Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
“Hello, Anne, is everything all right?” he asked.
“Regent, hello. I hope you don’t mind me calling like this.”
“Of course not.” He had a soft spot for the older woman. She’d always been kind to him. Even though he knew that her life hadn’t been that easy. “What can I do for you? Are you all right?”
“Who, me? Yes, I’m fine.” She gave a tinkly sounding laugh. Strange, he didn’t think he’d ever heard her laugh like that before. She sounded so carefree.
He wondered what that would be like. To give up everything and just travel around the country with your significant other.
He would likely be bored after a day.
“I’m calling about Jilly.”
“Jilly? What’s wrong with Jilly?” She’d seemed fine when he’d seen her. Of course, that had been well over a year ago.
She’d looked so beautiful. He hadn’t had much time to admire her, though she’d filled out in all the right places.
He was aware of the crush she’d had on him as a kid. But then she’d gone away to college and lived her life.
And he’d done the same. Far away from her.
Which was for the best.
Someone sweet and innocent like Jilly deserved a life that wasn’t entwined with his. He should probably permanently sever ties. Maybe even block up the tunnels. Then, she really could have a normal life.
Only, the tunnels provided a getaway that had proved to be necessary.
And he wouldn’t kick her out of the house her family had lived in for generations.
“I don’t know. I can’t get a hold of her.”
“You can’t?” Worry filled him. “Do you think something has happened? I can send a man out there right now.”
“Oh no. That won’t be necessary. I’m sure she’s fine. And sending one of your men would no doubt scare her. Of course, if you had time to go see her yourself, perhaps she wouldn’t get such a fright.”
She wanted him to go see her?
Was that really a good idea? But he didn’t want to tell Anne no. She’d always shown more caring and compassion toward him than his own mother. She’d been a cold, proper sort of woman. Uninterested in her own children. Regent wasn’t sure that she’d even cared about his father.
Would it hurt him to go and check on Jilly himself?
It was the least he owed Anne, plus it wouldn’t take much of his time.
“I’ll sort it,” he said. “I’ll tell her to call you.”
He hadn’t thought that Jilly would be so rude as to ignore her mother’s calls.
“No, no, please don’t. In fact, it would be better if you didn’t mention this call. She will think I’m spying on her or that I don’t trust her. I just want someone to check she’s all right.”
Strange. Wasn’t there a neighbor she could call if she was truly that concerned?
“Consider it done.”
He ended the call and tried to get some work done. But it kept niggling at him. The worry that something might be wrong.
So, instead, he grabbed his phone and texted Jose.
Thirty minutes later, they drove up to Jilly’s house. Most of it was dark and his concern grew. Then someone switched a light on upstairs and he saw the silhouette of someone in the window.
A woman.
His breath caught in his throat as she stretched her arms up into the air.
There was something so unconsciously sexy about her. She couldn’t know anyone was watching . . . yet each movement drew his attention to her. Made it hard for him to look away.
Then he realized that if he could see her so could other people.
Anger rose inside him. What was she thinking?
“Jose, I’m going to go talk to Jilly. You can stay here.”
“Um, are you sure, boss?”
“Yes, you can see me walk to the house from here.” Although the outside of her house was dark.
Something about that niggled at him, but he pushed it to one side.
Jose jumped out and ran around to open his door, his head swiveling back and forth.
“I don’t like how dark it is on this street,” Jose commented.
“It’s a quiet, suburban street. I doubt there’s ever much excitement here.”
Jose grunted. “As long as that excitement doesn’t start now.”
Regent strode across the street, aware that Jose remained leaning against the car, ready for anything.
He raised his fist and banged on the door, too angry to ring the bell.
Calm down.
This isn’t you. You’re always in control.
He heard someone running down the stairs. He waited for her to ask who was at the door.
Instead, the door swung open without fanfare.
What. The. Hell.
“Hello? Oh. Regent?” Her polite smile grew into a wide grin that dazzled him for a moment.
God. She was stunning.
It took him a moment to catch his breath. Then suddenly, his arms were filled with a five-foot-three brunette.
“I can’t believe you’re here! It’s so good to see you.”
It . . . he . . . she . . . this was not the greeting he was expecting. But he pulled himself together quickly and remembered why he was there.