Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
I couldn’t help but think there was something he wanted from me, but I had no clue what that could be. It was something I couldn’t stop fixating on. My brothers were hammering out plans and securing our safety while I sat in a complete daze, going through all the possible reasons for his interest in me.
I could remember seeing him in high school. I knew he was a history teacher. I never actually had him, but from what I’d heard, he was decent and fair. Only time would tell if that was still the case. Thankfully, the meet was just a day away, so I wouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out.
The guys had been at it for hours. It was getting late, and everyone was growing both tired and irritable. Realizing that it was time for a break, Cotton announced, “It’s time to call it a night. You boys get some rest, and we’ll start back here first thing in the morning.”
“I’m gonna say it again. I don’t like any of this,” Stitch announced. “I don’t care what precautions we take. It’s too fucking dangerous.”
None of us knew how things were going to play out. Cotton and I could go there, and we could come to some kind of understanding with Bruton, or he could kill us on the spot. There was no way any of us could know for sure. Cotton knew as well as I did that we had to go, so I wasn’t surprised when he replied, “It has to be done, brother.”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking Clutch had the right mindset,” Stitch scoffed. “We should just burn his place to the ground and be done with this guy.”
“It wouldn’t be that simple, and you know it.”
“Yeah, I know.” Stitch turned to me as he said, “I just wanted my sentiments to be known.”
“Understood.” Cotton gave Stitch a pat on the shoulder as he assured him, “I’ll keep a close eye on your boy.”
“I plan to keep an eye on you both. We all do.”
With that, Cotton dismissed the meeting, and the brothers called it a day and dispersed to their rooms. And I was more than ready to do the same. Even more so, I was ready to see Elsie.
It was selfish of me, but if there was even the slightest chance that things could go south, I had to let her know exactly how I felt about her. I needed her to know I loved her and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. It was that thought that weighed on my heart as I headed to my room. When I opened my door, I expected to find her sleeping in my bed, but that wasn’t the case.
The room was completely empty, and that had me charging out of my room and heading back down the hall. I’d been waiting all day to see Elsie, all fucking day, and I wasn’t going to wait for a second longer. I charged down to her room, and without even knocking, I opened her door and stormed inside. I stepped over to her bed, and the second I pulled the comforter back, her eyes flashed open.
It took her a moment, but once she saw that it was me, Elsie gasped, “Wyatt! What are…”
Her mouth clamped shut when I leaned over her and quickly lifted her out of bed, cradling her in my arms. She didn’t resist; instead, she slipped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. Damn. That’s all it took.
The tension I’d been carrying around began to lift from my shoulders. When we got to my room, I kicked the door shut and lowered her feet to the floor. I towered over her as I growled, “I thought we had an understanding.”
Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she asked, “What understanding?”
“That you would move in with me.”
“Okay, but you never said when you wanted that to happen.”
“I want it now.” I stepped forward, pinning her against the wall. “I want you in my room, in my bed, from here on out. You think you can manage that?”
She nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I can manage that.”
“Good.”
I looked down at her and my chest tightened at how beautiful she was. She was perfect, every fucking inch of her, and she was mine.
Mine to cherish.
Mine to protect.
And I was going to do exactly that.
CHAPTER 21
Elsie
“I’m not gonna be around much tomorrow... I’ve got someplace I’ve gotta be.”
“Oh, okay. Where do you have to be?”
“I can’t get into it. I just needed you to know.”
I could tell something was wrong. I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. I couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with the fires and the drones, but I didn’t bother asking him. I knew he wouldn’t tell me, but I got the feeling that he was going to be in danger and the thought of something happening to him ripped at me. Wyatt was my world, and I wanted nothing more than to plead with him not to go.