was worried, she didn’t show it. She took another sip of her wine.
“I know you were scared.” Grim seemed intent on playing his good-cop role to the hilt. “That’s why you ran. Josh and I are going to make sure you never feel the need to run again.”
“I think it might be best for me to go with Kim.” If she wasn’t around them, she couldn’t be tempted.
Kim stood, relinquishing her place to Grim, who moved in quickly. The private investigator grabbed her purse. “I think that’s for the best, too. I’ve got a plane waiting. We can be in Bliss in a couple of hours. I’ve got a spare room. My cabin is pretty isolated, so anyone who comes looking for you will be noticed.”
“You know what’s isolated?” Josh faced off with the blonde. “A cattle ranch. Willow Fork’s not that much bigger than Bliss. She’s staying with us. You think I don’t know what happens in that town? I’ve been there a time or two, and I’m trying to figure out how I’ve never met you.”
Kim shrugged. “I was taking a calculated risk. I knew you’d been to Bliss for business a time or two, but you tend to stay at the Circle G most of the time. I was more worried about running into Olivia, though we’ve never been formally introduced either. You would have recognized my son.”
Josh nodded. “Yeah, I’ve met Roman but only because we were at a couple of parties together. I didn’t ask his parents’ names.”
“Well, I sure as hell would have known who Kimberly Kent is,” Jack argued.
Kim grinned. “Jack, I passed you in the grocery store the other day. You were buying calcium supplements. I followed you for three aisles. We’ve been introduced twice and never had a long conversation. You can take the girl out of the Agency, but you can never take the Agency out of the girl. I blend when I want to. Like I said, I knew I was taking a calculated risk coming myself, but I thought it was worth it. Now about getting back to Bliss.”