Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
My feet move quietly across the wood floors of the bedroom as I head to the closet, pulling the doors open. I flip through the clothes, eyeing the designer sweaters and denim. I settle for a navy-blue cashmere V-neck blouse and light wash jeans. I pull my dark hair up in a loose bun and slide on a pair of shoes.
I’m getting some fresh air.
Taking a deep breath, I grab my phone and head out of the room, listening for any signs of Gerard or Troy. I know both of them are probably not far, but I have no desire to run into either. What happened with Troy was mind-blowing, but the fact that Gerard had heard?
Ugh. Beyond embarrassing.
I feel my cheeks flush as my foot hits the bottom floor. I try to think about something else—anything else. I could be thinking about plenty of things, like that my father lied to me most of my life, that I lost my job, or that I should be back in the city, planning my best friend’s bachelorette party. Instead, I’m stuck in the fucking middle of nowhere, hiding from people I didn’t even know existed.
My eyes land on the back door, which I know leads out to the rear porch. I head for it, crossing through the living room.
“Where are you going?” I hear a voice behind me, and I’m startled, not having noticed Gerard sitting on the couch.
Jeez. I’m not in a good headspace.
“I just wanna go for a walk,” I say carefully, reaching for the doorknob. “I won’t go far, and I won’t be long.”
“Okay, well, let’s go on a walk then,” Gerard grunts, shoving himself into a standing position. “I could use the fresh air.”
My chest burns with irritation. “I don’t want you to go with me. I want to go alone. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself.”
“While I’m not all that inclined to believe that, I would be more than happy to let you go alone,” Gerard begins, his tone full of annoyance. “But as you can imagine, your father and your lover would probably not be okay with you going out there alone. In fact, I happen to know that they wouldn’t be.”
I give him a weary look. “Don’t call him my lover.”
“Okay, what do you prefer? Your Godfather? Because that sounds fuckin’ gross now that I know what you two have been up to.”
“Stop it,” I warn him as a sly smile tugs at his lips. “I want to go out alone. If they get mad, blame it on me.”
“That’s not how that works,” he counters sharply. “You can tell me whatever you want, but it’s my head that gets knocked if something happens. Troy told me to keep an eye on you while he settles some business.”
“Is he even here?”
Gerard hesitates.
“Is he?”
“No,” he finally says with a long sigh. “But don’t go sprinting out of here or something. I can run faster than you. I guarantee it.”
I roll my eyes at the bodyguard. “Fine. Come on a walk with me then.”
“Great,” he snorts. “See how easy that was? You just let me trail along, make sure the boogeyman doesn’t get you, and we’re all good here.”
“There’s no boogeyman out in the woods here.”
“Yeah, okay.” He gives me an unsettled look, but I ignore it, unlocking and opening the back door. Gerard follows me out onto the rear porch, and I welcome the crisp late morning air and the scent of the woods. It’s a nice change from the city. However, given the circumstances, I’d still rather be there than here.
I head down the steps, noticing a trail that leads off into the thick trees. “Can we take this?” I turn back to look at Gerard, who’s already lighting a cigarette.
“Sure,” he says with a shrug. “Lead the way, trail master.”
“No, really. Where does it go?” I snap, folding my arms across my chest.
“It just snakes around the property but stays to the interior part, so we’re all good. It’s fine. I promise,” he adds, taking a long drag. “Just go for your walk. I could really use a fuckin’ nap.”
“Why didn’t you just stay and take one?” I ask as I start down the trail, peering up at the large oak trees. If Beth wasn’t such a party girl, having her bachelorette party at a place like this might have been fun.
“I can’t sleep unless Troy is here.”
“Aw, that’s cute,” I giggle, looking back at the giant, six-foot-something Italian henchman. “You can’t sleep without him? Do you guys cuddle at night?”
His gaze remains unchanged. “Ha ha! Funny you’re making those jokes when, yet again, we both know what you were doing last night.”
“Touché,” I mutter, turning back to the trail. “You think my dad will kill him if he finds out?”
Gerard chuckles. “I’d say that would be one hell of a duel. I’d pay to watch it.”