Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
“You did well hiding her, but it was you I wanted. Not her.”
“I’m sure it was,” I reply, then take a breath, but it does nothing to calm me. “How old was the nanny?” I bite back, picking up the glass of wine. “Eighteen?” His eyes narrow in on me as I take a sip. “And let me guess… you’ve had her since I was gone.”
His hands slam onto the table. “You left your child and ran off, Adora.”
“I knew you wouldn’t hurt him. He is a boy, after all.”
That was my only saving grace. Scott wanted a boy more than anything, and he loves our son. It shows by how much our son loves him. I hate that part and wish Jerome loathed him as I do. But I had to do something, even if it meant sacrificing myself by not seeing my beautiful boy. No matter what Abigail thought of me, I wasn’t going to let her live the life I was forced to.
“So that’s the reason. Would you have done the same if he was a girl?”
“No,” I answer immediately. I would not have done the same if I’d had a girl. I would have stayed in fear he would sell her off or worse. It’s easier to hide a grown person, not a baby. And I knew for sure if I took his child, he would hunt me down and kill me. On the other hand, if I left, I could devise a plan to get Jerome back.
And let’s be real, kill Scott in the process.
“Seems we have a visitor,” Scott says, glancing at his phone. I ignore him until he speaks again. “Your sister.”
And with those two words, I feel my heart drop out of my chest.
FOUR
JOEY
“Do you even have a plan?” Abigail asks as we get closer to the gate. As soon as the car comes to a stop, the front door opens, and a man steps out. “He’s always given me weird vibes,” she remarks, referring to the man. She goes to open the door, but I stop her.
“Who are we?” I ask her to reaffirm.
She gives me an eye roll. “My guards.” Then she climbs out of the car. Lucas and I follow as I slide on a hat, and Lucas pulls on a beanie. We both stand behind her as the man walks closer, his arms outstretching as she approaches. “I’m not hugging you. That’s gross.” He pauses mid-step. The smile he had in place for her drops, and he shakes his head.
“We’re basically family, Abigail.”
“Are we?” she questions.
“Your sister is inside. You can tell your men to go home now. You will be safe here.” Abigail looks over her shoulder and smiles.
“No, thanks. I’m fucking one of them, so I want them close for bedtime.”
“How you sound so much like your sister is beyond me.”
“Where is sister dearest?” I ask him. Scott eyes us cautiously, which makes Abigail snap her fingers in his face. “Sister. Where is she?”
“Here,” Adora says from the doorway.
Abigail turns to her, and Adora’s face is full of panic. She doesn’t notice me at first as her eyes are too busy locked on her sister. She steps past Scott, but he grabs her and pulls her to his side. “You’re early.” Those whiskey-colored eyes that I have come to love don’t look my way. Seeing another man’s arms around her takes everything in me not to step forward and put a bullet directly between his eyes.
“You’re late, as usual,” Abigail says back with snark. “A few years too late, wouldn’t you say?”
“You look good,” Adora tells her, looking her over. That’s when her eyes flick to me. I see the moment she recognizes us—without the hats, I’m sure she wouldn’t have taken so long. Her eyes widen, and her body goes stock-still. Luckily for her, her husband doesn’t seem to notice as his eyes are firmly on Abigail.
“Do you think your husband would let you fuck one of my men as well?” Abigail asks, catching on to who Adora’s looking at. Me.
“Adora only wants me. Isn’t that right?” He tightens his hold on her, but she keeps her hands to her sides, not touching him.
“Doesn’t look like she even wants you to touch her.” Abigail smiles, her gaze flicking between them tauntingly. Scott glances at Adora, but she averts her eyes as soon as he pulls her even closer.
“What do you want, Abigail?” Scott finally asks. “Why are you really here?”
“Are you saying I’m not welcome, Scott? I thought we were… basically family.” This one has a mouth on her.
Scott doesn’t flinch, keeping Adora glued to his side.
“You should stay somewhere else,” Adora states. We all look at her. “And you can come back during the day to visit.”
“But I’m here now. Let’s go inside and have some food and drink?”