Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80621 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
It takes me about forty minutes to get through my full morning routine and after I’m dressed, I slip on my heels and open the bedroom door. When I step out of the room, I find not only Dayton sitting at the island in the kitchen, but Miles and Winter are as well, along with a woman with long dark hair.
As soon as Winter spots me she jumps down off her stool and runs across the room shouting “Willow.”
“Hey, sweet girl.” I smile and cup the back of her head as she wraps her arms around my waist.
“My mom is here.” She jerks her head back to grin up at me.
“Oh yeah?” I lift my head and look at the woman who had her back to me earlier and I’m stunned by how beautiful she is.
“Nice to meet you, Willow.” She slides off her stool with ease and smiles as she walks toward us. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from Winter.”
“Your girl is the sweetest.”
“She is.” She smiles down at Winter then holds her hand out toward me. “I’m Hazel.”
“But everyone calls her El,” Winter tells me.
“They do.” Hazel laughs. “I was getting to that.”
“Nice to meet you.” I laugh as Miles calls Winter over to finish her breakfast.
“You, too.” She focuses back on me when Winter is up on her stool. “And I’m sorry about your friend. Miles told me when he got home last night.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly, and she nods.
“Baby, come eat some breakfast.” Clay calls out and I look in his direction.
“So, you locked down the un-keepable Clay, huh?” she asks under her breath.
“Umm,” I mumble, not sure how to respond. I want to think that I’ve got my claws in him as deep as his are in me, but I honestly don’t know if they are.
“Never mind, I don’t think you keep a man like him, I think you just accept that you’re his after he’s claimed you.” She winks at me then walks away.
With a breath, I head into the kitchen and as soon as I’m within touching distance, Clay reaches for my hand, grasps it, then pulls me close enough to touch his mouth to mine. “Love the shoes,” he whispers, before he leans back.
I swallow from the look in his eyes.
“Willow,” Miles calls and I look his way. “I told Clay, but I have a sketch artist meeting you at the station this evening.”
“Oh, okay sure.” I accept a cup of coffee from Clay, then feel his hand against my lower back, his touch putting me at ease.
“It shouldn’t take long.”
“Okay.”
He looks down at Winter and I notice then that she has a pair of headphones on her head and is watching an iPad that is set up in front of her.
“I also want to fill you in on the news we got back from the coroner last night,” he says gently.
My muscles bunch.
“Miles,” Clay growls.
“Would you rather her find out at work when people start talking?”
“No, but I’d also appreciate you letting me fill her in when she’s not in the kitchen, surrounded by people and able to let go if she needs to.”
“Just tell me,” I say quietly, cutting into what I can see becoming an argument between the two of them.
“Mouse.” Clay slides his hand across my back and squeezes my hip.
“It’s okay.” I tip my head back to look up at him. “I just want to know.” I focus back on Miles. “Tell me.”
“She was murdered, beaten pretty badly then strangled.”
Closing my eyes, I let that information sink in and try to understand why or how someone would do that to her. It doesn’t make any sense.
“Baby.” Clay turns me to face him and takes the cup from my hands before hugging me.
“She never hurt anyone, I just don’t get it.” My throat starts to ache like I’m going to cry.
“You never will, Mouse.” He presses his lips to my temple and holds them there.
I fight back tears, refusing to give into them. It would be easy to call into work, then spend the day crying, but that’s not going to help get answers or justice for Carly. Someone has to know something, and even if Miles and Tucker can’t get Carly’s account information for the dating site without a warrant, that doesn’t mean I can’t see if I can.
“I’m okay.” I tell him after a few minutes, and he leans back enough to look me in the eye.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” I drag in a deep breath through my nose. “I just want to know who did that to her.”
“We’re going to do everything we can to find out,” Miles says.
I look over at him and nod.
“I want you to eat something,” Clay tells me.
I shake my head as I pick up my coffee. “I’m not hungry.”