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)
“It is?” He raises a dark brow at me. “You’re not still mad at me over all of this? I thought you might still be up here fuming about what happened.”
I shrug. “Nothing I can do to change it, so I have to accept it and move on.”
He nods with approval alight in his eyes. “That’s a good attitude to have, Lizzie. That attitude will carry you a long way in the world. I hope you can stay steadfast in that.”
I nod, silence falling between us. All the burning questions I had for him before have seemed to dissipate, and now I’m at a loss for words.
“So, I have a question for you, Liz.”
I study my dad’s face for a moment, trying to read his hardened expression. “Yes?”
“Is there anyone in this house you’ve been getting close to?”
I nearly choke on the air in the room. “Um… I don’t know what you mean by that, but yeah, I guess I’m getting closer to them. That happens when you’re stuck in a cabin with two people. You eventually have to talk to each other,” I laugh, trying to make the joke, but it doesn’t land with Dad. He doesn’t even smile.
“I saw the exchange of glances you were making with Gerard, and I just want to warn you that he’s not all jokes and fun.”
I blink a few times, trying not to laugh, but I don’t correct him. “He seems thoughtful.” I need to feel out the situation before I confirm or deny anything.
“I can see a difference in you,” Dad continues, motioning to me. “You’ve got a lot of confidence and something like a glow about you. I recognize it. I see it when people start to fall for someone. I, myself, have been there.”
“Oh,” I choke out, not offering any more information.
He sighs heavily just as footsteps grow louder. Troy and Gerard reappear. “I’m just telling you to be careful. The men in this world can’t be trusted, and they’ll never put you first over their obligations. It will always be everything else and then you. You need to be aware of that. While I won’t stop you from having fun, know it’s fleeting. You need a powerful pairing.”
I swallow hard, taken aback. Since when does it matter who I’m interested in? My eyes flicker up to Troy and Gerard, and while Gerard looks amused, Troy looks stone cold, even when he meets my gaze. It makes my heart sink.
CHAPTER 16
Troy
“I don’t like to argue in front of Liz,” I say as I pull open the passenger door of Henry’s car.
“She’s going to have to deal with the fact that we don’t always see eye to eye.” Henry sounds irritated, and I know it’s because I pissed him off over the fact that Vitali reached out to him over me. Honestly, it was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction.
Henry and Vitali have always gotten along better than the two of us; that’s not new news. Still, I put out the fucking feelers for a meeting, not Henry.
“You take shit too personally,” Henry says as he starts the car, his eyes shifting back to the house. “Speaking of all that, what’s going on between Liz and Gerard? I can tell she’s doing something she’s trying to hide from me. It’s written all over her face.”
My stomach lurches. “What?”
He whips his head back to me, narrowing his eyes. “Don’t play stupid. I know she’s got that smitten look all over her face. She’s my daughter. I know her, and I know when she’s got a crush. She grew up without a mother, remember?”
I nod, trying to figure out how to make this work in a way that benefits both of us. I decide it’s best to play stupid, so I shrug. “I don’t know what’s going on with her. I don’t know how to read women the way you do.”
Which is a lie.
“Yeah, you’ve never been great with women,” Henry chuckles. “Have you seen the two of them spending a lot of alone time together or anything?”
“Uh…” My mind flashes to their little trek through the woods, and my skin crawls. I hate that memory. “Not really. They’ve only gone for a walk in the woods together, but I highly doubt Gerard got handsy with her. He knows better than to let something distract him while on guard.”
Henry nods. “Any man can make stupid mistakes when a pretty woman is involved.”
My jaw goes taut. “He takes his job very seriously.”
“He’s your pet.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you this morning?” I finally snap at him, his shitty attitude rubbing me all kinds of wrong. “You’re never this much of a dick. Not to me.”
My best friend’s hard façade finally cracks, and his shoulders slump. “I don’t know. It’s just everything going on right now. It’s pushing me to the brink of violence. I don’t like how Vitali is creeping around and calling a meeting at the last minute. It’s shady. He’s got something up his sleeve. I think he’s going to try to catch us off guard or something.”