Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112762 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
A Scottish actor. North Hunter.
What?
Walker stood, chest heaving as his eyes met mine, and his anger flared brighter.
That roar of fury I’d heard …
It was him.
“Are you all right?” he demanded.
I sat up, feeling my pants loose around my waist and flinching. “I’m okay. He didn’t …” Nausea rose in me again, and I took a deep breath to shove it back down.
Eyes still on me, Walker unclipped his walkie-talkie from his belt. He held it to his mouth, button pressed so hard it was a wonder he didn’t break it. I kept my eyes on him. Couldn’t look at the monster pinned to the floor. “Jock, this is Walker. Code 12 in Room 21. Need immediate assistance.”
Code 12?
I shakily swung my legs off the bed but couldn’t bring myself to stand.
Walker looked down at North and Hoffman. “You still got him?”
North had his knee in Hoffman’s back. “I’ve still got him. If you want, leave him in here with me.” He pressed his knee deeper into Hoffman’s back, and Hoffman yelled at North to get off. “I’d love a chance to teach the bastard some manners.”
Walker seemed to consider this for a second before he gave a quick shake of his head. Instead, he turned. He cleared the rage from his face as he walked slowly toward me. I had to crane my neck to keep his gaze as he stood over me, his brow creased with concern.
Recognizing the question in his eyes, I shook my head as the rest of my body trembled with shock. “He didn’t … he didn’t have time to …”
He reached out to touch my cheek, and I instinctually flinched. His arm dropped. “Sorry,” I whispered.
“Never apologize …” Walker cleared his throat. “You need ice on your cheek.”
I’d bruise.
How the hell would I explain that to Callie?
Tears burned my eyes, and I finally forced myself to look at Hoffman. I hated men like him. I despised them with the kind of hatred I didn’t even know existed in me.
He’d planned to rape me.
The thought made the room sway.
Thundering feet out in the hall drew my spine up. I wanted to disappear, hide somewhere they couldn’t see me.
But Jock was striding through the open door with another member of the security team and at their back …
Lachlan Adair marched inside, expression thunderous, dangerous, as Aria hurried after him. Lachlan was a tall man with an intimidating aura, a presence that filled a space. Both he and Aria took in the scene, and Lachlan asked me hoarsely, “Are you all right?”
I nodded, embarrassed, even though I had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Aria stared at North pinning Hoffman, and wrath flashed in her eyes. “What the hell happened here?”
North jerked his chin toward Walker. “I was talking to Walker down the stairwell when we heard the housekeeper—”
“Sloane,” Walker bit out. “We heard Sloane scream for help. I had a key to Hoffman’s room, so we burst in and found him attempting to rape her. We got here in time.”
I curled in on myself at his blunt retelling in front of all these people.
I wanted a sinkhole to open up.
“Perhaps, Ms. Howard, you could see to Sloane while we deal with Hoffman,” Walker suggested.
Aria hurried over to me, peppering me with questions as I stood on shaky legs to leave the room. We were halfway down the hall when the vomit rose before I could stop it, and I bent over, hurling my lunch all over the expensive carpet.
I realized I was worrying about the stain out loud when Aria wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me away, telling me not to worry in a soothing voice.
The next thing I knew, I was in her office, a throw blanket wrapped around me, holding an ice pack to my cheek and a mug of hot tea in my other hand. Lachlan and Walker, having dealt with Hoffman, found us, and I had to endure their questions.
I explained my previous run-ins with Hoffman, how I’d told Walker. Walker explained that’s why he had a key to Hoffman’s room, that he’d begun sticking close when I was cleaning the suite. He’d been late to the floor that afternoon, then North Hunter had distracted him, and that’s why he hadn’t seen Hoffman enter. He’d looked furious at that. At himself.
“It was a good thing North was there,” Lachlan said. “It’s one thing for Walker to witness it, but North’s account is damning. Hoffman’s gone. It also means the police will have more than enough evidence to arrest him.”
Horror filled me. “No police. You didn’t call the police?” I asked frantically.
Lachlan frowned, and I noted Walker stiffen out of the corner of my eye. “Not yet. We’re holding Hoffman until you decide what you want to do.”
“No police.” I turned pleading eyes on Aria, who knew exactly why I didn’t want the police involved.