Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 23667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
I laugh softly. “I know. It’s not as bad as you and Robert make it out to be, but I get it.”
I unlock the apartment door, open it, and immediately freeze.
There’s a massive bouquet of red roses sitting on my kitchen counter, and they weren’t there when I left.
Luna notices them too. “Wow. Robert’s trying hard.”
My stomach drops instantly. “No.”
She looks over at me. “What?”
I slowly shake my head. “Those aren’t from Bobby. He wouldn’t have flowers delivered. He would bring them himself.” I pause. “And he wouldn’t send me roses. He knows I don’t like roses.”
A chill goes down my spine as I stare at the flowers.
Luna steps closer to me. “Eleanor?”
There’s a small black card tucked into the bouquet. I pull it free and open it. I read the words and start to feel sick.
“When this is over, you’re going to be mine.”
The card is signed with only a V.
Luna snatches the card from my hand, and her face drains of color. “Oh my God.”
I stare at the roses. Victor sent me these. Hell, he could have delivered them himself. I look around my apartment, and it no longer feels freeing to me. Hell, I feel like I may be suffocating.
Paul knocks on the still open door. “Everything okay in here?”
He scans the room, and as soon as he sees the flowers, he points at them. “Where the hell did those come from?”
Luna hands him the card, and his jaw tightens as he reads it. “Fuck,” he grunts.
He looks between Luna and me. “Sorry for the language. Was this in the hallway?”
Wide-eyed, I stare at him. “No, it was right there on the counter.”
He pockets the note card. “I’m taking you home, Eleanor. Robert won’t allow… I mean, it’s the safest thing… I mean…”
I know he’s trying to figure out the best way to say it, but I get it.
“I know. I just need to pack some stuff up and I’ll be ready.”
“Stay here,” Paul says.
He walks room to room, gun drawn, and then comes back to join us. “It’s empty. Grab what you need, and I’ll come get the rest tomorrow.”
He speaks to Luna’s security detail that is standing in the hallway, and what was going to be a leisurely girls’ night out turns into a feeling of panic.
I start moving through the apartment. I grab my suitcase and throw some clothes in. Luna helps by packing up my toiletries in the bathroom. The whole time she is muttering under her breath about psychopaths and Sterlings and how Robert is definitely going to murder someone.
Despite everything, I giggle as she goes on with her rant.
By the time we head back downstairs, Luna’s security detail and Paul have tightened ranks around us.
I feel like I’m holding my breath, and the only thing that is going to help is to get home to Robert, where I belong.
CHAPTER 10
ROBERT
I’m in my office staring at paperwork I haven’t actually read in twenty minutes when I hear tires crunch outside.
At first, I ignore it.
People are constantly coming and going from the estate. It could be Cole, Bennett, Knox, or anyone on security detail. One thing I know for sure is that anyone that got past the front gates is permitted to be here, so I don’t think much of it.
But then Paul appears in the doorway, and his expression immediately puts me on alert.
“What?” I bark.
Instead of answering, he steps aside, and I suck in a breath.
Eleanor walks through the office door, and then more of the security team comes in behind her, carrying her matching suitcases.
My gaze locks on her, and emotion hits me square in the chest. My Ellie has come home.
I stand up from my desk and practically run to her. As soon as I reach her, I’m lifting her in my arms, swinging her around. She wraps her arms around me, and I hold her against me like I never want to let her go.
I let her feet touch the ground as I bury my face into her neck. “I love you, Ellie. Fuck, I’m so glad you’re home.”
Her hand slides up my belly and rests on my chest. “I want you to know that I already made the decision to come home before uh, everything. Luna and I had dinner, and we were going back to the apartment to pack when, well…”
Her voice drifts off, and that’s when I notice her trembling. I pull back to really look at her and see that she’s pale.
I grip her shoulders. “What happened?”
Before she can answer, Luna storms into the room, talking on the phone. “I’m walking in now. See you soon, love you, Cole.” She hangs up the phone and points at Eleanor. “She got flowers.”
Instantly, every muscle in my body goes rigid. “What?”
Paul reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small card. “There were roses on her kitchen counter. This was attached to them.”