Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
I sigh. “Do we have to leave today?”
“Yes. But we’re almost finished, I promise. Just Roswell, and then I’m headed home.”
I let out a slow breath and fold myself into his arms, our bodies flush together. I hate the idea of leaving our little bubble. “We have a few more hours, right?” Garrett hums in confirmation, and I trail my hands down his bare chest. “Then let’s make it count.”
When we’re finally ready to check out, our happy little bubble hasn’t just popped. It’s obliterated.
He’s found me. Oh God, Charles has found me.
Near the lobby door, there are four men, and I know immediately that they are here for me. All of them are broad, hard-faced, dressed in black, and radiating menace. Their eyes zero in on us, and my stomach twists. One of them steps forward, his arms crossed over his chest, blocking our path.
“Going somewhere?”
Garrett doesn’t miss a beat. “Yeah. Out. Move.”
The man doesn’t budge, and the others shift closer, forming a wall of muscle between us and the exit.
“I’m not asking twice,” Garrett growls.
The man smirks, but it falters when Garrett takes a step forward, towering over him. There’s something feral in Garrett’s eyes, something that promises violence if they push him any further.
After a tense beat, the man steps aside, his smirk replaced by a scowl. “Your funeral.”
Garrett doesn’t even acknowledge him. He wraps an arm around my shoulders, steering me toward the door. My heart races, and I cling to him, but the moment we step outside, the air turns electric with tension.
Charles is waiting.
He leans against a sleek black car parked near the entrance, his suit crisp and perfectly tailored, blonde hair slicked back, expression a mask of cool arrogance. The sight of him makes my skin crawl.
“Sienna,” he says, his voice smooth as silk. “You’ve had your little adventure. It’s time to come home.”
I stiffen, my feet rooted to the ground. Garrett’s arm tightens around me. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
Charles raises an eyebrow, his eyes flicking over Garrett like he’s an annoyance rather than a threat. “And who might you be? Her knight in shining armor? How quaint.”
Garrett takes a step forward, positioning himself between me and Charles. “You could say that. Now, back off.”
Charles doesn’t move. Instead, he lets out a humorless laugh, gesturing toward his hired muscle, who followed us outside. “Four on one. You like your odds?”
Garrett doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. The sheer force of his presence, the way his muscles coil like a predator ready to strike, says it all. It doesn't matter if he likes his odds or not, he’ll still fight.
“Charles,” I manage, my voice shaking but firm. “I’m not going back with you. Just leave me alone.”
“You don’t get to make that decision, Sienna. You belong to me.”
Something in me snaps. “I don’t belong to anyone!”
Charles’s jaw tightens, his calm veneer cracking. “You’re making a mistake,” he hisses. “Do you really think this...this truck driver can protect you? Come with me now, or you’ll regret it.”
Before I can respond, Garrett steps closer still. “She said no. And if you try anything, you’ll regret it.”
Charles flinches just slightly, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. But he quickly masks it, signalling to his men. The shift from words to violence happens in a blink. One of the tough guys grabs my arm, yanking me toward Charles’s sleek car.
“Sienna!” Garrett yells.
“Let go of me!” I scream, panic surging through me as the man’s grip tightens.
Garrett moves like lightning. His fist connects with the guy’s jaw, sending him stumbling back, but the second man is already lunging. Garrett doesn’t hesitate, dodging a swing and delivering a brutal punch to the man’s gut.
The scene unfolds in rapid, chaotic bursts. Garrett is a force of nature—gritty and unrelenting. He blocks a blow with his forearm, counters with a knee to the ribs, and shoves one of the men to the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
Charles stands frozen, his cool arrogance melting into something closer to fear as Garrett grabs the collar of the last man standing and growls, “Touch her again, and I’ll bury you.”
Charles retreats toward the car, his face blood-red with rage and humiliation. “This isn’t over, Sienna!” he yells, climbing into his car with his battered goons.
Furious, I yank the engagement ring off my finger and hurl it at the car with all the strength I can muster. It bounces off the hood with a loud ping just as they peel out of the parking lot.
The moment they’re gone, I whirl around and throw myself into Garrett’s arms. The sob bursts out of me before I can stop them, and I cry into his chest, just like I did that first night we met. He shushes me, stroking my hair, but an iron smell hits my nose.