Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
It seemed appropriate. I’d hated the rain in the summer when I was younger, the way the air seemed to hang heavy right before the sky opened up. It would be hot and humid, then the rain would force us inside. It made everything wet, and the bright blue sky was replaced with a depressing gray.
It took me a while to understand that rain could be wonderful.
Just before it rained and while it stormed, I was miserable, stuck inside but after… After the rain, that was what was important.
The sky came back, seeming stronger, more brilliant than before.
The sun dried the dampness, and everything was brighter, cleaner, and fresher. It was like looking at the world through a window that had just been cleaned, even though you hadn’t realized how dirty it was.
It was a fresh start.
Was this my summer storm?
Would everything be hard and depressing for a bit, but brighter when I reached the other side? Could this be what I needed to reset my life?
The loudspeaker came on, announcing my train’s arrival. A few moments later, it pulled into the station and people disembarked. I gathered my stuff, ready to find my seat, when a text from Rose pinged on my phone telling me that Luc was at the house looking for me and raging.
Harrison had arrived just before he did and was handling him.
Little dots appeared on the screen. She was ready to fill me in on all the drama. I closed the message and turned off my phone as I boarded the first train west, not sure when or where I would get off.
I sat in my economy seat and leaned against the window, just staring out at the station, then the city I called home. I daydreamed about Chicago, or Los Angeles, or maybe some little, tiny town in Arizona or Colorado, where no one knew or cared who the Astrids or Manwarrings were.
The day’s adrenaline had finally worn off as the train pulled from the station, and I realized I had no idea what I was doing.
I didn’t know how to do anything myself. I had no actual skills, no trade, no friends or family I could turn to, and I had a limited amount of money.
Suddenly, despite the midday rain already slowing and the sun peeking from the clouds again, I felt cold, alone, and scared. I watched the city I loved disappear behind me and wondered if I had just made a huge mistake.
CHAPTER 31
LUC
It took forever to get my father out of my goddamned condo.
He wanted to go over everything in excruciating detail.
It had to be intentional. He wanted to rehash the finer points of the contracts we made with Astrid over and over like it wasn’t already a signed and done deal. This man wasn’t planning. He was gloating, and it was tedious. Then he wanted to relive the moment I put Mrs. Astrid in her place.
He found this particularly amusing. If I hadn’t been in such a rush to get back to my warm bed with my beautiful bride, I would’ve told him what happened when Mrs. Astrid had shown up unannounced here. But I didn’t want to risk him asking so many questions that the story took longer to tell than it did to happen.
After that, he insisted on talking about other business, mostly having to do with the men I wanted out of our business. They were too much of a legal risk, even if the DA was family. If I was being frank, I also didn’t want them anywhere near my wife.
Finally, after he drank most of my coffee, I convinced him to get out, and I was ready to crawl back into bed and wake Amelia for another round. I even toyed with the idea of rousing her by licking her perfect little pussy and making her come on my tongue. Maybe that would be a new part of my morning ritual.
After all, my good girl deserved a treat. My cock hardened as I thought about her, still in my bed, wrapped in nothing but my sheets. I couldn’t help my smile as I headed from my front door back to my bedroom, my cock tenting my silk sleep pants.
When I got back to the bedroom, I knew something was wrong even before I opened the door. It felt wrong, lifeless. Hollow. I pushed open the door and my heart stopped. The bed was empty. My heart started hammering as I checked the closet and the bathroom. They were both empty.
She was gone.
No, no, no, no.
I searched every inch of the condo. There was no sign of her. The bed was cold, and I had no idea how long she had been gone. My phone was gone, too.
Fuck!
My heart was beating out of my chest, and it felt like I couldn’t get enough air. Spots danced in front of my vision as I picked up the landline and called my head of security.