Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
I watch as the confusion lifts from his face and slowly that light in his eyes comes back after two weeks of my man being lost in his head. I watch as his full, beautiful lips spread into a smile that makes every feminine part inside of me tingle.
“What are you saying, Gorgeous?” he asks, stepping into me and cupping the side of my face with his hand. His thumb lazily brushes against my cheek, pausing at my lips.
“I’m saying that had you been in bed earlier than two in the morning last night, you might have noticed that I threw away your million boxes of condoms.”
His eyebrow arches as he stares down at me.
“You threw them away?” His lips purse and he looks like he’s about to laugh. After the somberness of the last two weeks, it’s a really great look on him.
I move in closer, my hands resting loosely on his hips and I look up at him, from under my lashes.
“Threw them out, donated them to Gunner, same thing,” I mutter.
“Gunner?” he asks, a small trace of his jealousy bleeding through.
“He seems intent on screwing anything with boobs in an effort to prove to you that he’s not making a play for me,” I tell him with a smirk. “He’s really tired of spreading gravel on the parking lot, Noah. You should give the boy a break.”
Noah throws his head back and laughs and I feel like I just won the lottery. Finally, I’m seeing the man I love again. For the last two weeks he has been lost in memories and pain. It feels good to have my Noah once more.
“I’ll finish it tonight,” he mutters, after he finishes laughing.
“And Gunner?” I ask, biting my lip.
“I’ll handle that, too. Right after I finish King.”
“Before you do that, I want to say something to him.”
“Fuck, no. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“It’s my right. You need closure and so do I, Noah. Don’t keep me from getting that. Please?” I ask. Noah studies me for a minute.
“Fuck,” he mumbles, and I hide my grin as he takes my hand and leads me outside to his bike.
It doesn’t take ten minutes to get to our destination. I frown when I look at what appears to be an old city water substation that has been shut down. We don’t talk as we slide off his bike and he takes my hand walking me to the door. As we get closer, I see Rebel standing guard at the door. I see the surprise on his face when he sees me, but I just smile at him.
“You don’t have to do this, Rory. I can deliver any message you want, Gorgeous. I don’t like him even seeing you again.”
“I need to,” I tell him simply. I’m nervous, but that’s it. From the moment that Noah asked me to trust him, since the moment we had everything out, the fear that has been my constant companion most all of my life… is gone. It hasn’t come back and I know now it never will. Noah is by my side and he won’t leave me, but even if he wasn’t, I’ve come to realize that I’m stronger than I ever realized. I can take anything anyone throws at me and still walk with my head held high.
We walk inside the dimly lit building, my nose scrunches at the smell. King might not be dead yet, but judging from the smell, he’s not far from it. Once we walk down a small hall I see King. He’s hanging from the ceiling from a makeshift pulley. There’s a giant tub of water below him and a portable battery charger and cables nearby. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they are being used for.
King doesn’t acknowledge me as I walk in. I’m not sure he can. His head is hanging at an odd angle. He’s covered in blood, there’s a gaping wound in his stomach. I can’t really see it, because for some reason it has been bandaged up, but blood has seeped through the filthy bandages. His face is beaten and bloody and his hands and fingers are at odd angles—indicating they are broken. Their color is also more than a little black. It appears my man has really been taking out his anger. I guess I should hate it, but I find that… I feel nothing. Maybe I do have some of my father’s blood running through my veins after all.
“Can you move the water out of the way and lower him to the ground?” I ask Noah and Rebel. I thought they might question me, but they don’t, they just do as I ask.
King falls to the floor with a dull thud, barely making a noise as he falls. I squat down so that I’m eye level with him and I look for traces of the boy that I used to love. I don’t see him, but then I didn’t think I would. The boy I used to adore died way too long ago to be resurrected. Still, it’s that name I use.