Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
He kissed her temple and whispered, “We’re going home,” but she was already asleep.
Chapter 13
Sky woke up in a strange room. She was lying under a soft blanket in an enormous four-poster bed. Colorful tapestries decorated the walls, and an organza curtain covered the window. As the memories came back to her, she shot upright.
The door opened and Bono entered, carrying a tray. He was dressed in a white T-shirt that showed off his impressive muscles and the tight jeans she liked so much.
He left the tray on the nightstand and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You’re awake.”
“Where am I?”
“At Lann and his wife’s house in Santiago.”
“Santiago as in Chile?” she asked with a note of panic.
He brushed a thumb over her cheek. “It’s a safe house.”
“Niels?”
A warm smile transformed his features. “He’s having the time of his life.”
She scurried to the side of the bed. “I need to see him.”
He stopped her with a hand on her thigh. “In a minute. First, you need to eat something. You’ve been out for a while.”
“How long?”
“Three hours. Your body and mind needed the rest. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Three hours? How did we get here so fast?”
“Helijet.”
“My son?”
“Joss gave him a lighter dose of the tranquilizer. He woke up shortly after we got here. Don’t worry. He’s playing with the other children, and the adults are watching over them.”
She covered her face with her hands. “The psychological damage… I don’t know if a child can survive that.”
“Of course he can.” He cupped her knee. “Cain already contacted a specialist who can provide trauma counseling.” He added, “If you agree, of course.”
She lowered her hands to look at him again. “I don’t know how to say thank you.”
“No thanks needed. Now eat.”
He reached for the tray, but she laid a hand on his arm. “Godfrey?”
His expression darkened. “He got away. Rest assured, we’ll find him.”
“You have to.” Concern tightened her gut. “You have no idea what he’s up to.”
“Cain wants you to brief him, but not until you’ve regained your strength. I made you minestrone soup. Would you like to try?”
She didn’t have an appetite, but Bono was right. She felt shaky and weak, and she needed her strength to take care of Niels.
He brought a spoonful of the broth to her mouth.
“I can feed myself.”
“I know you can, but I like to take care of you.”
She allowed him to feed her until the bowl was empty.
“Thank you.” She smiled at him. “That was very good.”
He wiped her mouth with a napkin and kissed her. “I know you’re eager to see Niels. The bathroom is over there.” He pointed at an adjoining door. “I’m sure you’d like to freshen up.”
“Thanks,” she said gratefully.
She was still wearing the sheer lace dress over the red undergarments Doumar had selected for her, and she didn’t want Niels to see her like this again. Once had been enough.
“There are clothes in the closet,” he said as if knowing where her thoughts were going. “I got you a few things while you were sleeping.”
“Thank you.”
She selected a pair of jeans, underwear, and a polo neck jersey with a pair of short boots in the dressing room and carried the garments to the bathroom.
She needed a shower, but it could wait until after she’d seen with her own eyes that Niels was fine. After using the facilities, she washed her face and hands, dressed, and walked back into the room to find Bono waiting for her.
He offered his hand. “You look good. Come on.”
His fingers wrapped around hers, warm and secure. At the door, Sky hung back.
He gazed down at her with concern, his voice gentle. “What is it, Sky?”
“How come you don’t hate me? How come you’re not angry?”
“I understand why you did what you did. I always knew you were going to steal the chip. It was the only logical way for Godfrey to get info on us.”
“You knew about Godfrey?”
“We knew you were working for him. We had drone footage of you together. At the time, I didn’t know why, but I knew it had to be because you didn’t have a choice.”
“Joss was going to kill me. That’s why you came to the club.”
“Don’t take it personally. He’s only doing what’s necessary to wipe out Godfrey’s operation.”
“I should’ve trusted you.”
“I told you I’d earn it,” he said with a smile. “Now let’s go see your son. No more apologies and no more secrets. Got it?”
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Hey.” He gripped her chin and tilted her face to him. “You deserve happiness and love, just like everyone else.” He planted a soft kiss on her lips. “Always remember that.”
Hand in hand, they walked down a landing that overlooked a rose garden with a fountain and a church in the background. The air was crisp, but the day was sunny with not a cloud in the sky.