Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 142818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
There was a beat of silence over the whole room.
“Holy fuck,” Colby muttered.
“He brands women,” Elden said slowly.
I wrinkled my nose, thinking of the way that he’d come on to me countless times. He’d always given me the creeps, but I’d thought he was just strange.
“Fuck,” Hansen grumbled, putting his phone to his ear. “Wire, I need you to do a deeper dive on Javier right now. Check into every fucking corner.”
“He was right under our fucking nose,” Lucas seethed.
There was a bunch of manly rage and mutterings after that. Even Elden jumped in, saying what, I didn’t know. But it did not give me enough grace to fight my way through another contraction unnoticed.
I really fucking hoped they found him soon because I knew I didn’t have time. We didn’t have time.
“We still don’t have shit on him,” Hansen sighed, hanging up the phone and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Doesn’t have any alternate property rented or owned, his fucking cellphone isn’t pinging, and…”
He stopped speaking, staring at the door. Everyone else did too.
Javier waved at the group. “What’d I miss?”
“Where the fuck have you been?” Elden recovered first, standing from where he’d been sitting on the sofa next to me.
I had been forced to sit, even though it was uncomfortable, and walking made things feel less like I was giving birth to a hot poker.
Javier looked uncertainly at everyone who was glaring at him. “Why is everyone staring at me like I’m a serial killer?” he joked.
“Surprisingly astute,” Caroline commented, tilting her head to survey him.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Hansen demanded.
Javier’s cheeks flushed. “I have brunch with my mom on Sundays,” he shrugged. “Then we watch Real Housewives.”
Everyone just stared at him.
“Why the fuck don’t you have your phone on you?” Hansen asked.
“Mom makes me turn it off,” Javier responded. He looked around the room again. “Seriously, what is going on? You guys are freaking me out.”
“Killer took Sariah,” Colby clipped out, folding his arms and glaring at Javier.
Javier, to his credit, looked sufficiently shocked. “Holy fuck,” he muttered. “Do we have any idea who this fuck is?”
No one answered.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he muttered. Then he looked upward. “Sorry, Lord.” He glared around the room again. “You seriously thought I was the serial killer? That blows, man.”
“You brand women,” Colby stated, obviously still not convinced.
Javier scratched at his five o’clock shadow. “Yeah, but as far as I know, in this club, having certain sexual proclivities doesn’t mean you’re a fucking serial killer,” he hissed.
“He’s got a good point,” my mom muttered from beside me, looking at Swiss.
I would’ve been a mix between amused and grossed out if I wasn’t battling with my body and silently yelling at my daughter for trying to rush out so soon.
There was no way I could remain seated. I needed to walk around. And Elden was still staring at Javier, so he couldn’t stop me from moving. I not so subtly pushed myself off the sofa, waddling around it so I could pace.
Despite Elden’s concentration, his eyes rushed in my direction the second I started moving.
“Dude, I’m not a serial killer!” Javier exclaimed, looking at Colby who was still glaring at him.
There might’ve been more of an interrogation and definitely an alpha stare off if I hadn’t let out an involuntary groan of pain as I moved wrong, and my womb tried to kill me.
All eyes, unfortunately, went to me.
Javier looked relieved to have the attention off him. “I can’t believe you thought I was a serial killer,” he muttered to no one in particular.
Elden, of course, had rushed to me and was now holding me up. Although I was mad at his overprotectiveness, I was thankful for him stopping me from falling to the ground.
“Violet?” he demanded, his voice full of concern.
“I’m fine,” I replied weakly, trying to smile.
Elden was not convinced by my smile.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I can’t take it anymore, and you are going to explode at this point,” Colby yelled, pacing. “She’s in labor,” he told Elden, pointing at me.
Elden’s eyes went wide.
“You’re in labor?” Elden asked so quickly, it sounded like one jumbled word.
“Barely,” I replied through a painful breath.
“What did Colby just say?” Swiss demanded, joining the huddle.
“Nothing,” I said at the same time Elden yelled, “she’s in fucking labor!”
“We have to get you to a hospital,” Swiss said, eyes tinted with panic.
“I am not going anywhere,” I declared firmly, standing my ground and glaring at both men.
“You fucking are if I have to drag you kicking and screaming,” Elden refuted, already trying to move me toward the door
I planted my feet and leveled my gaze on him. “I promise you, I will never forgive you for that,” I told him. “I’m not bringing our child into a world where her godmother is being held captive by a serial killer. You can keep arguing with me, or you can make sure that happens.”