Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
It was impossible not to see the sincerity in him. She didn’t say aloud that she would have stopped anyone from holding her daughter had Gracie objected; she didn’t need to. Diego had shown time and again that he understood her nature. Just like Grace, everything was new and a little overwhelming, but she was exactly what he’d named her—Warrior Woman.
“I know you would have, Diego.” And she did know. She’d known it the entire time they were with Nonny, and his teammates were moving furniture and stocking the house with food and other items.
She had been surprised when there was only Nonny and Pepper at the Fontenot home. At least, the only visible ones. She knew they always had guards on the property, keeping Wyatt’s family safe. Diego told her the others were ensuring their home was comfortable and had whatever was needed.
That had made her laugh. “Like towels? Blankets? A bed? What did you do in that house? Sleep on the floor?”
He’d given her his lazy grin, the one that could melt her so easily, and he’d shrugged. “Slept on the floor. Ate at Rubin’s. Told you, sweetheart, it was just a house. Now that you and Grace are going to be there, it will be home.”
That had gotten to her. Diego didn’t think he had a romantic bone in his body. He often told her he was no poet, the way Rubin was. She didn’t need a flowery speech. His abrupt words, always spoken in that low voice, enthralled her. That was poetry enough for her.
Leila stepped inside, and the interior took her breath away. High vaulted ceilings were built with cedar planking. Space. So much space. She could breathe in that massive room. It was sparsely furnished, but what was there was solid and nice. She had always appreciated craftsmanship and recognized that whoever had designed and built this home had done so to last. To fit in with the landscape and to keep it safe from the river, the swamp and invasive insects for generations. This was the house Diego was offering to her.
For some unexplained reason, her heart beat out of control and her mouth went dry. She hadn’t believed she would ever have her own home. Not ever. She was certain she would spend her life in the dorm apartment that had been her living quarters for so long.
“How many bedrooms did you say this house has?” She wanted to ensure her sister would have a place to stay until the healers and doctors had helped her enough that Bridget could choose where she wanted to live. Leila hoped Bridget would want to stay with her, but just because she felt that way didn’t mean her sister would. They didn’t know each other. Their relationship was one of the many things Pillar had ripped away from them.
Diego stopped in the middle of the great room and turned fully to her. “Why do you suddenly feel sad to me?”
That voice of his was enough to turn her inside out. “I was just thinking about Bridget. I don’t even know if she’s going to want to stay with me. We hadn’t had contact since they separated us.”
He stepped closer to her, warming her with his body heat. “Sweetheart, I guarantee Bridget is going to want to be with you. Did you see the way she readily sacrificed herself for Luther and you? She has no filters, and the violent energy had to be excruciatingly painful. She had to be terrified to be taken back to Whitney, but she still tried to draw attention to herself and away from you and Luther. She might not have your capabilities because of the things Whitney did to her, but she has your fighting spirit. She has your protective instincts and sense of family. When you were able to find her and got her out, she went willingly.”
Leila couldn’t help reaching up to touch his face. “You always seem to know the right thing to say to me.”
“And we have four bedrooms in this house and two bathrooms. If Bridget decides to settle here, we can either add her own bathroom or build her a house close to us.”
“You won’t mind her living with us?” She found herself holding her breath.
“I expect her to live with us. She needs an anchor. She needs you and Grace. She’ll need a safe haven while she’s learning to navigate the outside world. We need to be close to her to help her. And you’ll want to reinforce that you’re family, that she has us to lean on.”
Relief swept through her. She hadn’t realized she was so worried about Bridget accepting. “I know this sounds crazy, but I’ve felt guilty for years for allowing us to be separated. I’ve been so afraid she blamed me, especially when I found out how terrible a man Whitney is. It was awful to think she was left in his hands and I was responsible.”