Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“Were you guys able to help her before he”—she pauses and shivers before continuing on—“did anything to hurt her?”
She doesn’t use the actual word, but I get what she’s trying to ask. I rush to reassure her. “His goal was to marry her, but he never got close enough to try anything with her. Kai, her husband, and his team were set to confront him in a club in Vegas, but a sniper took him out before they got the chance.” I skip the part about me being the one who pulled the trigger. Maybe I’ll tell her about it someday, when we’re happily married and I don’t need to worry about the possibility of it sending her running in the opposite direction.
“He’s really dead?” Her voice is just above a whisper.
“I saw his body myself,” I assure her, and she melts against me. “Is his dad the reason you can’t go back? Does Paulie Sr. know about Jenna? Is he the one looking for you?”
Her head jerks back and her blue eyes scan mine. “I don’t think anyone knows about Jenna besides my family.”
“Fuck.”
“Why? Did you hear something? Is he looking for me?”
“Don’t get pissed, but I started digging into your past when I brought you and Jenna home from the hospital. A couple nights ago, I came across a chat where someone mentioned your name and said they were looking for you.”
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t been able to find out.”
“Did they say where to call if I was found?”
“Baby, the dark web doesn’t work like that. It’s all codes and shit. I’m still working on figuring out who it is,” I explain, and her body stiffens like she’s preparing to jump off my lap, so my arms tighten around her.
“I will never let anyone hurt you or get to Jenna. You have to trust me.”
“You went behind my back and dug into my past.”
“Yeah, to protect you. I didn’t know who hurt you, baby, and I wanted to make sure I was prepared in case he ever came after you or Jenna.” Had I known I already killed him, I wouldn’t have started the search... but then again, I wouldn’t have discovered someone’s been actively looking for her.
“The reason my brother pushed so hard for me to get an abortion was because he didn’t want word to get out about who the father was. The only people who knew were him and my parents. I didn’t tell any of my friends. I didn’t go to the doctor to confirm the over-the-counter test I took was accurate.”
“Your brother wanted to protect you and didn’t see Jenna as a person.” Her only response is a nod. “He figured the easiest way to reduce the risk of Paulie Sr. or his son coming after you was for you to get an abortion.”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “But I couldn’t do it. She’s been a person to me from the moment I saw the plus sign on the test, and I’ve loved her every minute since then.”
“That’s part of what makes you so fucking special, Aubrey. You were in an impossible situation. Nobody would’ve blamed you for doing what your brother asked, but you took the hard route to protect the innocent life growing inside you.” It’s also a big part of why I fell in love with her so quickly, but now isn’t the right time to tell her. Not with what we’re talking about. I also don’t think she’s ready to hear me confess my feelings yet. It’ll have to wait for another day. Soon though. I’m not sure I can hold out much longer.
She rests her head against my shoulder and I kiss her forehead. “Do you think you can find out who’s been looking for me?”
“Of course I can. I’ve already got a trace running. It’s just a matter of time before it picks something up.”
“If it’s that easy for you, will it be that easy for someone else to find me?”
“No, they should hit a dead end if they search the hospital records. I switched your address and mangled your information in their records so nobody can use it to track you down.”
“What about my doctor? Can they track me through him?”
I shake my head. “I changed everything, so don’t freak out when it’s wrong at your next visit.”
“What about my bills? I won’t get them if they go to the wrong place.”
“I’ve already paid them off.” I tighten my hold on her again, but it turns out not to be necessary, because she doesn’t get pissed.
“You moved all of Jenna’s stuff in here before asking me if I wanted to move in with you, bought her everything she could possibly need, and covered my bills before talking to me about it.” She shakes her head. “You’re almost as high-handed as Aedan, but in a good way.”