Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I know Hemlock hasn't forgotten that he locked Zara in the basement and refused to let her out for her own safety a few months ago, but Ace is one brave motherfucker to react the way he just did.
Silence fills the room, all of us looking from Ace to Hemlock until the former shrugs his shoulders with a wide smile on his face. Hemlock didn't make any friends with the way this chapter of the Cerberus MC began, but we all respect the hell out of the man. Love will make you do all sorts of crazy fucking things, and he won't make excuses for his behavior. Things ended up exactly how they were supposed to, I guess. He had Zara and the Gatlinburg chapter presidency.
"I want you to supervise the installation of all the equipment," Hemlock finally continues, his full attention on me.
I dip my head because I know Caitlyn will be strongly urged to stay at the cabin until the installation is complete. At least we can be in two separate places while it happens. Distance from that woman is exactly what I need to get my head back on right.
"After that, I'll head out to Hazard?" I ask, bringing up the conversation we had earlier in the week.
We've gotten wind that there's a trafficking hub in one of the shitty hotels out on Highway Fifteen.
Hemlock shakes his head, making my heart pound heavier in my chest.
"I handed that off to Lark and Nyx," he says. "You'll make sure the installation of the equipment is up to par then I want you to show Dr. Rudd how to use it."
I don't bother arguing although it's my first instinct. I want to tell him that Casper would be better suited to showing her how to operate the system, but security cameras and the apps that come on phones now are super simple and it doesn't require a tech guru like it might've fifteen years ago.
Arguing would raise too many suspicions, and the last thing I want is anyone in this room knowing for a fact that I've already fucked things up with Catilyn, despite them probably drawing that conclusion the second she requested to go home.
"You got it," I say instead. "Has anyone made plans on getting her a gun and teaching her to shoot?"
Setting her up with a security system might deter some, but a hardened pervert who really wants to hurt her wouldn't bat an eye at an alarm going off. They know how long it takes for law enforcement to make it up the mountain to respond, and there hasn't been a mention of someone sitting on her house, which really isn't possible in the long run.
My skin crawls at the idea of her being in that house alone and someone getting the chance to hurt her. It doesn't matter how many times I try to remind myself that I can't protect every single woman on the face of the earth, I still feel sick to my stomach for how thoroughly I've fucked this up. Jericho was right to have warned me to stay the fuck away from her.
"Zeus has already made room in his schedule to teach her to shoot," Hemlock says.
I fight the urge to look at the suggested man but lose my battle mere seconds later.
He's smiling, looking at the back of his right hand as if he doesn't have a care in the world whereas I want to flip the fucking table and wrap my hands around his throat, squeezing until he begs for mercy.
When he lifts his eyes to mine, he gives me a single nod of his head. It's a promise to keep her safe and to make sure she's capable of protecting herself.
I pull in a ragged breath before dipping my head in acceptance. I was truthful with Caitlyn last night. I have nothing to offer her. Now if I could only get my head and my heart on the same page.
Chapter 29
Caitlyn
Even as a professionally educated therapist, it's nearly impossible to take a step back and evaluate something fully when you're the one right in the middle of it.
An outsider might say that Roman's reaction was jealousy, and that might be true to a point, but there were no flirty vibes coming off Zeus yesterday. The man didn't so much as wink at me.
Despite being jealous, it didn't stop Roman from speaking his truth. If the man knows he can't give me what I want then I commend him for being honest about it.
The problem is it has come a little too late. I already feel attached to the man, and as toxic as I know it to be, I can't just turn that switch off. I wasn't supposed to feel any sort of way, but it's not something I seem to be able to control after the way he affects my body and my mind. I haven't spent a lot of time searching for the person who doesn't trigger any of my fight-or-flight reflexes. I've been working on myself, internalizing my issues, and trying to work through them, but then he came along. Rather than having to squeeze my eyes shut and breathe through the discomfort, I crave his touch.