Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
“And we don’t tell my mother.”
I stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “No, we do tell your mother about the party, even invite her. We just don’t tell her that it’s a trap.”
“Yes.”
My phone continued to ring. I didn’t answer, grabbed my wallet out of my pants, and decided I would just call the number back. I threw the wallet to Jasmine.
She caught it. “Why are you giving me this?”
“I want you to plan the party.”
She shook her head. “I could do the food, but ...”
“Get a party planner and a staff. Just do your magic, and once you have a venue, I’ll have my team work out a perfect plan to deal with Benny.”
“This is insane.”
“Insanity births the greatest things.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“Like many of the masterpieces you see in the museums all over this city. All of the artists were mad in some way.”
“Okay.” She looked at her ring again. “What’s the budget for the engagement party?”
“Budget? I don’t understand.”
“What do you mean you don’t understand, Chase?”
“What the hell is a budget?”
She giggled. “Very funny.”
“My future wife doesn’t say that word.” I took my phone out, spotted the security team’s number, and dialed it.
“Let’s just calm down with the w word for now.”
“What? Wife?”
“Yes.”
“Is fiancée better?”
“That still scares me,” she admitted.
“Good.”
She rolled her eyes.
The head person from security answered. “Mr. Stone?”
“Yes. You called?”
“Yes, sir. I just wanted to let you know that more dead girls were found in White Chapel, also in the same way that Jack the Ripper killed his victims and almost the same exact places where they were discovered centuries ago.”
“He’s reenacting his hero’s murders.”
“Yes, we think so, sir.”
“Have the police checked the other areas where Ripper’s victims were discovered?”
“We’re going to check them now, but we assume we’ll find more.”
“He was a busy man last night.”
“Yes. No fingerprints have been found.”
“Doesn’t matter. We know who did it.” I turned away from Jasmine. “Keep me up to date.”
I hung up the phone and tried to prepare myself for the future days to come. Benny hadn’t planned on bowing out of this battle like a gentleman. He would keep killing women and doing as much as he could to ruin Jasmine and me.
Jasmine grabbed me from behind and rested her head at the center of my shoulder blades. “Benny has done something else?”
“He’s killed more prostitutes.”
Her body stiffened against me. “Then we really have to make this party count.”
“Yes. We can’t wait that long.”
“Then let’s do it next week.”
I readied myself for the craziness that would come. “Next week sounds fine.”
Chapter 26
Jasmine
How could I ever repay him?
He’d done so much. My spirit remained lifted around him. Just the feel of his body could soothe me all through the night. In this mania of my life, he symbolized love and peace.
Can we be happy? Will we survive all of this? What does he want out of a marriage? We never discussed it all.
I’d never entered any of the arrangements that Dawn allowed. I’d have to make sure he understood that.
Could he just be with me forever? Could I be with him forever?
And then the confidence in my decision kept me strong during this hard time. My brother had died, but there was one thing his murder taught me—live my life to the fullest. Troy had just been there, right next to me, making jokes and then boom ... he was gone.
Am I rushing into the decision because I’m mourning? Should I change my mind? Oh God. I can’t do that to Chase, and besides, I can’t see myself without him. We’ve been through too much. He’s mine as much as I’m his.
Although I was scared, saying yes was no longer a problem.
Without eating, Chase dragged himself away from me to meet with the London police. He planned for all of us to be out of the UK by sundown. That made me happy. I couldn’t sit in the place anymore. I was done with London, and all the horrific memories that happened on my visit.
Chase appeared stressed right before he left me. I could’ve sworn a few gray hairs sprouted around his temples. And all I wanted to do was ease his sorrow, even though I drowned in my own.
I put him through too much crap by leaving. God, I wish I had never left.
I’d decided to start planning the engagement part that day, but my mind went to Vivian and how lonely she must be feeling right now. I got dressed, called in the suite’s butler, Mr. Sharpe, and asked him to bring a breakfast for two people to Vivian’s bedroom.
Once ready to brave the outside of Chase and my bedroom, I rushed off to Vivian’s bedroom. Darkness hit me when I opened the door. A lavender fragrance came next. Vivian had lit up several candles and placed them all over the room.