Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
"Pickles, I think," I say, a sob coming from my chest.
"Baby, I want to hold you, but they need to know if you're hurt," Eddie says, his hands on my shoulders as he remains crouched in front of me.
"I think I'm okay. He killed Faye. He killed his roommate. He killed my dad." The words bubble out, pain filling every part of me because I never imagined I could be in a situation like this one. "How did I not see this coming?"
"He fooled a lot of people, Cora. I don't want you to worry about any of that right now. Just breathe, baby. We'll get through this together."
I stare into his eyes, noticing the cut on his cheek and the swelling of his own eye. "What happened to you?"
"It doesn't matter," he says, and I can tell that it also had something to do with Christopher.
"I'm so sorry," I say, leaning forward so I can bury my head in his shoulder and cry, but the injury on my forehead makes me scream in pain.
"I think she needs to go to the hospital," the medic says.
"I'll kill every fucking one of you!"
I lift my head and look over Eddie's shoulder, watching as the man I thought was my brother fights against the restraints at his back.
"You bitch!" he spits in my direction. "This isn't over. You're all gonna fucking die. When I'm president—"
The ranting continues even after he's pulled from the cabin.
"How did you find me?" I ask, my shoulders still screaming from how I was restrained.
"I put a tracker on your car," he says, as if it's completely normal to do so.
"That's how you knew I was back in DC?"
Confusion draws his brow tight for a second. "I knew you were headed back to DC because you stopped at a gas station halfway between here and there. I knew you were going back to the same hotel because you're a creature of habit. That's something we're gonna have to talk about, babe. You need to be less predictable. It opens the doors for so many—"
Despite the pain it causes, I lift my arm and press two fingers to his lips.
"If you keep calling me pet names, I'm going to get ideas, Eddie Yarrow."
His smile is slow and there are better times and definitely better places than the here and now for the things I see lighting up his eyes, but I don't think I've ever felt more protected than I do right now, and it's more him than the men swarming about in combat gear.
"You need to go get checked out at the hospital," he says as I try to stand. "Let me help you."
My first instinct is to push him away, to insist that I'm strong enough to do it on my own, but I realize that there's no harm in letting someone care for me. It's okay to be weak every once in a while.
I press my head to his shoulder when he sweeps me up in his arms.
I wince when he fully stands, injuries from my fall back at the house having a much greater effect on my body than I realized.
"I think I might have a concussion," I whisper, my stomach rolling as he carries me out the front door.
"Damn," he whispers. "Let's see what the doctors say at the—"
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Ignore him, baby. He's crazed."
I lift my head, eyes brimming with tears as I see Christopher still struggling against his restraints as the officers try to get him into the back of a squad car.
"You can't fall for a man like him," Chris screams. "You'll ruin the family name. They're all dogs! They're not elite! Cora! Not him!"
Two officers finally get him in the back of the squad car, but that doesn't keep him from trying to kick out the glass.
"He's really rocking that insanity thing, isn't he?" a man says as he approaches.
"Really?" Eddie snaps. "A little compassion, Jericho?"
"Oh shit. Sorry, ma'am."
Instead of even worrying about being offended or snapping at him because this is so much to take in, I simply rest my head back on Eddie's chest.
So long as I can stay in his arms forever, I think I'll be fine. It's when he decides to put me back down that I'll start to struggle.
Chapter 41
Ace
"You better be glad this didn't end in that young man's death."
I snap my eyes from Cora and lift them to see none other than fucking Dale Fredericks walking toward us.
"Detective Granger," Cora says, and I can sense by the tone of her voice that she knows that isn't his real name.
"Special Agent in Charge Dale Fredricks," he says as he approaches. "This looks really cozy. Are you unable to walk, Ms. Preston?"
"My legs are fine, Dale."
Watching his jaw flex when she uses his first name as if she's disrespecting him, I have to roll my lips between my teeth to keep from chuckling.