Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
"How much did Zero tell you about him?" Does Ronan know what he's getting himself into?
“Not much; we’re both going to get an ass-chewing.” I still can’t get over that Ronan set a trap and got both Cyberius and me to fall for it. The man really is a hunter if he was able to lure us both out. I’m impressed and mildly annoyed by this. "But I know he's wanted by the FBI and Interpol."
"Who isn't? I mean, are you really living if you're not?"
"You're not wanted by them."
"Yeah, because I was kind of busted. Bruce has got me right under his thumb."
"I could kill him. Bring you back his thumb." He shrugs as though it’s no big deal. “I’d put it in a nice box and everything.”
"Ronan!" I gasp. "That's so sweet of you." I let out a dramatic sigh. "But Bruce is only irritating at best."
"And you have a heart and want to help."
"Sometimes. I didn't the last time. So I'm on the shit list."
"You were helping Cosima."
"I was hiding too. Don't make me out to be a saint."
"You're full of shit. Either way you would have helped Cosima." That's true. "Why are you shy about the good things you do? You should be proud of them. I'm proud of you."
"I don't know. It feels wrong to get credit for doing the right thing."
“No, that’s where you're wrong. A lot of people simply look the other way. That’s the easy thing to do. It takes courage to stand up and do what needs to be done.”
“You’re like the world's best hype man.”
“I only hype my Ellie.”
I point my finger at him. “And you better keep it that way,” I warn him, not caring if my jowls show. At this point, Ronan knows what he’s gotten himself into with me. He's always tracking me down, so now he's going to be stuck with me.
"Only you, love." My heart gives a silly girl flutter at the word love.
This is what I love about him. We can have easy banter or fall into a comfortable silence. Everything about Ronan works for me, and I pray that I somehow do the same for him.
Chapter Twenty-One
RONAN
She went quiet on me, and it’s not the normal relaxed silence we have. My Ellie has little tells. When she's gained an advantage over someone, her chin tilts slightly upwards. Or if she has a question but chooses not to ask it, she presses her lips together to form a line. Then there is the way she tilts her head to the side when she’s in deep thought. Her nose will give the smallest scrunch.
Now her mouth is in a firm line, her head tilted to the side. I decide to let it shake out. We're not far from the warehouse, and if this is over the L word again, I want to get it cleared up, but I want to be able to touch her. She doesn’t deserve some half-assed I love you.
“Don’t get mad at me,” I tell her when we pull up to the gate that wraps around my warehouse.
“Why?” Ellie eyes me as I pull a small device out of my pocket. I clip it over and hit the top button. The lock on the gate unclicks before the gate slides open. “What the hell? You get out to deal with the gate.” I pull through and hit the button again so it closes and locks.
“I got out because I knew you were watching. I was playing hard to get.”
“Oh my God.” Ellie laughs. “Just because I’m laughing doesn’t mean I’m not mad. Also! I have no clue what you’re talking about. I didn’t watch that.”
“Right.” I pull up to the warehouse, clicking another button on the device to open one of the bay doors, and I can pull right in.
“Electromagnetics.” Ellie nods, having put it together herself already. “Never see it that way.”
“I have to be near for it to work.” You can still manually do it as well, but if you’re in a hurry, you don’t have time for that shit.
"You know, we could make a killer team." Ellie wiggles her brows at me.
"I'm the killer, and you're the team?"
“Why do you always get to be the killer?” She rolls her eyes.
“The next one is all yours.” I tell her this before I step out of my truck, hitting the power for the whole warehouse before opening her door. “Good girl,” I tell her.
“I know. I’m not allowed to open doors anymore. Can I even unclip this thing, or is that a no-go?” She runs one of her delicate, unassuming fingers across the release.
Does she really not know how dangerous those fingers are? She has the entire world at her fingertips, and if she truly desired, their mercy.
"I love taking care of you." I drop the L word like a bastard, but I use what I've got. Plus, she loves that I do these things, and I get off on doing them. It works all around.