Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
She turned away and tried to leave. This was not her problem and yet, he looked exactly how she felt. She hadn’t lied to Ruin. She had fallen in love with him. His lies had hurt, but this hurt even more. It terrified her. Hands clenched at her sides, she crossed the street and moved toward him.
Standing in front of him, she had no idea what to do or say. There was no way she could leave him. She wasn’t a bitch.
“I … I need you to take me to the pharmacy,” she said.
“Why? What’s the matter? Are you sick? I’ll call a doctor.”
She held a hand up when he tried to touch her. Callie didn’t know if she wanted him to stop because she didn’t want him to touch her, or because she didn’t know how much strength she had to refuse him. It had been a lonely three months. Even more lonely than the past nine years without her parents, without anyone.
“I think I might be pregnant,” she said.
“Callie.”
“Please don’t say anything. I just … this is what I need to do. I’ve been sick, and there are little signs that say I can’t ignore this anymore.”
“I can take you to a doctor. I know a good one.”
She shook her head. “Just the test. That’s all I need for now.” Callie rounded his car and climbed inside. So much for attempting to keep this quiet.
She reached for the seat belt but Ruin was already there, grabbing her belt, and sliding it across her body. The back of his hand brushed across her breasts and she ignored him, even as her nipples responded to his touch. It didn’t mean anything. She was going to try and think that constantly—that none of this meant a thing. She took a deep breath.
Neither of them spoke as he turned over the ignition. What more could they say to one another? Callie didn’t know if she was pregnant, and Ruin was a freaking hit man. This was priceless. She ran her hands down her thighs. Was it wrong how good his car smelled? It smelled like Ruin.
She turned toward the window, staring out as he drove through the city. Even though it was early, a little after 8:00, it was already busy, as she expected it to be. Finally, he pulled up outside a pharmacy. She went for her belt but Ruin was already out of the car.
“Wait here, I’ll be back.”
Callie wanted to tell him no, but he was already inside the pharmacy. The man moved so fast it was hard to keep up with him. It didn’t take him long to grab a test and then come back to the car. He handed her the test.
“If you take me home, I’ll take the test and then I’ll let you know the result.”
Ruin didn’t say anything. She noticed his jaw clenching.
“Ruin?”
He drove in the opposite direction of her apartment.
“Ruin, what the hell are you doing?”
“You’re not taking that damn test alone and then allowing me to have the results. It’s not how this works. You can shut me out, Callie, I get that, I even accept it, but you’re not doing this without me.”
She sat back and stared out the window again. Callie had no idea where they were going. He kept driving until he suddenly turned off the main road and went down some small back roads. Not once did they encounter another car. No way for her to beg for help.
You’re not afraid, Callie. Ruin doesn’t frighten you.
That was so very true. He didn’t scare her. Even knowing what she did about him, she wasn’t afraid of him. They came to a set of gates and Ruin rolled down his window, typed in a code from what she could see, and scanned his face, or something.
“Are you a spy?”
“No.”
He rolled his window back up and the gates opened. They drove down a short driveway. She saw the house but he didn’t stop, he drove around the back and then into a small garage. The doors locked behind them.
“We’re at my home,” Ruin said.
It was a small garage, but Callie saw how clean everything was. He flicked the lock of the cars and she scrambled for the doors.
“I … take me back to my apartment,” she said.
“Not happening, Callie. I know you need time but I’ve given you three months. You might be pregnant with my child.”
“Did you do this on purpose? Was that your intention all along? To have your fun and then to—”
“Don’t!” He growled that one word. “Don’t even fucking say it. I’m a bastard. I have done a lot of bad things in my life, Callie. I’m no saint. I accept who I am, but when it comes to you, I’ve done nothing wrong. I will always protect you. I will never hurt you. I fucking love you, and that means you have the utmost protection in this world.”