Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 79749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
I don't go into the bathroom to clean up until she walks out of there, showered, and wrapped in a towel.
To take away the questions in her eyes, I hand her back the t-shirt and boxer briefs I pulled from her body, letting her know the expectation is that she get redressed.
Then I head into the shower, taking my time.
She's asleep when I come back out, making it easy to climb into the bed and face away from her.
Chapter 26
Aspen
It's no surprise to me that I wake up alone. I don't even know if Nolan came back to bed after his shower. Exhaustion plus the high of a very intense orgasm left me damn near comatose.
My body aches in the best way imaginable when my eyes flutter open. I stretch, making the least sexy grunting noise possible as I lift my arms over my head.
I know I can't stay in bed forever, ignoring all the things in my life that aren't going my way, but I just can't gather the strength to climb out either.
Guilt swims inside of me for taking a moment for myself last night when I still have no idea where Eli is and if he's safe. I can't for a moment forget how brutal and abusive Damien is, especially when he feels challenged, and I know that hatred and anger will be cast on my innocent son.
As if I can sense things going terribly wrong, my heart begins to race, and my eyes widen when the bedroom door opens.
Nolan steps inside, fully dressed, and ready for the day, making me realize just how damned tired I was not to hear him get up and get dressed.
"You need to get out of bed," he says, his voice flat. "And come downstairs."
"What happened?" I ask, flipping the blankets back and climbing from the mattress.
He doesn't speak, doesn't offer an explanation or even a comforting word.
"Zara sent those for you," he says, pointing to a small pile of clothes sitting on top of the dresser. "I'll meet you downstairs."
Without another word, he turns and leaves the room. I rush to the bathroom and wash my face, rinsing my mouth with mouthwash because I can't find an extra toothbrush in any of the cabinets. Even as intimate as things got between us last night, the thought of using his toothbrush makes my skin crawl in a germophobic kind of way.
I strip out of the borrowed boxers and t-shirt and leave them on the bed before pulling on the sports bra, t-shirt, and sweats that Zara has provided for me. I make a mental note to hug her for being so considerate before leaving the bedroom and rushing down the stairs.
I have no idea what I'm walking into, but I know I have to face it head-on.
Other than Zara sitting on one of the many sofas in the massive living room, I don't see anyone else.
"Coffee?" she asks, sitting up and placing the book in her hand on the coffee table.
"No," I say, holding my hand up. "You've done enough for me. Thank you for the clothes."
"You're welcome. The guys are just finishing up a meeting. Oh, there they are," she says when the double doors of a room near the front entrance opens.
I curl into myself when a line of men walk out of the room. There have to be a dozen or more guys, and it's very reminiscent of the times my father would hold meetings at the house just before sending his men off to work a job. They always looked like they were going to war, with frowns on their faces and vengeance in their eyes.
These guys look no different, other than the fact that they're much larger than the men who worked for my father. These guys look like they bench press cars for a living.
Each of them looks in my direction, dipping their heads in acknowledgment, before heading out the front door. It's completely different from the way my father's men acted. To them, it was as if I didn't exist, and for the most part, I liked it that way. Hames was the only one who took the time to look at me, and when he did, it made my skin crawl.
"Aspen?"
I jerk my head in the direction of the voice, seeing Nolan standing in the open doorway to the room they all just exited.
"Can you come here?"
I walk toward him, waiting for the last man to leave out the front door before giving him all my attention. Have they been in the house this entire time? Am I really as safe as Nolan assured me I was?
I'm scared and trembling as I join him in the room. Hemlock and one other man on a computer are in the corner. I think it's just going to be the three of us, but another man steps forward with his hand outstretched.