Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Lucas and I both stared at the little gold chain. It was only then that I noticed that her hand was shaking.
Lucas stepped to her side, his hand on her back. “What do you mean?”
“I think he switched it.” A tear slid down her cheek.
For a moment, I thought she meant me. “He?” I asked.
“T-Todd. He must’ve taken my necklace and replaced it with this. This isn’t real. It’s cheap. It’s not the one she gave me.” Suddenly, she shook her fingers as if flicking away a bug. The necklace fell to the floor. “I only wear it for special occasions, so I hadn’t opened the box since I came here.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Lucas put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a half-hug.
“He took it,” she whispered. Then her voice grew a little louder. “He took my necklace.”
That fucking asshole. He probably wrapped it around his tiny dick when he jerked off to the thought of her. Blood thundered through my veins.
Somehow, Lucas was on the same page. “We’ll get it back.” To my surprise, he leveled a look at me. “You in?”
“Hell yeah.” My fingers curled into fists.
Lucas kissed Tori lightly on her temple. “We’ll go right now.”
“Really?” More tears trailed down that perfect skin.
This time, I answered. “Really.” She looked over at me and blinked through the tears, as if she’d forgotten I was here. Under the circumstances, I could forgive that. She was really torn up.
“Do you want to wait here? Or wait in the car when we go in?” I asked.
“I want to go,” she said.
“I’ll drive.” I strode to the door and grabbed my keys.
“Why?” Lucas asked.
“Because you can’t intimidate someone in a fucking Honda,” I snapped.
Tori followed as I stepped out onto the porch. Lucas shut the door and locked up.
There was no fucking way she was going to be able to climb up into my truck with those sexy little high heels on, but I let Lucas deal with that. This was his night—no matter how badly I wanted to wrap my hands around her small waist to pick her up. Her legs looked endless, and I ached to feel how smooth they were when they brushed against me as I settled her on the seat.
She slid to the middle of the bench seat when I got in. Lucas climbed in on her other side, and I waited until everyone was buckled up. Todd could go with an unbroken nose for a few minutes longer.
Tori was silent as we drove, but gradually, Lucas drew her out, speaking softly. Asking questions. Treating her like a trembling little kitten.
Maybe that was what she needed right now.
I let him take the lead until we were about halfway to town, and then I took over. “Have you seen him since you left his house?”
“No.”
If this guy was as obsessed over her as Jayden and Lucas had said, I doubted that. “Not at all?”
“Well… I saw him a time or two on the quad. But we didn’t speak.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lucas asked.
“There’s nothing to tell. He’s a student, too.”
Though I didn’t agree with that assessment, I was glad that her voice sounded stronger.
I kept going. “He hasn’t contacted you? Or have you had any calls lately from numbers you didn’t recognize?”
“Don’t scare her,” Lucas said.
I glared at him. “If that asshole’s stalking her, we need to know that.”
“I-I don’t think so,” Tori said. Her bare knee was nestled against my thigh, and I did my best not to look. She already had one creep harassing her, she didn’t need two.
Lucas gave me directions when we entered Haverford, and Tori shuddered when I pulled up in front of the house they indicated and shut off the engine. The porch light was on, so that asshole was probably in there.
Lucas spoke softly to Tori as I opened my door. “As soon as we get out, lock the doors, okay? We’ll just be a few minutes.”
When there was no answer, I turned back to look at her. Her face was pale as she stared at the small house. “I want to come.”
That wasn’t a good idea. In fact, it was a very bad one. There was no way I could fuck up that guy as much as I wanted to if she was there.
Lucas and I again exchanged a glance. When the fuck had we ever been on the same page like this? Probably never.
“I really think you should stay here, Tori.”
“I’m coming.” For the first time all night, her voice sounded firm. Since Lucas hadn’t moved, she scooted over to my side, and I willed myself to ignore the way it made her dress ride up high on her thighs. Instead, I held my hand out to her so she could hop down.
“Are you sure, Tori?”
She stared up at me from behind those dark lashes. “I think that’s the first time you’ve called me Tori.”