Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Hey, all. Is Arabella okay?”
Who was that? Oh, was it Duncan?
“She’s exhausted, she’s just out of the hospital after nearly dying, and now her place has been trashed and to top it all off, the sun is hurting her eyes,” Eli snapped. “So, no, she’s not all right.”
Poor Eli.
He sounded so stressed.
“Let’s get her to the hotel,” Kellan said.
“I’m all right,” she croaked. “It’s just a bit of sun. I’m fine.”
Kellan leaned into her. “I hate when you say that. Especially when you clearly aren’t. So stop saying it.”
Lord, he was so bossy.
“All right, you guys take her to the hotel,” Jake said. “Duncan and I will process this place and then come to talk to you all soon. That okay, Arabella?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Thanks, Jake.”
He patted her arm gently. “Don’t worry. We’ll find who did this. And we’ll figure out if there’s anything here that survived these assholes.”
She nodded. Right. That actually sounded good.
Without protesting, she let Kellan carry her to the car and set her into the passenger seat.
Then Eli produced a blanket from somewhere and put it over her legs. Even though it was a warm day.
Although she realized suddenly that she was shivering.
Why was that?
Maybe shock.
Eli pulled the seatbelt over her. “Everything will be okay, baby. We’re here to take care of you.”
Arabella nodded. Right at this moment she didn’t have the energy to worry about whether she could trust them. If they’d one day just walk away.
Or how they would react when they learned the full truth about her life.
Because she knew she had to tell them and Jake everything about why she was here.
Since it seemed like Lee had found her. And he wasn’t happy about the way she’d left.
How was she going to protect herself?
And what about Horse?
She gasped. “Horse.” That’s what that noise was!
“He’s all right,” Eli told her. “He’s in my car. I’ll take him with me to the hotel.”
“Go get him,” Kellan said.
“You sure, man? He might shed fur in your car,” Eli pointed out.
“So what?”
She glanced over at Kellan, then around his car which was immaculate.
Kellan stared back at her.
But she honestly didn’t care. If he said it was okay, then she was taking him at his word.
Kellan grunted and nodded with satisfaction as though he’d just won some sort of argument.
Men.
Eli opened the back door and Horse bounded in, dirty paws and all. He stood between the two front seats and licked her face.
“Ew, Horse!” she let out a surprised giggle. “I’m all right. Yes, yes, I love you too. I do. I’m good, boy.”
Kellan listened to her giggles and the tension inside him eased.
He’d been wound so tight since she’d collapsed this morning that he was worried he might snap at any moment.
You are not your father. You don’t have his temper.
Sometimes it felt like he did, though. As though he was riding the edge of a cliff about to plunge into the ocean.
Deep breath in.
And out.
He could be particular about his things, which is why Eli hesitated to put Horse into his car. A therapist would really have a field day with him. But he thought it was due to the chaos of his childhood. He’d seen similar tendencies in some of his brothers.
Not Eli.
He was messy. The only reason his car wasn’t a disaster was because Kellan had been keeping it clean for him.
When Horse jumped in, he’d nearly pulled him off Arabella, concerned it would be too much. But she’d started to laugh and he’d realized the dog was exactly what she needed.
He started the car and headed to the hotel. Who the fuck would do that to Arabella’s place? And why?
Whoever it was, when he found them, they were going to pay.
Parking in front of the hotel, he got out and came around to undo her belt. Eli pulled in next to him and jumped out to grab Horse.
“I don’t have anything,” Arabella said, sounding lost. “I’ll need to get some things. Toothbrush, toothpaste, pajamas, shoes, underwear, all of it.”
“Shh,” Eli said. “We’ll take care of it all. The only thing you need to worry about is feeling better. All right?”
To Kellan’s relief she simply nodded. Finally, she was beginning to see that listening to them was the right thing to do.
Now, if she’d just continue to obey them without question everything would work out just fine.
Kellan reached for her, picking her up in his arms.
“Kellan! You need to stop carrying me everywhere.”
“No.”
“Everything okay?” Heath asked as they walked into the hotel foyer. He was one of the new owners of the hotel.
“Not really,” Eli said. “Arabella and Horse are staying with us here. Arabella’s place was broken into today while she was in the hospital after going into anaphylactic shock.”
“Jesus,” Heath said. “Who the hell would do that? And no one saw anything?”