Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“You realize those daiquiris are completely watered-down, right?” he asked as he checked around the room for anything they’d missed.
She gazed over at him curiously. “Yes, I am. But how do you know that?”
He froze, and a look of such intense guilt filled his face that it caught her by surprise.
“Victor, what did you do?”
He cleared his throat. “I’m going to remind you that you said you’d never leave me.”
“So, it’s bad. Spit it out.”
“I followed you.”
“Followed me? To the bar one night? Why?”
“Not just to the bar one night. Every night. I used to watch you leave your apartment building each morning. Then I’d drive quickly to get to the parking lot before you got there. I’d watch you leave your car and walk to the bakery. Then at night, I’d do the same.”
What. The. Hell?
“You were stalking me?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “Yes.” He stared at her warily, but he wasn’t stumbling over his words. He was just waiting for her reaction.
What was her reaction?
“How did I never see you?”
“If I don’t want to be seen, you won’t see me. Plus, you are very unaware of your surroundings. It’s something we need to work on.”
“Yes, in case I need it for the next stalker! Victor! What the hell? Did you . . . did you watch me in my apartment?”
“What! No! I couldn’t get cameras in here without too much risk of being caught. At least not until you invited me in.”
“Oh my God! So, wait . . . there are also some cameras in my apartment?”
“Yes. I’ll need to retrieve them, actually.”
She tugged at her hair. She didn’t know what to do. She paced back and forth. “I . . . you . . . what . . . that’s so creepy.”
“I’m aware.” His face was closed down and he was tense. As though he was expecting some sort of blow.
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t want anything to happen to you.”
Oh hell.
There had to be something wrong with her. Because with those words, he’d totally taken the wind out of her sails.
“Have you ever done this to anyone else?” she asked.
“What? No! Why would I want to? Gracen, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were the one. I knew it wasn’t right, but I couldn’t sleep at night worrying about you and when I saw you walking around in the dark on your own . . . I couldn’t allow it to continue. I once stopped someone who was creeping up behind you, preparing to attack you.”
Nausea bubbled, and she placed her hand over her stomach. “What? Really?”
“Yes, baby. You were so unaware that it terrified me. I didn’t do it to watch you undress or shower or whatever. That wasn’t the point. I just wanted to keep you safe.”
She let out a deep breath. Someone had nearly attacked her? And she’d had no idea? That was scary.
“That’s why you put the cameras in the bakery and my apartment?”
“Yes. That’s why.”
She let out a deep breath. “All right, I can live with that. But is there anything else you need to tell me? Because I’ve had a lot of shocks today and I’m starting to feel a bit faint.”
He drew her against him. “Nothing else. All I’ve ever wanted is you to be safe. Having you as my woman, it felt completely out of reach. And now, with you in my arms, I consider myself the luckiest person on the planet.”
“You sweet talker you.”
22
“Baby, wake up.”
She grumbled as someone shook her. She’d been having such a nice sleep. She wasn’t ready to wake up. “I don’t wanna go to work.”
“Baby, I need you to wake up. It’s about the bakery.”
Who was that? It didn’t sound like her grandpa. The bakery? What about it?
“Little bit? Can you hear me?”
Wait. That definitely wasn’t her grandpa.
She sat up, narrowly missing smashing her head into Victor’s chin.
“Easy, baby. It’s all right. I’m sorry to wake you up.”
“What is it? What’s going on? What’s wrong?” She glanced around, trying to get her bearings.
She was in Victor’s bedroom. Well, their bedroom. Now that she’d moved some of her things in here, it really was beginning to feel like home.
“What time is it?” she asked huskily. It was still dark.
“Two in the morning. Baby, it’s the bakery. We just got a notification from one of our guys who was doing a drive-by. Baby, I’m so sorry.”
“What is it? What’s going on?” Her heart raced with panic, making her feel nauseous.
“The bakery is on fire.”
She stared out at the flames the firefighters were battling in numb disbelief. How had this happened? Everything had been turned off. How could it be on fire? She just . . . she couldn’t understand it.
Victor wouldn’t let her leave the car, so they just sat here and watched. The two buildings on either side of her bakery had quickly gone up in flames as well, making the firefighter’s jobs that much harder.