Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 160042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 800(@200wpm)___ 640(@250wpm)___ 533(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 800(@200wpm)___ 640(@250wpm)___ 533(@300wpm)
Like Arsen, she breaks the line to make it to where I’m standing, fisting the hem of my T-shirt, trying to disappear. Arsen, watching her approach, shifts and maneuvers himself between me and her, and God, I have to say that I’m thankful for this as well. I’m not really proud of it, but I’ll take it. Because I know I’m not going to have his protection for much longer.
The girl throws me a small smile before shooting Arsen a look. Then, surprisingly, she moves her focus to Marsden. “I know we all have questions, but they both look really tired. I think we should at least get them inside and give them time to freshen up and get something to eat before we all descend upon them.”
Before Marsden can reply, Arsen jerks his chin at her. Apparently a nonverbal way of communicating that she well understands. Because she throws him a small smile before turning back to me. Her beautiful brown eyes are soft, much like her smile, as she introduces herself in a tone that I can only describe as gentle: “Hi, Reverie. It’s nice to meet you. Welcome to Rawhide. My name is Haven, okay? Why don’t you come inside with me, and I can show you where to freshen up.”
I blink. “H-Haven?”
Oh God, she’s not Annie. The relief I feel makes my knees weak and my lips tremble.
To her credit, her smile doesn’t falter at my strange reaction. “Yes. Should we go? I bet you want to get out of here.”
I do. So much.
And before I can really think about the repercussions or whether I can trust her or not, I nod. Her smile widens, and she motions for me to follow her. For a second before I leave, I get this crazy urge to look at him.
The man who brought me here.
For some reason, this feels like a big moment. The moment where our surreal, out-of-some-drug-induced-nightmare journey that started back in the alley where he grabbed me—no, that started with the first letter I wrote him—is coming to an end. Like this is some sort of goodbye now that he knows the truth and we’re at Rawhide.
I wave it off, though. This is not goodbye. I’m still stuck here, aren’t I? My best friend is potentially still in danger. No matter how my chest is clenching as I walk away, I don’t look back. Not even to check if he’s looking my way, because I can feel the Grayson brothers watching me go.
Once we’re inside the mansion, Haven takes me through an open-concept living room and dining area that leads to a series of hallways that I have no hope of ever remembering. But even so, I can tell that the interior of this place is as grand as the exterior. Ceilings as high as the sky with wooden beams running parallel to one another; the walls and the floors made of the same dark wood as the front facade. The room she takes me to reminds me of the hunting cabin I woke up in my first day. Except the bed is even more grand, with a large wooden headboard and silky dark sheets, and the wooden walls are thankfully devoid of any bear heads.
I watch Haven make a beeline for a door that she opens to reveal a huge bathroom with two large sinks and a tiled floor. Before I can see anything else, she comes back out with a couple of fluffy white towels.
Throwing me a smile, she says, “Good thing I had everything prepped for his return.” She offers me the towels, and without knowing what else to do, I take them. “So as you can see, the bathroom is through there. You can take a shower, or there’s a huge bathtub in there that you can make use of too. I’ve also put out a new toothbrush, and all the toiletries and things are stocked.” She scrunches her nose. “Fair warning, though; they’re all very basic. Like a bar soap and a bottle of shampoo, not even a conditioner. But that’s what he uses, so that’s what I got for him. I just…” She sighs, looking far away. “I wanted him to feel at home, you know? Wanted to make him think no time has passed at all and that things are the same. So I got all his favorite things, put out his favorite sheets, even though all his sheets are practically the same color; got him new clothes, the kind he likes; ironed some of his favorite old ones. Although, honestly, I don’t even think they’re going to fit him anymore, and I just…”
She goes silent for a few moments, her brown eyes shining in obvious pain. Then, she seems to shake it off and continues, “In any case, if you want I can lend you my own stuff until we can get you yours, okay?”