Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 31777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Turning, she spun back quickly to face him. Then she did it again.
He didn’t move.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Right. How was she getting him down? She couldn’t have him hanging around and ruining all of her fun with her friends. Who knew what sort of mischief they might want to get up to?
“No way you’re going to ruin that, Elfie,” she told him. “I’m really sorry, but you’re going to have to leave. I’m not having anything ruin this Christmas.”
It almost hadn’t gone ahead. They were all so worried about Isaiah and this wannabe Deity. But Alejandro had plenty of security in place. He was sending his jet for Gray and Maeve while Jenner was using his own private jet to get the rest of them up here.
She still couldn’t believe that Immy and Jenner were together. Immy had been in love with him for so long, she hadn’t seen how that would work. But apparently, it worked if they had Tobias with them.
Epic.
Finally, Cat remembered something that might help her get the elf. Bernie had one of those gadgets that you could use to pick stuff up off the floor, so you didn’t have to bend over.
Now, where did he keep that thing?
The utility cupboard! She raced away. She had to be quick. Alejandro had gone back to the city this morning to deal with something and she wasn’t quite sure when he would be back. Bernie, a.k.a Doomy Gloomy, was in the kitchen cooking up a storm. And Rafael was . . . nowhere to be seen.
It was killing Cat not to know what he was up to.
He was her bodyguard. Was he really allowed to have something going on in his life that she didn’t know about?
She thought not.
Finding the grabber-thingee that she didn’t know the proper name for, she rushed up the stairs and held it out toward the elf.
Urgh, she was still too short. “Mierda!”
Not cool.
She was only short by a few inches. How the heck had the elf even gotten there? It really must be magic, as no one could have stuck him there.
Hmm. Beyond the banister, the stairs still reached out a few inches. If she climbed over, she could hold onto the banister with one hand and lean out with the grabber-thingee.
Genius.
Cat climbed over and leaned. Nearly there . . . nearly there . . .
“Cat!” Bernie boomed. “What are you doing? Rafael! Cat! Stay still or you’re going to fall.”
“I won’t fall.”
Rafael ran toward them. She knew he was coming because he made more noise than a herd of elephants. He had enormous feet which thudded on the floor and shook the walls.
Which didn’t help her with her hold on the banister. Her hand slipped.
“Uh-oh.”
Cat glanced down. She was rather high up and she was practically leaning against the tree which wobbled. Not good.
“Catarina, get back over the banister,” Rafael boomed as he ran up the stairs.
His face was filled with thunder and Cat was starting to regret her life choices.
Because she knew she was in big trouble. Part of her wondered if she would be better off letting go. Alejandro wouldn’t punish her if she had a few broken bones.
No, he’ll just wait until your bones are healed and then he’ll punish you.
That would give her something to look forward to.
Probably best she didn’t deliberately let herself fall.
However, she was struggling to pull herself back up and her hand was slipping.
Joder!
Suddenly, Rafael was there, his large hand wrapping around her wrist. Reaching over, he grasped her under the other arm, lifting her back over the banister. He set her down on the stairs, which was just as well because her legs didn’t want to work for some reason.
“Oh God. I think I’ve had a heart attack,” Bernie said. “Dead, I’m dead.”
“Oh no!” She tried to jump up, but her legs were still spaghetti, and she fell back down. “Help Bernie, Rafael! He’s dying.”
“I’m not really dying,” Bernie told her with a frown. “Just saw my life go before my eyes. What the hell were you thinking?”
Cat frowned at him. “Doomy Gloomy! You shouldn’t pretend to be dying when you’re not! What were you thinking? I was worried about you. That’s not very nice.”
“That’s not . . . very nice? I was worried about you! You could have fallen. And then what do you think would happen to Rafael and me? We’d be dead.”
“Doomy Gloomy, don’t be such a drama queen! Nothing would happen to the two of you if I were to get injured, or, Lord forbid, die. I mean, yes, it would be difficult for you both to keep going, I understand that. I would obviously leave a huge hole in your hearts that would make it difficult.”
For some weird reason both men were glaring at her.
She had no idea why.
“Catarina, if you die on our watch, we’re dead,” Rafael said.