Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“What does that mean, Jasper? Be specific.” I had to see things because heat flared in his eyes before he banked them.
“It means they’re being loaded into my car as we speak. There’s room for them in my fridge.”
Oh no. I shook my head and put a hand on his chest. “I’m not going to Ashby Manor.” I should have been happy to finally get an invite, but I wanted to stay here in my own home. Relax. Heal.
“Yeah, you are. I’ll have a doctor meet us there to stitch you up and check you out. Pack a few things, and you’ll stay with me until we figure everything out.” Jasper used his typical commanding tone meant to avoid arguments, but this was my life. My freedom.
I let out a huff. “Don’t you own the freakin’ hospital? I’m sure one of your doctors can see me there.”
“I do own a hospital, and I’d like it to keep its accreditation, which means my doctors follow the rules, which will mean a visit by the cops.”
“Oh no,” I said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. “You don’t want the guy who did this to me to go to jail? Gee, thanks.”
“He’s being taken care of, Mo.” His voice softened, and that caught me off guard.
“Whatever. Send your doctor here to stitch me up.” I held the card up to the sensor and pushed inside my place, kicking off my shoes and removing my purse as I progressed down the hall, exhausted and aching.
“Goddammit, Mo, can’t you ever do anything the easy way?”
I let out a bark of laughter. “I do one thing very easily, Jasper, as you well know.” I stopped as realization dawned. This wasn’t about my safety, not really. This little incident gave him the perfect opportunity to keep an eye on me. “That’s why you want me at Ashby Manor.”
His shoulders rose and fell with a dramatic sigh. “And why is that, Mo?”
“You want to keep an eye on me? Maybe get your doctor to get some DNA so you can figure out if this baby is yours or not?”
“Would that be such a bad thing?”
“You could try being honest, a thought that probably never occurred to you. I’m not asking you to be involved. If you think I’m lying, don’t worry, you can walk away guilt-free. Again, I’m not asking for anything from you.”
He folded his arms; a fierce, angry expression darkened his handsome face. “That’s not your call to make.”
“It damn well is,” I shot back, feeling my anger rise. “If it settles your mind, have your doctor stitch me up, and I’ll give him permission to take my blood for testing. Or however they do it these days. Then you can get your results and leave me alone.”
Humiliation burned deep in my gut at the direction my thoughts had gone, thinking that Jasper cared about me beyond my basic well-being. He was just protecting his empire, and if this baby was his, he would keep the child close, which meant—by default—keeping me close.
“Leave you alone?” Jasper let out a deep, rumbling laugh. It was light and free, unlike any sound I had ever heard from him.
The sound brought a smile to my face.
“If that’s my baby you’re carrying, we’re bound for life, Mo. For life.”
When he said it like that, it sounded more like a threat than a romantic promise.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jasper
“Where the fuck is Cal?” I convened a meeting with Terry and Virgil, and Cal had left us hanging as usual.
“He’ll be here,” Virgil assured me with an exhausted sigh. “Said he had to get a sitter situation settled for Ava Rose.”
I didn’t believe that shit for one second. “Yeah, right.”
Terry’s brows furrowed. “Is this meeting specific to something or just a state of the union type of deal?”
Terry sat back with his legs crossed at the ankles, relaxed as could be even though it was early in the morning and it was just us three inside the dining room. I wanted to meet without the staff listening in. Before Maisie and Kat woke for the day.
I sighed, grateful to Terry for trying to keep this shit show on track.
“Something specific. Some asshole attacked Mo in the parking lot of Emerald Isle. Claimed to have a message for me, but I beat the fuck out of him before getting the message. Later, he didn’t have much to say. It’s hard to speak without teeth, apparently.”
Terry and Virgil both laughed. “Who was he?” Virgil’s low growl told me he was as pissed off as I was, even though he didn’t have all the details.
“No clue. He didn’t say much before Hulu pulled all of his teeth and shipped him out of town in pieces.” I flashed a smile and sighed.
“The question,” Virgil said with a smile, “is why did this asshole come after Mo, and why did you just happen to be at Emerald Isle?”