Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“I don’t want you to die out here!”
“That’s another one. No one is dying.”
He stared around them. “There’s a hill over there. I’m going to climb it and see if I can see anything.”
How would he see anything? Visibility was terrible. The headlamp helped but it could only provide so much light. Unless . . . was he unsure if they were going the right way?
Oh God!
“Everything will be okay, darling girl. Let’s just get your ankle up high.” He carried her over to where there was a downed tree and set her foot up. “Stay here, darling. I’ll be right back.”
“Pretty sure I won’t be moving,” she told him.
He disappeared, leaving her alone in the dark. Oh God. What if he didn’t come back? What if she hadn’t killed Sebastian? What if he came back to life and found her?
All right, now you’re talking about zombies being real or some shit.
She tried to shift around to a more comfortable position, but her movements were sluggish and she was finding it hard to concentrate.
Suddenly, someone appeared front of her and she screamed.
“Hey, it’s me. You’re all right, baby.”
“S-sorry.”
“You didn’t fall asleep, did you?” Corbin asked in concern as he picked her up and stood her on her good foot.
“I . . . I don’t know.”
“Right. Don’t do that.” He bent down in front of her. “Lean on my back.”
“Corbin . . . I don’t think . . .” She didn’t think what? Why was it so hard to concentrate?
“Bebe, do it,” he said sternly. “Right. Now.”
So she slid her arms around his neck and he heaved her up onto his back.
“Do you k-know where the truck is?”
“Not exactly. And I’ve found something else.”
She could scarcely believe her eyes when they approached a ramshackle cabin.
“Am I dreaming?”
“Nope. This must have been where he was staying, I think. Let’s hope he left some supplies.” He carried her to the front door and set her down as he opened it. Then he carried her in.
It felt so warm in here compared to outside, even though she doubted that was actually the case.
“Let’s get you sitting down.”
“I . . . you . . . what?” she asked.
“Shit. We need to get you warm.”
She felt like things were happening at warp speed. One moment, he was in front of her. Next blink, he was lighting the fire. Next blink, he was stripping her off.
“C-Corbin. I f-feel funny.”
“I know, baby. We need to get you out of those clothes and get you warm.”
He laid her down in front of the fire. Huh, it was burning quite well. She seemed to be lying on a rug on the floor.
“I’m tired. I just want to sleep,” she moaned.
“Well, you can’t sleep yet, baby. Not until I get you all warmed up.”
“Is that why you’re stripping me?”
“Yep. You’re in wet clothing and we need to get it off.”
After he’d stripped her down to her underwear, he wrapped another blanket over her. Then he moved the blanket back away from her feet.
“Shit. It’s swollen and purple. Not good.” He got a cushion off the rickety old sofa and put it under her foot.
“I need to get some wood from outside, baby. Then I’m going to come in and lie with you. All right? Try not to go to sleep.”
“Gonna be hard.”
Blink. He was gone. Blink again. He was back and calling her name, shaking her.
“Noo, I’m sleeping,” she grumbled.
“And I need you to stay awake.”
Agonizing pain engulfed her toes and fingers. “Ahh!”
“What is it!”
“It feels like glass in my fingers and toes!” she cried.
“That’s a good sign. Lay still,” he ordered as she thrashed around.
“I can’t! I can’t! It hurts.”
“Shh, baby. I’m going to rub them.” He drew back the blankets and rubbed her good foot.
“Nooo!” she cried. “Stop!” She tried to pull her foot away.
“Bebe, I need to do this. Behave for Daddy.”
“I don’t wanna.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Don’t think that just because you’re hypothermic that I won’t spank that butt.”
Her lip trembled. “So mean.”
“I’m sorry, Bebe. But I’m trying to keep you safe.”
And she wasn’t making that easy.
“Sorry, Daddy. Really.”
“I know.” Leaning over, he kissed her. It was still painful as hell, but his kiss made it better.
“Daddy has magic kisses,” she said.
“Good. I’m glad I’m doing something right. I found a burner with some gas in it. He must have been using it to cook. There’s a bit of food and some canned soup. I’m going to heat it up for you.”
She watched, feeling a bit useless but too miserable to move, as he warmed her up some soup. As it was heating, he stripped off some layers and wrapped another blanket around himself.
Lord, she must be feeling like crap if the sight of him stripping off didn’t stir her.
“Good girl, darling. I’m going to feed you some soup.”