Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 478(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
The heart monitor accelerates, a frantic tempo that signals my spiraling fear.
“I’m so fucking sorry.” He blinks rapidly, trying to ward off the unthinkable.
But it’s there in his eyes.
A sheen of wetness.
Numbness spreads through me, dulling my senses to everything but the sight of Monty’s vulnerability.
I’ve never seen him cry.
He doesn’t make a sound. Doesn’t try to hide it. His face lowers to mine as if he can’t fight the pull.
I still don’t trust him, but as his fingers twist in my hair, and our foreheads connect, I hold still and give him this moment.
A shudder runs through him.
“Breathe.” I touch his bristly, rock-hard jaw. “With me. In, out, in, out.”
He loosens a minty breath against my mouth, smothering me in his dark, rich, familiar scent.
A flurry of sound drifts in from the hallway as he draws in the next breath.
Then, in a blur of violent motion, he’s gone as someone yanks him from the bed and hurls him across the room.
My heart stops as a wild, bare-chested man lunges at Monty like an animal, raining down fists with primal ferocity.
The room explodes in chaos as medical staff and security converge on the scene, obscuring my view.
Desperation shoves me upward. I attempt to stand, only to be ensnared by the IV line entwined in my blankets. I try again, and a rush of nausea hits me sideways, blotting my vision.
Fuck!
A nurse is on me in a heartbeat, guiding me back down.
“You guys are stirring up quite the commotion.” She gently unravels the tangle of tubes that bind me. “With all those reporters outside and police everywhere…”
I tune her out, trying to track the raging man amid the pandemonium.
“Leo!” I scream into the din of shouting and scuffing shoes.
It has to be him. No one else embodies that raw, untamed fury.
Through the mesh of bodies, I catch glimpses of him, but not as the man I saw just hours ago.
Swathed in bandages from head to toe, he’s a vicious, snarling creature wrapped in white tape and wrath, no longer attacking Monty but lashing out at anyone approaching.
“Leave him alone.” I angle around the nurse. “Don’t corner him like that.”
Oh, God, I ache for him, for the misunderstanding and fear that sent him over the edge.
“Frankie, please lie down.” The nurse urges me back onto the pillows.
“You don’t understand. He’s never been around people. Let me talk to him.”
Where’s Monty? I can’t see him in the fray.
Security guards and uniformed police form a barricade around Leo, pressing closer and closer to him, ignoring my shouts.
More people swarm the room, led by a figure who sends my heart into a gallop.
Shirtless and covered in bandages, he swings his head toward me. His face is swollen beyond recognition, but I know those black bear eyes, the protruding bones in his too-thin body, and every scar on his back.
The instant he spots me, he limps forward, bypassing the commotion and scanning me up and down for injuries.
I shake my head, pointing at the crowd before he reaches me.
His gaze flicks to Leo, who just sent another guard sprawling, then back to me.
“Help him.” I gesture again. “Talk him down.”
He hesitates, torn between erasing our distance and dealing with his brother.
“Please.” I direct a worried glance at the frenzy.
He gives me another thorough once-over and angrily bares his teeth before turning away.
As he squeezes into the crush, Monty shoves his way out.
He reaches me in three strides, wearing the aftermath of Leo’s punches across his face. Blood runs from multiple gashes, and one of his eyes is already swelling.
“I’m sorry. Leo is…I’ll explain later.” I grip his arm. “Please, you need to make everyone leave. Kody can handle Leo. He can calm him down.”
My plea churns between us, thick with the promise of answers if he does this for me.
Skepticism blackens his expression, the doubt evident even through the blood. But he’s hungry for explanations, just as I am.
With a scowl, he pivots toward the mayhem.
His influence is undeniable, his authority grounded in clout, money, and sheer force of will. The moment he sets his fingers between his lips and releases a sharp whistle, the room shifts.
“Clear out.” His voice booms, swiveling every head in his direction. “I’m not pressing charges. No one is in danger. Everyone, leave now.”
The guards hesitate.
“I said now!” He roars.
They jump. Some of them exchange looks. But eventually, they comply, their departure a reluctant retreat.
To the nursing staff, his tone allows no dispute. “Give us a minute.”
As the room empties, I catch his stare.
“Thank you.” Reaching for a box of tissues, I hold it out.
“There’s a lot to discuss, Frankie.” He takes a few tissues and clears the blood from his eyes.
“I know.”
“In private only.” He leans down, voice low. “Reporters are everywhere. Your reappearance made national news. Anyone in this hospital can sell your story to the highest bidder. Don’t say a damn thing when people are around, including the nursing staff, unless you want it twisted and publicized. Understand?”