Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Hey.” I jerked my hands up in surrender as the panther lunged. “I’m here to save them...same as you.”
It hissed.
Narrowing my eyes on Rook’s slack face, my heart fisted with worry.
Was she dead?
The black beast swiped the air with clawed paws.
“Quit it, you mangy animal.” Backing up, I touched the comms in my ear. “I’ve found them.”
Found them hopefully alive, but also...very, very naked. Unzipping my jacket, I went to cover her, but the damn cat hissed again.
“Fuck, you’re a pain in my ass.”
“Copy. We’re on our way.” The comms crackled and I took my first proper breath since the sky had caught fire, waking me up halfway through the night to find Rook wasn’t where she was supposed to be.
At least I’d finally found her. I could rely on the Snowflake Corp men to track my location and help me take my little employer and the man she’d fallen stupidly in love with back to Ashfall Cliff.
And once I knew she wasn’t dead. Once I’d proven she was okay...then I was going to wring the ever-loving life out of her.
Because I was done with this shit.
Done chasing her across continents and always being one step behind. Done with fearing that I would be too late.
I didn’t care what she was or what she was becoming, she was mine to protect, and it was about goddamn time she let me do my goddamn job because if she didn’t...I’d quit.
“Ugh, who am I kidding?” I moved forward, unable to keep my distance even with a spitting panther threatening to tear my throat out. “You’re a reckless, stubborn pain in my ass but I’m not going anywhere. In fact...”
Fisting the GPS tracker—that I’d carried with me ever since I’d lost her the last time—out of my pocket, I dangled it in the air. The red string I’d stolen from one of Lucien’s bonsai trees wasn’t the prettiest of jewellery, but screw it. “This is going on you the moment that cat stops offering to bite my head off. I’m never going to lose you again, and if I have to weld this onto your damn leg to ensure that, I’ll do it.”
Her forehead furrowed as if she’d heard me.
My heart kicked.
“Heard that, huh?” My voice roughened despite myself, full of emotion I very rarely let show. “Then open your eyes so I can yell at you.”
The cat stopped growling, sniffing her as if he sensed her waking up.
Good.
The sooner she opened her eyes, the sooner I could let go of my temper.
Taking my chances, I crept closer and tossed my jacket over Rook’s very white, very naked body.
The panther grumbled but didn’t bite me, and I took yet another risk as I ducked to my haunches, looped the red string around her ankle, then fastened it tight.
My heart eased the moment the GPS tag was on her.
When she woke and found I’d tagged her like a lost sheep, she’d probably cut it off and throw it in my face, but for now...at least I was appeased.
I’d found her.
Just like I always did.
And with a groan of absolute exhaustion, I sat down and waited for backup to arrive.
Chapter Five
I NEVER KNEW SUNSHINE COULD BE a weapon.
I opened my eyes and wow, it hurt.
I winced, trying to shield my face, but my arm wouldn’t obey. Everything hurt. My body felt dense and heavy as if it’d been torn apart and stitched back together all wrong.
Even breathing hurt—every inhale scraping like knives, and every heartbeat stinging with a thousand papercuts.
W-Where am I?
Squinting, I tried to focus on the dark beams, gauzy mosquito net, and familiar pearlescent walls—
Two golden eyes appeared above me, blocking the sunshine and giving me a reprieve. “Whisper—”
A rustling sounded close by, followed by the clomp of heavy boots.
The panther was shoved aside as another face filled my vision—this one just as familiar with bloodshot eyes, messy blond hair, and grooves carved deep into his skin as if he’d aged twenty years since we’d last met.
“You’re finally awake.” Dillon grabbed my shoulders and hauled me upright. “Thank fuck for that.”
Not good.
Not good at all.
The world sloshed, a rush of nausea made me flush with sweat, and the white nightgown I’d been dressed in weighed a hundred pounds.
“You certainly know how to piss me off.” Dillon glowered. “Three damn days you’ve lain here like a corpse! I was this close to taking you to the hospital. I would’ve had you there the second I found you, if only you were normal—”
My ears rang with a high-pitched squeal, blocking out the rest of his sentence. “Wait...” I tried to fight him off—to push him away so I wouldn’t embarrass myself by vomiting all over my bodyguard, but his fingers dug into my shoulders and...
I retched.
He cringed but didn’t let me go, almost as if he knew that the moment he stopped supporting me, I’d collapse.