Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
“What about your sisters?” Wow, he was really clutching at straws now. “This is affecting their lives too. Don’t you care about them?”
“My sisters? Just to be clear, you are referring to the same women who used to send peanuts in my care packages, despite knowing I’m deathly allergic to them, right? Who took every opportunity to mock and ridicule me? Who stole my mother’s jewelry and clothes after she died? Because they can rot in hell right next to you for all I care.”
She gave him a frigid little smile.
“I’m the one who approached Cade that weekend, Granger. I offered him myself and Lambecrete up on a platter, because I could see he was a million times the man you are. I was happy to do it and I would choose him over you any day of the week.”
“You really hate me so much you’d see me in prison? Bankrupted and destroyed by that bastard you married?”
She got up, braced her hands on the table, and looked him dead in the eye.
“Yes.”
It was the most satisfying moment of her life. She nodded regally at Cade who pushed to his feet right on cue.
“Ready to go, sweetheart?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m done with this.”
He snaked an arm around her waist and she leaned into him just a little, grateful for his support, a little giddy now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
Cade led her from the room and released her waist once she was able to stand without swaying.
“Okay?” he asked gently.
“So okay,” she told him with a grin.
“You were fucking magnificent, sweetheart.”
He steered her to the five steps that led down from the law firm’s reception area to the bank of elevators that would take them down to street level, but just as they reached them, there was a commotion behind them.
“You do not just get to walk out on me like that, Fern!” It was Granger. “Not after everything I’ve done for you.”
He grabbed hold of Fern’s arm, his grip bruising, and Cade immediately got between them, shielding Fern from the older man.
“Back the fuck off, Abernathy,” he warned, his voice filled with menace. He was twice as broad as Granger, and a good few inches taller. And Fern, fearing that the altercation would escalate into blows, violently wrenched her arm from her stepfather’s grasp only to find herself teetering on the edge of the step.
Cade heard her gasp. It was a sound he would never forget for the rest of his life. A small, shocked inhalation of air, filled with absolute fear. He swung his head toward her and saw her lose her balance. She jerked her arm out of Abernathy’s grip, stepped backward, and her left foot hit nothing but air.
Her eyes met his in that instant, lit with sheer terror as she understood that she was going to fall. He reached for her, but his hands missed her by a fraction of an inch as she went down.
He shoved Abernathy violently away from him, only vaguely aware of Cyrus, yanking the man backward—and dove after Fern. But it was too late, she landed in an awkward heap at the bottom of those steps.
Just five steps. Not very steep, but potentially catastrophic if you were falling backward, without warning, or any means of stopping yourself.
“No,” he muttered, dropping heavily to his knees beside her too still, limp body. “Nonononono… Fern. Open your eyes, sweetheart. Come on.”
He lifted a hand to her face but Cyrus’s harsh, commanding voice stopped him.
“Don’t move her. We don’t know what she might have injured. You could make it worse.”
“Is she breathing?” Cade asked in a choked voice, rocking slightly as he fought the urge to touch her. “I can’t tell if she’s breathing, Cyrus. Please.”
Cyrus knelt beside him.
“She’s breathing, son. She probably just has a little bump on her head, and she’ll be right as rain tomorrow.”
Cyrus didn’t sound very convincing and Cade sobbed. A choked sound that he couldn’t quite control.
“I can’t lose her, Cyrus. I can’t… I can’t. I only just found her.”
“Don’t think like that, Cade, come on. I think it’s probably okay to hold her hand, talk to her. Let her know you’re here. Okay? The ambulance is on its way.”
Cade nodded and gently gathered her small, limp hand up in his. He lifted it to his cheek—which he only then discovered was wet with tears—and took solace in the fact that her skin was warm, alive to the touch.
She’d hit her head. He’d seen it happen. Seen it bounce off the tiled floor. Heard the sickening thump of it. The damage that may have caused didn’t bear thinking about… and yet it was all his brain seemed to want to focus on. How bad it could be. How much worse it could get.
And through it all the thoughts spinning chaotically through his mind in an endless loop were…