Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
She finally opened her eyes and looked at me, her eyes taking a moment to focus. “Babe?” She said it with a scratchy voice, a beautiful whisper.
I loved it when she called me that, and now I was afraid I would never hear her call me that again. “I need you to get up and pack a bag.”
“Pack a bag…?”
“Yes.”
She seemed to understand that this was serious, that I wasn’t waking her up because I missed her or I wanted to fuck, but because something had gone wrong. “What’s happened?” Now she was out of bed and on her feet, her breathing uneven once she understood the danger.
“Shit is about to go down, and I need you out of here. The guys are going to take you to a safe house until it’s over.”
She blinked like she didn’t understand a word of that. “But I want to stay with you—”
“You can’t.”
“I’m not going to leave you.”
“You are.”
“You said you would always protect me.”
“And that’s exactly what I’m doing. Get dressed and pack a bag. Now.”
She breathed hard like she’d been on a run rather than sound asleep. She looked like she wanted to argue but didn’t. Instead, she rushed off to throw her shit into a bag.
I got a call and answered immediately.
“The guys are downstairs for Fleur.”
“She’ll be there in a minute,” I said before I hung up.
Fleur did as I asked, just threw a couple things inside and didn’t try to coordinate outfits or take nonessential things. She zipped up the bag on the bed then put on jeans and a sweater. She didn’t even brush her hair.
When she came back to me, she was winded from both exertion and anxiety. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to leave.”
“Sweetheart.” I cupped her face and held her close. “I’ll get you as soon as I can.”
“I don’t understand what’s happening.”
I didn’t want to tell her the truth. Didn’t want to scare her when she was already scared. “I have to take care of something, and I can’t do that and worry about you at the same time. It’s only for a short while. You’ll be okay.”
“It’s not me that I’m worried about.” She looked at me with her teary eyes. “If I have to leave, then I know it’s bad.”
“I’ve had bad before, and it’s always been okay.” But not bad like this, when some asshole thought he could come into my city and take it from me. Could turn my allies against me and knock me off my feet. “But I have you now, and everything is different.”
Tears sprang free.
I couldn’t comfort her more than that. “We have to go.” I grabbed the bag off the bed, took her hand, and we headed downstairs to the driveway behind the gate. Two SUVs were already there, the first one to take Fleur to the safe house. I opened the back door, tossed her stuff in the back, and then helped her inside.
She looked like she wanted to cry again.
I wanted to comfort her, but I wanted to protect her more, so I didn’t linger. “I love you.” I cupped her face, and I pressed a kiss to her forehead and kept it there, holding her for possibly the last time.
I didn’t let go until I heard her say it back.
“I love you too,” she said tearfully.
My hand slipped out of her hair, and I closed the door before I knocked on the back of the car, telling the guys to go.
They drove away, and I headed to the next SUV and got into the back seat. “The warehouse.” The car left the roundabout. But in the rearview mirror, I noticed another SUV pull up behind me. They rolled down the windows, and the guards talked to the driver and passenger.
Maybe Luca was in there.
The car Fleur was in turned on the road and headed toward the edge of the city.
It was in that moment that I questioned everything. Instead of dealing with this maniac, I could have slipped into bed beside Fleur and watched her sleep. I could have woken up with her and taken her to breakfast. I could have a normal, peaceful life—but I chose this.
16
FLEUR
I was quiet in the back seat next to my bag, tears escaping even when I tried my damnedest to fight them. I was worried for him, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried for myself too. Just a month ago, I’d taken my final breath and inhaled a pool of muddy water that killed me. I still remembered it vividly, how painful of a death it was. And then for the week afterward, I slept more than I ever had in my life, like my brain needed to heal from the loss of oxygen for however long I’d been dead.