Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
“You’re covered in blood.”
“I need to see her. Please,” I plead with him again.
He nods and walks over, then pulls his shirt from his body and hands it to me. “Take yours off and wipe your face. Then put this on.”
I nod, reaching for my shirt. “Lucas, look the fuck away.”
“What? Like I haven’t seen tits before.” He huffs but turns around.
I pull it off, and Joey gently helps me clean my face.
“You’re bleeding.” He scans my body. The pain of my wounds is mostly gone, but that could be from the adrenaline overload coursing through my veins. “I heard you got him as well.” I look past Joey to Scott’s body.
A part of me hurts for Jerome.
What am I meant to tell him? That I killed his father?
Will he grow up hating me the same way Abigail did?
A tear falls free from my eye and slides down my cheek.
“You didn’t do it, I did. Let me take the blame.” Joey’s hands cup my face and turn me to look at him.
“I had to do it,” I whisper.
“You did.” His hands are so soft and warm. “And so did I.”
“I have to go,” I tell him more urgently. “I need to go.”
“Here.” He hands me his shirt, and my eyes can’t help but rake over him as he stands in front of me.
“You really are beautiful,” I say, looking up at him again.
“As are you.”
I pull the shirt over my head, and he turns, walking back the way they came. I follow him, unsure of where I am. “How far out are we?” I ask Joey as we get to the car. Lucas has the music blaring but turns it down as we walk to the car.
“A few hours.”
“My head hurts,” I tell him, rubbing my temples. It pounds as he opens the back door and tells me to get in. He follows right behind me, then Lucas takes off. Joey pulls out a first-aid kit and reaches for me, and I let him do what he needs. He is gentle with every single touch. First, cleaning the nick on my ear, then the wound on my back, where Scott knifed me, then he bandages the wound and drops the shirt back down.
“Rest,” he says, pulling me, and my head drops to his lap.
Lucas turns the music back up.
“Can you call Jerome?” I ask Joey.
He nods and grabs his phone, putting it on speaker.
Merci’s voice comes through. “Jerome is still asleep, and your dog is annoying.”
“Merci, is he okay?”
“Adora! Oh God, it’s good to hear your voice. And yes, he’s fine. When we got to Joey’s, we had some ice cream, then watched a movie. And he’s been asleep since.”
“Let me know when he wakes.”
“Will do. We stayed up late watching movies, so he may be asleep for a while.”
“Thank you,” I manage to say before my eyes become heavy.
Joey starts talking, and the last thing I hear him saying is to feed the dog.
“Adora.”
Someone is gently shaking me.
I wake up and scream, my hands hitting whatever is close, simply trying to escape this nightmare.
“Adora, calm down. Breathe. You’re safe.” Joey pulls me to him, and my head falls to his chest. I inhale, and the smell of everything safe comes back to me.
Joey.
Safety.
He’s my home.
Who would have thought that a mafia brother would be safe? He should be anything but.
“We’re at the hospital,” he says into my hair as I curl closer to him. “We can stay here for as long as it takes.”
“Everything hurts,” I say into his chest.
“You took a beating,” he whispers, kissing the top of my head, which is probably covered in dirt and God knows what else. “But you’re strong… the strongest woman I know.”
“That’s your mother,” I correct him. “She’s remarkable.”
“It’s why I love you. You remind me of her. Both such strong women.”
I push away from him, and he gives me the softest smile imaginable.
“How are you going to go in without a shirt?” I ask.
“Lucas,” he yells, and Lucas walks back to the car. “I need a shirt.”
“Do I look like Macy’s?” Lucas bites back.
“Give me your fucking jacket.”
“You couldn’t afford this jacket. It’s expensive,” Lucas argues.
“Lucas!” Joey growls at him.
“Fucking hell, you owe me.” He removes his jacket and hands it to Joey, giving him a death stare as he pulls it on. When we’re both out of the car, I rub my hands down my jeans, unsure what is about to happen or what I’m about to walk into. Joey shows me the way, and I follow him to the room. Keir is sitting slumped in a chair, half asleep, when we get there. Bianca is awake, watching something on the television, and offers us a smile when she sees us.
“I knew he would find you,” are her first words.