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)
"We're gone in fifteen," Hemlock yells up at me just as I crest the top of the stairs.
I wave down at him, letting him know I heard him, but I follow Aspen into the room.
I grab a go-bag out of the closet and drop it near the bedroom door, ready to tell her to stay put and I'll let her know when we know something but looking back at her changes everything.
She was upset earlier. She had a damn panic attack for fuck's sake, but right now, she looks completely lost and broken.
She shakes her head when I inch toward her. I know it's a warning not to touch her because whatever thread she has managed to hold together this far will break.
But I can't not wrap her in my arms.
"This is all my fault," she sobs into my chest. "I should've done everything differently."
"Damien made it impossible to do anything other than the way he wanted things done, Peach. There's nothing you could've changed."
If anything, this is my fault for grabbing her out of that alleyway. At the time, I thought it was a good idea, but I should've spent more time thinking of all the scenarios instead of acting so rashly.
"You can't leave me here to just wonder about what's going on," she whispers. "I'll lose my mind."
I pull back, holding her at arm's length, and spend the next few breaths staring her in the eyes. She won't stay here, and it's not that she wants to defy me. She can't not do something that she thinks might help Eli. She doesn't have it in her, and I don't know that many mothers exist who could.
"You need to change. Wet clothes aren't good," I say and drop my hands from her shoulders.
She doesn't hesitate to start stripping right there in front of me. She isn't concerned about modesty or privacy. I gather another set of clothes that Zara sent up and pass them to her once she's mostly naked.
I don't miss how supple her breasts are or how soft I know her skin to be, and my cock, the one-track-minded bastard, doesn't hesitate to swell in my jeans. But now isn't the time for any of that shit, and I shut the idea of it down almost as quickly as it rises.
Once she's dressed again, we head out, and I hate that her clothes are pieced together and her footwear isn't exactly appropriate, but she doesn't seem to mind.
Hemlock doesn't say a word when I open the back door of the SUV and wait for her to climb inside before getting into the passenger seat.
"We need to talk about the summer house, Mrs. Gaines," Hemlock says as he begins to drive away from the cabin.
"Please call me Aspen," she instructs. "The summer house is in Connecticut, near Bridgeport."
Chapter 30
Aspen
It has been an insane six hours since we left the cabin in Gatlinburg.
I've been introduced to more men than I could ever hope to keep straight, all of them with names like Jersey, Hound, Tug, and I think one's name was Snatch, which made me blush like a damned schoolgirl. Him, I can't forget. The man is covered in tattoos including his neck and some on his face. He seemed very nice, but not someone I'd like to meet on a dark street alone, not that he gave me any sort of creepy vibe. The snap judgment makes me realize either I have some bias with the way certain people look or I'm just afraid of every damn thing. Either way, it's not the best position to be in when facing life in general.
I wouldn't call them letting me be here as active participation but it's more than I could've asked for. I've watched several dozen men gear up with tactical clothing and weapons in preparation but watching them while wearing sweats and a sweater makes me feel helpless.
I'm not in any capacity capable of helping these men with the job they have to do next, but not having the skill set doesn't make sitting on the sidelines doing nothing any easier.
They've openly discussed what they know and what the possible scenarios are with their entry into this summer house.
They have intel that there has been increased activity on the property in the last couple of days, but they have no confirmation whether Eli is actually there.
We've gone back over the video, but the camera was zoomed in so closely on my son, that there were no distinguishable traits of the room they were in. Besides, it's been forever since I was at the property. Although I remember going there, I don't remember anything specific about the house, at least nothing that would be helpful. I was able to give them a broad layout of the floor plan, but before I could finish explaining it, one of the tech guys was able to pull the actual floor plans, making my information even more useless.