Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 62569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
"So?”
He didn’t answer, he simply walked to a waiting black Mercedes and hopped in on his side.
Did he open my door? No.
Did he ask if I was okay? Negative.
Did he offer at least a small smile or condolence? Nada.
I jerked open my own door, sat against the cool black leather and buckled my seatbelt, not that it mattered. My life wasn’t worth much—not without him here. I was living for someone else.
Something bigger than me.
The only thing I had left of him.
Unwanted tears filled my eyes; I was so damn tired of crying. Everyone thought I was just devastated over my bodyguards loss, my boyfriend, my everything.
They had no idea I had another secret.
Ace was already in the passenger seat, settled like this was just another boring day and we weren’t just leaving a funeral. I don’t know what I expected, maybe some sort of condolences, remorse? Something, anything.
Emotion.
I felt weak enough to need some sort of emotion in that moment, even just a long sigh from his general direction would have been mildly helpful.
I clenched my jaw to keep a sob from escaping as he pulled away from the curb. Silence swelled between us like a choking smoke, making it hard for me to take deep breaths.
"Say something,” I finally blurted.
The sound of his blinker clicked three times before he finally whispered in a low voice, “Sorry for your loss.”
That was it. Like a line from a grief pamphlet or something. What else should I have expected from a killer on my dad’s payroll? Flowers?
A teddy bear?
A hug?
I should be used to the coldness, but my dad had always been warm—my family was a lot of things, but we were family, loving, loyal, tight. It was one of the reasons I wanted to go home. I knew I’d be surrounded with love not chilled by Ace’s silence.
Eyes stinging, I stared down at my folded hands. My skin was turning white from clutching them so tight in my lap. “Thats it, then?”
Ace cleared his throat as the car rolled to a stop at the light. He swiped across his phone. “We’re staying in the East Wing townhomes—two floor, corner master King. Best vantage point. Your morning classes start at 7:30, 9:15, and 11. I arranged for early drop-offs and private entry routes. You’ll have the day to spend with family and then we’ll need to go back to normal, you never know who’s watching.”
“Does it matter?" I snorted. “He’s dead.”
"And you’re alive.” Ace finally turned to me; his dark hair kissed the nape of his neck, curling at the top of his shoulders. “I intend to keep you that way. We have no idea why someone was after you of all people.”
“Because I’m not important?”
"Did I say that?" He said calmly. “We’re still looking into it, but the point is, until we know why you’re a target. You’re stuck with me and with that dorm. Ten death threats have been reported against the families in the past week. Your safety, regardless of how you feel at the moment, is my only focus.”
I shrugged. “We get threats all the time.”
“One was written in glitter pen; I still flagged it,” he felt the need to say. “You’ll have the day to mourn, and then we’re back at class. I think you’ll find the townhome on campus a lot less crowded than the dorms. Besides, it’s your senior year.”
I didn’t want him reminding me it was my senior year because I’d made plans for after.
Next week I had a doctor’s appointment that I’d be going to alone, and now I had to figure out a way to get Ace to wait outside or keep my secret—at least for now.
It had to have been the longest stoplight known to mankind. Ace reached across the console and opened up the glove compartment and pulled out a black contraption. “Taser, military grade, don’t get cute with it. It’s a weapon as you know. You’ll have a lot of eyes on you on campus and we have a strict no gun policy ever since your sister thought it would be funny to hunt down all of the geese.”
I shrugged and took the heavy taser into my hand. “We had a serious geese problem.” I pointed out. “And the dogs they set loose were exhausted from chasing them away.”
“It’s illegal to hunt within city limits.”
I snorted. “Are you really lecturing me on the legality of things? What’s your kill count at this point?”
"One more than my biological age, then again adding might be difficult for you.”
“So eighty-eight? Interesting.”
“Cute.” He nodded to the taser. “Put it away, use it if only necessary, point it at me and we’ll have even bigger problems than your inability to stop crying and sleeping with your own bodyguard.”
I flinched. “It wasn’t just sex, you asshole.”