Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
And the police department she’d spent most of her life admiring had kicked her out on her ass the second she did something they didn’t like. Every single “friend” she’d had who was a cop had dropped off the map the second the news came out that branded her as dirty. The legendary loyalty she’d always believed in had dried up and left her totally and completely alone.
Was she going to throw away a real chance at happiness—and potentially doing some good in the world—because of people who obviously didn’t give two fucks about her?
The criminals had shown her more compassion and loyalty than the people on the right side of the law.
They’d been more family to her than her actual family.
And Aiden…
Aiden.
He’d made her feel alive—truly alive—for the first time in as long as she could remember. Her body lit up in his presence, where she felt truly safe. It wasn’t a lie. The world wasn’t perfect, but with Aiden she felt like there was actually a chance she could make a difference. Somehow.
She called him.
Aiden answered immediately. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”
“Everything is fine.” Better than fine—or it would be as soon as she saw him again. “Where are you?”
“A few blocks away. I went to grab you something to eat since the only thing in your fridge is a bottle of ketchup.”
Charlie smiled, though it pulled at the cut on her cheek, and settled back against her headboard. “You didn’t leave.”
“Fuck no. I said I’ll give you time, and I will, but it’d be a dick move to disappear without making sure you were good.” There were traffic sounds in the background and the rustling of paper bags. “I’ll be back in five.”
“Okay.” She found a robe that she’d never bothered to use tucked into the back of her tiny closet, and wrapped that around herself, since getting dressed was beyond her at the moment. Then she waited for him in her tiny living room.
It felt like a small eternity before Aiden walked through her door, but it couldn’t have been more than the promised five minutes. He looked tired, scruff on his jaw and shadows beneath his green eyes.
He set two bags and a drink carrier on the kitchen counter and walked over to crouch in front of her. “You okay?”
“Thanks to you.”
He gave a sharp shake of his head. “We went over this last night.”
“Aiden, stop.” She framed his face with her hands. “Did you mean what you said?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. He covered her hands with his own. There were no masks between them this time. Just the naked longing on his face and her holding her breath, waiting for his answer. “I love you, Charlie. I’ll give you all the time you need, but I love the fuck out of you, and if you’d go home with me right now, it would make me the happiest man alive.”
She kissed him. It was the barest brushing of lips, and he let her control every second of it. Charlie shivered and sat back. “Have you seen the news?”
“Yes.” Just that. Nothing more.
She sighed. “Did you have something to do with that?”
“They hurt you.” His green eyes went hard. “I’d prefer them to be at the bottom of the Atlantic, but that wouldn’t clear your name. This will, eventually.”
Once upon a time, that would have been the most important thing to her. It was important, but it had slid down the list. The only people whose opinion mattered to her now were the ones who’d stick with her through the good and the bad—who didn’t jump ship at the first sign of trouble.
She stroked her thumbs along his cheekbones. “This won’t be easy. We’re both too stubborn for our own good, and I’m going to demand we take a page from Carrigan’s book and start to balance the scales a bit.”
He went so still, he might not have been breathing. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I love you, Aiden. I’m saying that I don’t need time, because all I want is you.”
He looked like he wanted to pull her into a crushing embrace, but he leaned forward and kissed her lips, her jaw, her forehead. “Fuck, Charlie, I love you, too.”
“Take me home.” She slapped his hands away when he went to pick her up. “I can walk this time.”
“Humor me? I want to hold you for a bit, bright eyes.”
She cast him a put-upon look, but she couldn’t hold it, because she was grinning too hard. “How long is ‘a bit’?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Aiden carefully scooped her up like he had the night before, cradling her against his chest. He headed for the door. “How about the rest of our lives?”