Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 143842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
She ran for the stalls.
Toward the fence that Brooke had sworn she’d never go close to.
And it was her name that was tearing up Hailey’s throat.
“Brooke! Brooke!”
The stallion whinnied, agitated, tromping around the confined space.
But the lump in the middle didn’t move.
“Brooke!” Hailey screamed it, terror lighting her through. “Brooke!”
Hailey was scaling the fence and throwing herself into the stall, not caring that the stallion was in there.
Because Brooke was, too. Unmoving, her limbs bent at odd angles.
Blood everywhere from where she’d been trampled.
Hailey skidded onto her knees, and she gathered her into her arms. Agony raked from her chest. “Brooke! Brooke! Please, oh God, no, please!”
She hugged her best friend to her chest, rocking her, wailing, besieging toward the sky, “No! Please, no!”
FORTY-SEVEN
HAILEY
Daylight barely cracked at the horizon, those first bleary rays that lit at the edges of the earth and covered it with a feathery haze.
I gazed over at the man who was long asleep, his head rested on the pillow, his arms still firm around me.
They’d been firm around me since he’d finally succumbed to the exhaustion and the pain meds they’d given him for his injuries.
The man had held me until morning.
Refusing to let go.
Even in the depths of slumber his arms had been unyielding.
Sure and strong.
And I knew it was time that I was strong for him.
Taking in a steeling breath, I carefully unwound myself from his hold and slipped out from under his arm that had to weigh as much as a tree.
I froze when he stirred, distorted discontent filtering from between his lips as if even in his slumber his soul had recognized I was no longer at his side.
I breathed out a sigh when he settled back in, then I pushed from the bed and tiptoed around the room to gather my clothes from the floor.
I dressed as quietly as I could, then I glanced back once more at his sleeping form, my chest squeezing in a swell of devotion.
Then I crept out the door.
Silence swam through my house since Maddie and Lolly were still asleep. I grabbed my purse from where I’d dropped it on the floor next to the front door last night and let myself out into the waking day.
It was beautiful out, those last cool moments of the night hanging on before the sun would fully take to the sky.
I didn’t wait around in the peace of it.
Not when that’s what I was fighting for.
Peace.
The true fullness of it.
I rushed to my SUV and hopped in. Anger sprang to my chest when I put the key into the ignition. I didn’t hesitate to turn it over. I knew Pruitt didn’t want me dead.
He wanted me pathetic and afraid.
Destitute.
Subject to his will and his hand.
He just didn’t mind hurting the ones I cared about to get me there.
I backed out of the driveway, my hands shaking as I put it in drive and headed through my small neighborhood.
When I pulled out onto the two-lane road, I floored it.
A quiver of unease rolled through me as I lifted my hand to the door of the quaint house that was nestled in a family neighborhood in Time River, the trees high and the lawns manicured.
My fist rapped against the wood.
Even though the sun was steadily climbing into the sky, I shivered.
Apprehension ripped down my spine.
This was it.
There was no turning back.
It seemed like it took forever before movement finally rustled from behind the door, and the curtains swished on the window.
One second later, metal screeched as the locks were disengaged.
Savannah stood there with her daughter Olivia in front of her, a hand set over the little girl’s chest.
Concern twisted up Savannah’s face as she studied me. “Hailey? What are you doing here?”
“Hi, Miss Hailey! It’s so good to see you. Did you bring Maddie with you? I love that I got to meet her, and me and my cousin Evelyn had the best time with her. We think she should always be with us.”
Emotion clotted my throat, and I turned my attention to the little girl. “She’s not with me right now, but I promise we’ll get you both together to play again soon. How’s that sound?”
“That sounds great! I’m going to make her a special invitation for you to take with you so she can come to my house and play on my playset!” She looked up at Savannah. “Is that okay, Mommy?”
I could feel the dread dripping from the woman as she ran a tender hand down the back of the little girl’s head. “That’s fine. Why don’t you run and do it really quick so I can talk with Ms. Hailey?”
“On it! Stay right there, I’ll be right back,” Olivia peeped, and she disappeared back inside.
Savannah turned back to me, the same question I hadn’t been able to answer coming low from her tongue. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”