Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“And some Parmesan cheese wouldn’t hurt! What kind of Italian doesn’t give you Parmesan cheese on your spaghetti? The real stuff, I mean! Freshly grated—not the shit in a plastic can!”
My chuckles turned into guffaws.
“And bring your own fork next time! I don’t want to ingest your DNA, Tony! You hear me?”
I laid my head down on my arms and laughed until my sides hurt.
Never dull, indeed.
Chapter 4
Cian
God, I was tired. I hadn’t been sleeping much anyway, and last night watching over Skylar had afforded me even less than normal. I needed a nap, but I didn’t want to sleep without someone monitoring Skylar.
She was sitting in the chair, wringing her hands, her toes wiggling, and muttering away to herself. Sean would be gone for a while. I glanced over at the shelves in the living room and grabbed a small stack of books. When I had checked her backpack, aside from a few pieces of clothing and some personal toiletries, I’d found two obviously well-read books. I made two cups of coffee and, with the books tucked under my arm, reentered her room.
She glared at me as I sat down on the bed across from her, placing the coffee cups on the table. “Do you like sugar?”
“No.”
“Good—that makes this easier.”
She frowned at me, her gaze flitting to the books I had beside me. “Makes what easier?”
I lifted a mug and took a sip, then repeated the action with the second cup.
“Now choose which one you want. No drugs in either.”
With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, she reached for the cup closest to her. “You could have just let me choose, fuckwit. I’m getting tired of sharing your cooties.”
A loud shout of laughter burst out of me. “Cooties? What are we—ten?” Still chuckling, I picked up the other mug. “Just thought I’d stop the drug theory. Sean said you liked coffee, so I thought I’d bring you one.”
Her eyes moved to the books beside me. “What are those?”
“Do you like to read?”
“Yes.”
I handed her the small pile. “A peace offering.”
She reached for the books, then pulled back. “What’s the catch?”
“Just take the books, Skylar.”
She accepted them, trying hard to be nonchalant, but I could see how excited she was by the way her eyes lit up and her fingers rubbed over the spines.
“They’ll help you pass the time.” I paused, waiting for her to meet my eyes. “You can’t get out the window. Stop trying.”
“I figured that out.”
I leaned back on the bed, propping myself up on my elbow, taking a deep swallow of my coffee. “What was your plan?”
She shrugged. “Get out and run.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere. Where did you think you’d run to?”
She tossed her dark hair. “I can take care of myself. I’d be fine.”
I tamped down my impatience. She had no idea. “Leave the window alone, MacGyver. You can’t get it open. You’ll only hurt yourself if you keep trying.”
Her gaze flew to mine, then to the window, and finally, she nodded.
“Are there more books?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll read.”
I stood. “You’re here so I can keep you safe from what you saw. From the people who know you saw it. It’s that simple. Your safety.”
I made it to the door before I heard her—the words so quiet I almost missed them.
“But who will keep me safe from you?”
“Kitten?”
She looked up.
“I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
She didn’t say anything as she buried her face into the book.
I took my laptop to the kitchen table with another cup of coffee. I needed to stay awake until Sean came back. He could keep tabs on Skylar, and I could nap. I looked at the screen with a grin. She was curled up in the bed, under the covers, the book now holding her attention. I watched her for a while, smiling even wider as the book kept slipping from her hands as she dozed. When Sean arrived back, he set down the bags and looked over at the screen. “She’s out, Cian. I think she’ll be for a while. Go get some rest. I think we can all rest for a bit.”
I indicated the screen. “She might…”
“You have her file. There’s nothing else she can use. Let her sleep, and I’ll make dinner later. Maybe she can eat with us and get out of the room. I got her some clothes and a couple puzzle books.”
I stood. “Now who is showing their true self, Sean?”
He shrugged. “No need for her to keep being afraid of us.”
I grinned. “I’m not convinced she is. She informed me your sauce needed more basil.”
He started to laugh. “She’s right.”
“And the lack of ‘real’ Parmesan bothered her. The freshly grated kind—not the ‘shit’ in a plastic can. She was questioning your heritage.”
He slapped his knee as he chortled. “I’ll do better.”
I shut my laptop. “I’m going to lie down.”