Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“She will wake up when she’s ready.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
“You have to trust, Silas.”
“Trust what? God?”
She smiles at me kindly as I snort. “If not God, then trust the miracle of the human body. She has a good, strong pulse, but you said yourself she has had a shock.”
“Several.” I look at Ophelia, shoving my hands back into my pockets.
“I made dinner. Come and eat.”
I shake my head. “I want to be here when she opens her eyes.”
She nods. She’s a kind woman my mom’s age. “I’ll bring some to you then.” With that, she leaves, and I take a seat on the chair by the bed. A phone rings, and it takes me a minute to realize it’s mine. Nigella had sent a new one up with Hamish. I couldn’t use the old one since the authorities could track me by it.
I stand up to answer, walking away from the bed in case Ophelia can hear me. “Nigella, you have news?”
“How is she?” Nigella asks.
“Still asleep.”
A beat passes. “Well, I do have some news. Good, actually. Chandler has been released from the hospital. He’ll be fine.”
I grunt. I couldn’t give a fuck about Chandler or Ethan’s well-being, but I realize Nigella as my attorney is happy there won’t be a murder charge added to the ever-growing list of shit they can put me behind bars with.
“I also know Gordon Carlisle-Bent flew into town. Sullivan Fox picked him up, along with his medical team, a few hours ago.”
“Shit.”
“He didn’t go to the hospital to see his son though, which is odd, don’t you think?”
“Not necessarily, not if he disowned him.”
“I don’t know. It’s still strange to me.”
“Where is he?”
“Where else? The Sinistral.”
Of course. “Horatio Hart—did you get a meeting arranged?”
“Silas, I already told you, you go near the prison, and you’ll be arrested on sight.”
“And you’ll be there to bail me out.”
“We can’t guarantee they’ll set bail given what is being circulated on social media. You’ve gone viral. Congratulations.”
I push a hand into my hair and watch the fire burn. Someone shot a video of me beating the shit out of Ethan before taking Ophelia and uploaded it to TikTok. Apparently, it was a big hit.
“You don’t make my job easy, Silas.”
“It’s why you get paid the big bucks, Nigella. Did you get the other thing handled?” I ask, changing the subject because she’s right. I can’t go anywhere just yet, not until I’m sure Ophelia is protected. I can just see Sly spinning the Romeo and Juliet story the papers so loved to Ophelia’s grandfather and getting him on board for her to marry Ethan.
She sighs. “Check your email.”
I pull the phone away and glance at my inbox. There it is. “Good. Thank you.”
As I say it, I hear a sound, a shifting of the springs of the old, creaky bed. I turn slowly, my heart suddenly racing, and watch as Ophelia blinks her eyes open, reaching her hand up to her head. She stares up at the ceiling, her forehead creasing in confusion.
I clear my throat and step toward the bed. The sound and movement have her turning toward me, eyes trying to focus on me in this dimly lit room.
“Call me once you’ve arranged that meeting,” I say, disconnecting the call and tucking the phone into my pocket without waiting for Nigella’s response.
Ophelia pulls herself up to a seat. I watch, seeing the effort it takes her. She never once takes her eyes off me.
I smile, relieved to see her awake and alert.
“Hey, you,” I say, moving toward her. I reach out to touch her cheek but stop, surprised when she draws away from me, accusation in her eyes.
Surely, she couldn’t believe what they told her? That I’d set fire to her house. Surely, she wouldn’t.
“O?”
“Don’t touch me. Don’t you ever touch me again!”
3
OPHELIA
Silas cocks his head, taken aback by my response to his touch, I guess. He reaches for me again. “Ophe—”
“I said don’t!”
He puts his hands up, palms facing me, and takes a step backward.
“You’re confused. I’m sure. But you’re safe,” he says, and I blink up at him trying to make sense of where I am.
I search the room, eye the door.
“Just relax,” he says, moving to block my view of the door. Does he think I’ll run for it? I’m not sure I could even crawl. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.
I recall the events that led me here. I remember the night of the gala, dancing with Silas. Silas and me up in that room. Silas making love to me, holding me… then the moment everything changed. When everything went so wrong.
My head throbs and I close my eyes against the pain as it all comes flooding back.
Ethan beating me.
Waking up in that hotel room, those needles on the nightstand.