Total pages in book: 165
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 166103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 831(@200wpm)___ 664(@250wpm)___ 554(@300wpm)
Romance her?
“I’ll stay here and guard her. I promise.”
“There’s a threat to her?” Owen asked. Was what happened this afternoon not a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Although . . . he didn’t usually believe in coincidence.
“What? No. There’s no threat. This was just bad timing that she and Hux were there today. But His Lordship is out and Kassim didn’t want her to feel scared.”
Owen nodded, but he didn’t like it. And he couldn’t say how long he’d be able to stay away from her.
Judd glared at Aleki. Turning, he stormed back to the house.
Owen eyed Aleki. “I’ll tell you what I said to Caleb. Not even a papercut. Got it?”
Aleki studied Owen. “Am I seeing the real Owen?”
He smiled. “Not even close.”
He got back to the house just in time to watch Judd punch the living room wall. He leaned back against the wall by the door.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Hux asked, coming out from his bedroom.
Judd started pacing.
How long was it until it grew dark? Hmm, another hour. He wondered if she’d eaten yet. She seemed to be spectacularly bad at taking care of herself.
That needed to be addressed.
Of course, once she was under their roof they’d look after her. They’d baby her. Discipline her. Fuck her.
And fucking make sure that no one harmed her.
“Why the hell would she ask for us not to be her security?” Judd demanded.
Owen shrugged.
“What? Hux asked. “We’re no longer security for Chloe?”
“No, and she requested it,” Judd spat out. “Why?”
“This is my fault,” Hux said, sitting.
Hmm. This was interesting. Why would he say that? Hux had his head resting on his hands.
“What? Why?” Judd asked.
“I didn’t protect her.”
Judd frowned. “What the fuck are you talking about? Yes, you did. You got her out of there safe.”
“It was just like last time, with Vivi. I didn’t protect her from her uncle.”
Vivi’s asshole uncle had gotten onto palace grounds. He’d hit Hux on the head, knocking him out before trying to kill Vivi.
Owen hadn’t realized that Hux still blamed himself for that.
“What happened with Vivi’s uncle could have happened to any of us,” Judd said, pulling back his anger to be a good leader. “Right, Owen?”
Oh, he was expected to take part? Hmm, what to say?
“Course it could have. And you protected Chloe today.”
Hux shook his head. “I didn’t. Judd had to help. I’m fucking useless.”
Owen frowned. That was his bastard dad talking, not Hux. Throughout his childhood, his father used to berate him like that. Telling him how useless he was.
“That’s not true,” Judd insisted. “Don’t let that bastard’s words get hold of you. Hux, you’re not useless. You took care of her.”
“Then why doesn’t she want us as security?” Hux asked.
“Maybe because she’s starting to feel something,” Owen said thoughtfully. “And it scares her.”
Judd and Hux stared at him in amazement.
“What? You think I’m wrong?”
“No, I think you’re right,” Judd said. “I’m just shocked you’d think of that.”
Owen shrugged. He couldn’t explain it. But he had a weird instinct when it came to her.
“What are you going to do?” Hux asked.
Owen noticed he used the word you and not we. He didn’t like that. They did things together.
“Aleki said we have to romance her,” Judd explained.
“Do we know how to do that?” Owen asked. He’d never done anything like that with Ester. But the others should have.
“You were never that into Ester, were you?” Judd asked Owen.
“No.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked
“Why would I? You all wanted her. Were happy with her.” He shrugged.
“Your happiness is important too,” Hux told him.
It was?
Good to know.
“I didn’t know how to be happy,” he said. “I don’t think I’d ever felt it until . . .”
Until her.
“You have to think about things she’d like to do,” Hux said. “Things she’d enjoy.”
Judd nodded. “Right. Take her on dates.”
Owen wasn’t sure what she’d like. “Like running?”
“I think you have to get her to run less,” Hux said. “I think she uses it as a way to escape her demons.”
“It’s not healthy,” Judd added. “She doesn’t take care of herself properly. She likes the beach.”
The beach?
It wouldn’t be his first choice for a date. Then again . . . he’d never really been on a date before.
This would be . . . interesting.
20
Hands reached for her.
Taunts filled the air.
Slut.
Whore.
Bitch.
Dirty. Dirty. Dirty.
“No, no, no!”
Dirty. Dirty. Dirty.
“Wake up, Chloe.”
Dirty. Dirty. Dirty.
“Wake up right now!”
She opened her eyes, staring up into someone hidden in the darkness. She took in a breath to scream, but a hand landed over her mouth.
She froze, terror making it hard for her to breathe.
“Shh, baby girl. You’re safe. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The words filtered through, easing the panic. She didn’t know why he was in her bedroom, in the dark, but she felt safe with him.