Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 71(@300wpm)
I want to kill whoever hurt her like this. Whoever he is, I’m gonna cause him so much pain he’ll beg me for his death. If I end up killing him, I’ll feel no guilt for my actions. There’s no room for that. There’s room only for her.
Every inch of me is screaming to take her in my arms, but she’s so fragile she might break. The least I can do is shrug off my jacket and lay it on her back. “Who do I have to kill?”
Her head whips to me. “What?”
“Who hurt you? Who do I have to kill?”
“What makes you think I didn’t kill someone? That I’m not the bad guy?”
“You already said no one died, and I believe you. As for your other question, my intuition tells me you’re the innocent party.”
“What else does your intuition tell you?”
“That you’re running away from someone. Someone possibly dangerous. Someone who wields power. And I know you don’t know who I am, but I’m not the type to sit around while someone gets away with hurting another person.”
She lets out a shaky breath and closes her eyes. She wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand and rests her hand on the gear stick. I cover her hand with mine and say, “Let me drive.”
That simple touch turns my skin feverish, and I pull my eyebrows together, feeling my manhood press against the zipper of my jeans. Fuck me. What is this? Why has my body gone rogue?
She narrows her eyes at me. Fair enough. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to die before I start my new job.”
This time, her laugh is genuine, eyes crinkling at the corners. I can’t help but smile at her. She’s beautiful, sure, but happiness transforms her entire face.
My breath is knocked out of me, something roaring within me, and I’m arrested by the realization that no matter what happens, I’m not leaving her alone…to deal with whatever this is. “My name is Damien. I’m a homicide detective.”
Her forehead creases, and her lips press into a thin line.
I reach for the backpack at my feet, but I see her stiffen so I raise both hands. “I’m just gonna get my ID as proof. I promise. No funny business.”
Her eyes continue to narrow in a cautious stare, so I hold her gaze as my hand rummages inside the bag. I find what I’m looking for and hand it to her. She takes out my ID and reads it front and back.
When she lifts her gaze, I know I’m one step closer to earning her trust.
“It’s time you tell me what’s going on.”
2
DANI
Has my luck finally turned?
Is he the answer to all my prayers?
I shouldn’t keep my hopes up, I know that…but what if? What if he’s the key to my freedom? What if he’s the only one who can help me save Elise?
Does he have enough power to send Father and his men to jail?
I remember the look on Father’s face as I got into the truck, locked the doors, and sped away. He had murder in his eyes, and I knew for certain he’d stop at nothing to bring me back. He invested way too much in me to let me go. And the longer I’m away, the higher the risk of people finding out about his operation. He won’t let that happen.
With Damien’s old leather wallet in one hand and his ID in the other, I stare at the black-and-white photograph. Damien Davenport.
I’m still reeling from my escape, but I’m not blind. He’s good-looking. Not like the boys I see in magazines. Not the type of guy who swings his weight around but actually has nothing to back it up.
No. He’s the kind of man who says what he means and means what he says. And that’s sexy as hell.
He’s so massive I actually mistook him for a tree and passed him by. When I saw him in the rearview mirror, I hesitated for a beat because a man his size could easily crush me with his bare hands.
But…
I also couldn’t leave him out in the cold, knowing I hadn’t passed another soul in two hours.
When my truck lurched to a stop, I was shocked to see a ruggedly handsome man, his brown eyes dilated as he took all of me in. His dark hair was mussed up, droplets of water clinging to the strands. The tip of his ears and nose are flushed, puffs of steam visible when he breathes. He’s impossibly tall, even if he’s hunching his shoulders.
At one glance, he looked threatening. But his eyes said otherwise. It made me feel as though he was seeing through my soul. I couldn’t explain it, but on a primal frequency, I knew I wasn’t making a mistake by letting him hitch a ride. I very well couldn’t have his death on my conscience if I left him in that weather.