Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
I make myself take a step back and then another. “I need to get dressed. You need to get dressed.”
Hook starts to speak but gives his head a sharp shake. “Be quick.”
I make it work. I pull my hair back into a slick ponytail and dress in a high-waisted midi skirt, a fitted green blouse, and flats. It’s a little blah for my tastes, but it works in a pinch. Plus, I can run in this skirt and these shoes if I need to—something that needs to be considered with any outing in the near future. At least until Peter is dealt with.
I head down to the front door and find Hook there, talking in low voices with Colin and Edgar. Edgar looks up, and his gaze immediately goes shuttered when he sees me. Fuck, I’ve seen that look before. He’s not sure if I’m going to fuck his day up again, if I’m a threat to him. The very idea would be laughable under normal circumstances; I barely hit his armpit. But one thing physical size can’t take into account is power, and I was an asshole who punched down by bringing him into my spat with Hook.
I lift my chin and stride over to the trio of men. Colin starts to say something, but Hook nudges his shoulder, silencing him. Apparently he trusts me to handle this. I bite back a sigh. “I apologize for yesterday, Edgar.”
Edgar takes a step back, hands lifting like he wants to ward me off before he catches himself. “No need to apologize. We’re good.”
He’s scared of me.
Something heady and ugly takes wing in my chest. It is so easy to see how someone starts down this path, craving the security that others’ fear brings. Shame muffles the feeling before it can take hold. I’ve been on the other side of this kind of interaction too many times to relish it like this. I don’t want it. I refuse to want it.
I paste a smile on my face. “All the same, I’m sorry.”
Hook takes pity on us and shifts, drawing our attention. “We’re ready. We’re combining this trip with the one for collecting your things. Colin will lead the team.”
I want to argue. Colin is so young. Putting him in charge of anything seems like a mistake. But I’ve only been back a few days. Hook has led this territory for years now. Either I trust him or I don’t, and it’s not worth arguing with myself because I already know I trust him. No matter how uncomfortable it makes me. “Okay.”
He arches an eyebrow. “I had five whole minutes allotted to argue with you about this.”
I snort. “Someone’s overcompensating.”
Colin makes a choked sound and slaps Edgar on the shoulder. “See you when we get back.” He heads down the hallway toward the back entrance, leaving us to follow at a slower pace.
I know we’re not alone, that there are bound to be eyes and ears everywhere on the main floors of this place, but wading through all the emotional shit for the last twelve hours has left me out of fucks to give. Hook’s seen me shattered, he’s systematically dismantled my defenses, and even more importantly, he’s done the same to himself in my presence. He says he loves me. I don’t know if I believe it. I don’t know if I can believe it. But the rest is fact. “Thank you for doing this.”
“You didn’t give me much choice.”
I match his tone, voice pitched low so as not to carry beyond the two of us. “As you keep reminding me, there’s always a choice. You made this one. So … thank you.”
“It’s entirely possible that you’re not going to like what you find when we get there.” He takes my hand and places it in the crook of his elbow like some kind of old world gentleman. “Hades is only loyal to himself. If Peter made a deal—”
“No.” I’m already shaking my head. “Meg wouldn’t let him do that.”
He shoots me a look. “You’re that sure of her?”
“Yes.” And I am. If she’s willing to fight Hades to get me out of Carver City, there isn’t a chance in hell that she’ll let him endanger me like that. She’s my friend.
Hook releases a long exhale. “Okay.”
It doesn’t hit me until we’re in the car, working our way to the center of Carver City. Hook took my surety as truth. He trusts me enough to walk into a potentially dangerous situation because I said we wouldn’t be targeted. The knowledge rocks me. I press back against my seat and focus on breathing.
He means it.
He truly means it when he says he wants me for keeps. That he … loves me. He’d never let down his guard this fully outside the bedroom if it wasn’t the truth.