Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
The house was quiet, and I entered the bedroom to find Grave sitting upright in bed, a mug of hot coffee on the nightstand, and he was reading something on his phone. When he felt me in the room, he put the phone down and looked at me.
“Wasn’t sure if you’d still be here.”
“Without breakfast first?” he asked, that handsome smile moving on to his lips.
His smile was infectious, and I found myself mirroring it back to him. “How do pancakes and eggs sound?”
“Get to it, sweetheart.”
I headed into the kitchen and got to work, and he joined me in his boxers, sitting on a stool at the bar while he continued to write emails and text people. There were days when we didn’t talk, and I suspected those were the days he was working, a human mechanic that cut people open for parts to put in other vehicles. Sometimes it was hard to believe when he was so good to me.
I set the plates at the dining table, and we ate together.
With his arms on the table, he scarfed down his food like he was starving. I’d made him three eggs, but that didn’t seem like enough to feed a man of his size. His biceps were nearly as big as my head. “Tell me why you were upset.”
I’d stopped thinking about it since he’d come over. “Doesn’t matter.”
He stared at me from across the table, his eyes demanding. “Sweetheart—”
“This is a two-way street. You don’t tell me things, so I don’t have to tell you things.”
He continued his look, thinking seriously about his next move. “My job is to make sure you feel safe. Do you feel safe?”
I couldn’t suppress the deep breath that I took. He could interpret situations like a detective.
“You didn’t want to leave your kids, but from what I could hear from the bedroom, they were totally fine. So why did you feel like you couldn’t leave them?”
I couldn’t stand that look. I couldn’t stand the way it burned my flesh.
He didn’t let up. He didn’t blink. He scrutinized my features like a director on a film set. “Has Kyle bothered you?”
Asshole.
“Sweetheart,” he pressed. “Why won’t you tell me?”
I broke eye contact and looked down at my food.
“Look at me.” Now he turned stern, not raising his voice but sounding pissed off.
My eyes immediately flicked back up.
He had me cornered. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. And that angry look told me he’d already figured it out. “What the fuck happened?”
Caught off guard, I was too scared to talk.
“Elise, why the fuck didn’t you tell me—”
“Because I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
That was the wrong thing to say because he looked more pissed off than ever.
“It was my decision. I was the one who walked away from my clients to be with you. This is my problem—not yours.”
He clenched his jaw and looked away briefly, like he needed a moment to restrain his rage before he said something stupid. “That’s the biggest load of shit I’ve ever heard. I’m not some pussy-ass bitch you need to cover for. I accepted your proposal, so I’m responsible for your happiness. Now tell me what the fuck that piece of shit did.”
I stayed quiet.
“Tell me, or I’ll cut straight to the chase and shoot him in the back of the head.”
I caved and told him how he’d cornered me at the bar. And how he’d ended up on my doorstep.
Grave looked angry the whole time, his eyes like bullets ready to fire.
“I had a knife in my purse, so I stabbed him. Haven’t heard from him since, but I’m sure he survived.”
His wall of anger flickered for just a moment. “You stabbed him?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl.” A subtle look of pride came into his eyes. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Maybe that was the end of it. You should leave it alone.”
“He doesn’t harass my woman on her doorstep and get away with it.”
“He didn’t. I stabbed him.”
“Well, it’s my turn to have a go.” He got to his feet and left his plate on the table. “I’ll see you later.”
“You’re doing this now?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes. Gonna cut through those stitches and stab him again.”
6
GRAVE
Kyle had various homes throughout France and Eastern Europe, but it didn’t take long for me to figure out which one he occupied. When he was out, I snuck in to his apartment while one of my girls distracted his security team. I made my way into the main sitting room, and one of his servants must have heard the elevator and assumed I was Kyle because he came out to greet me.
Then he turned gray when he realized I wasn’t Kyle.
Far from it.
My gun was tucked into the back of my jeans, but I didn’t pull it. “Do as I say, and no one gets hurt. You got that?”