Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
But she’s alive.
Ash, my crazy, annoying, so fucking beautiful girl with the bird is alive.
I can’t move because I’m too overcome with relief. I’d have given up everything if it meant saving her from a horrific death. The money and cars and company. It’s insane, but true.
“You love her,” Meredith whimpers from just inside the apartment. “You love her.”
“Put the gun down!” Todd bellows. “Now!”
Meredith shrieks and drops the Glock with a loud clatter. She starts crying for me to save her as he manhandles her to the ground. I can’t move. My heart is racing and all I can do is stare up at the ceiling of the balcony above me.
“Win!”
Ash’s voice is close and like fucking music to my ears. She appears in the doorway, face bruised and red and streaked with tears. So fucking pretty.
“I love it when you’re messy,” I murmur reaching my good arm for her. “Come here.”
With her wrist cradled to her chest, she falls to her knees beside me. I clutch on to her tangled hair, yanking her to my mouth. The kiss I give her is frantic and needy and so goddamn thankful. She tastes like cherry Starbursts and forever.
“I love you too,” she says between kisses. “I tried to tell you and your stupid ass wouldn’t listen.”
“Your mouth moves a lot and so much nonsense spills out, it’s hard to sift through to the important stuff.”
She smiles against my mouth. “You looooove me.”
“I take it back.”
“Too late. You said it. The damage is done.”
I kiss her again. That’s one way to shut her up. She doesn’t seem to mind.
“Win?” Her whispered breath tickles my lips.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you for saving me.”
“Don’t get used to the hero act, Cinderelliott.”
“Too late. I’ll expect daring displays to prove your love for me all the time now.”
“For fuck’s sake.”
“We can start with movie night. In your bed. Popcorn and candy.”
“What kind of candy?”
“Red gummy bears.”
“Hmm.”
She lifts up, her teary eyes meeting mine. “What?”
“Just thinking that if I get a cavity from that shit you force-feed me, I’m breaking up with you.”
Her lips spread into a beautiful grin I hope to see every day for as long as I live. “You’re my boyfriend. I can’t wait to tell your mom. She’s gonna freak when I tell her I told you so.”
“I bet she’ll freak all right.” I stroke my fingers through her hair. “Don’t tell her I told you so. I’ve already rescued you from one death. Let’s not make it two.”
She curls her body around mine, resting her head on my shoulder that’s still throbbing painfully. But I don’t care. I’m quite content in holding her.
Soon, we’ll have to get our injuries seen to. I’ll have to deal with the police and the fact Nate’s body is somewhere on the pavement. There’s the issue of Meredith and Manda. So much bullshit.
Until that time comes, I hold her for as long as I can.
I almost lost her.
Fuck.
The gravity of the situation hits me like a ton of bricks. She must feel it too because she cries softly against my neck, clinging to my tattered shirt.
We made it through.
We’ll always make it through.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Ash
Everything hurts and I’m dying.
I want to whine, but how can I when I’m in Win’s bed watching him sleep? Seeing his bruised face relaxed and softened with sleep makes me tear up. He’s a sight to behold when he’s rocking his three-piece suits. But, something about seeing him in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and matching arm sling, his lips parted and his golden-blond lashes fanned over his slightly pink cheeks is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen him. His hair that’s usually styled so perfectly is messy and hanging over his brows. So perfect in this moment.
I’m aching to reach out and touch him. I don’t want to move, though. After getting back late from the emergency room in the early hours of the morning before the sun came up, we fell into bed completely exhausted. I didn’t even get to enjoy my first sleepover in his bed because I was in pain and traumatized after the day I’d had.
Nate’s dead.
I shiver, the entire bed moving. He’d hurt me and I thought I could handle that. Everything changed when he dragged me onto the balcony. I was scared to death. So afraid I’d never see Winston or my bird again. I didn’t want to die.
And yet I was yanked over the balcony.
I’d barely registered I was falling when a powerful hand snagged my arm. It hurt and my legs were dangling beneath me meeting nothing but air.
He caught me.
Win caught me.
And broke my wrist in the process.
Small price to pay for not dying.
Glancing down at the light blue cast, I smile. In black Sharpie, Winston wrote: CONSTANTINE PROPERTY – RETURN TO WINSTON IF LOST.