Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Stubborn.
“Where is she now?” Reuben asked.
“Sleeping. She’s going to be annoyed at me for not waking her for your call, but she had a terrible sleep last night.”
“No. Let her sleep.” He paced back and forth. “I don’t want her to be alone.”
Not while she was so fragile.
“She won’t be. Brick is rearranging his schedule so he can be with her whenever I’m at the hospital.”
“Is Kent giving him any problems?” Reuben and Kent didn’t get along because of something that happened years ago. Something that Kent should have gotten over.
“No, Kent is a good man. He’s letting him take as much time off as he needs.”
“It’s not enough.” Nothing would ever be enough when it came to keeping Juliet safe. The need was a gnawing pit in his stomach.
He had always been like this. Ever since he was a kid who couldn’t keep his little sister safe.
But he wasn’t that kid anymore. He was an adult who had enough money to do whatever the fuck he wanted.
And what he wanted was to look after his sister. Because he loved and adored her.
“She should come stay with me.” Where he could watch her. “I’ll hire a bodyguard.”
“Brick is a bodyguard! And he’s more invested in her safety than anyone you could hire. Listen, Reuben, I understand that you want to protect her. But Brick and I feel the same way. We love her. She’s our whole world. You’ve got to start trusting us to take care of her.”
He glanced away, out the window. Could he trust Juliet’s men to take care of her?
Reuben knew that they loved her. And that with their help, Juliet was thriving.
But she’d gotten hurt on their watch.
“Daddy?”
He glanced over in surprise as Faith walked into the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes. “I woke up and you weren’t there.”
“I’m sorry, baby. Were you worried?” He held out his arm to her and she instantly pressed herself against his body.
God, to say he loved that was an understatement.
Reuben kissed the top of her head. “I thought you would be sleeping for a while longer. I just came out to get you a drink for when you woke up.”
“I must have missed you and that’s why I woke up.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and stared up at him with a sleepy smile.
The sound of a throat clearing reminded him that Xavier was still on the phone. On video, no less.
Reuben raised the phone, glaring at Xavier.
“Oh no, you’re on the phone?” Faith gave him a horrified look. “I’m so sorry to interrupt.” She tried to pull away from him, but he held her tightly.
“You’re not interrupting,” he told her gruffly as she still attempted to get away. “And stop trying to move away.”
“Reuben, there’s someone on your phone. And I called you Daddy,” she whispered.
“It’s just Xavier. He doesn’t care that you called me Daddy.”
“Xavier?” she asked, the tension leaving her.
“Yeah, the guy who corrupted my little sister,” he muttered.
Xavier ran his hand over his face. “Damn it, Reuben. Will you not introduce me like that?”
“Why not? It’s the truth.”
“I love you too,” Xavier said sarcastically.
He shrugged. “You’re all right. But hurt my sister and you’re a dead man.”
“Reuben,” Faith chided. “That’s not nice.”
Xavier barked out a laugh. “That’s one thing he’ll never be accused of being.”
“He can be nice!” Faith retorted. “He’s nice to me.”
Was she . . . defending him?
Damn, that was sweet. Even if she was completely delusional. There wasn’t a nice bone in his body.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m glad he’s nice to you,” Xavier said gently. “But that really isn’t something that Reuben is known for being. Other than for the women in his life. Juliet. Gwen. And now, you.”
He glared down at Xavier, but the other man was too busy staring at Faith.
“Hey, my eyes are here, asshole,” he muttered. “Stop staring at my girl.”
Xavier grinned. Wide. “Why can’t I stare at your girl? She’s cute.”
“You’re with my sister, you asshole.”
“Wait, you haven’t told Juliet yet about . . . uh . . . ”
“Faith,” she said. “Hi, I’m Faith.”
“Faith. Wait. Isn’t Faith your assistant?” Xavier said with a low whistle. “I see.”
“What do you see?” Reuben asked. He was done with this conversation.
“Nothing. Workplace romance, huh? And Faith, you’re a Little?”
“She’s not answering that,” he snapped.
“Yes,” Faith replied at the same time.
“Faith,” he growled. “Don’t answer his questions. Xavier, stop asking her questions.”
“Why?” Xavier asked.
“Because it’s none of your fucking business.”
Xavier grinned at Faith again. “I’m sorry, Faith. You’ll have to forgive me for having fun with this. Reuben loves to stick his nose into my relationship with his sister. I’m really glad to meet you. I know Juliet is going to be excited about this. She still wants to come visit her brother, but we’re going to have to postpone the trip for a bit.”