Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 111278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
“Please don’t fight,” she said. “Please. I can’t . . . “
“The two of you will stop,” Xavier said firmly. “Or I swear, I’ll have you both removed and have Brick come here and sit outside her door.”
“He’s got the flu!” Reuben said.
“Then stop upsetting her. The two of you need to get along. You’re both the closest to her. So just stop. Understand me?”
30
Shame and guilt swirled in Dominic’s gut as Reuben, Ed, and Xavier left the room. Shit. Reuben’s words affected him so deeply because he knew they were true.
He’d failed her.
“It wasn’t . . . your fault,” she said.
“Hush, baby. You shouldn’t be trying to take care of me right now. You need to look after yourself and get better.”
“But it isn’t either of your faults. I can’t remember it. But I know it isn’t.”
He wasn’t so sure.
But maybe it was a blessing that she couldn’t remember. He just wanted to know who the fuck had done this to his baby.
“Reuben is just upset because I’m hurt. He’s not a bad person.”
“I know, Shortcake. It’s all right. I’ll find a way to get along with him.” But he needed to make it clear that Reuben wasn’t taking her anywhere. At least, not without him.
“Why don’t you go back to sleep, darling girl? I’m here. I’ll watch over you.”
He had her hand between both of his, watching her intently when the door opened again about an hour later.
There was silence and he turned, readying himself for any threat. But Reuben just stood there, staring at him.
“Do you really care about her?” Reuben asked.
“I love her,” he replied. “I haven’t had a chance to tell her that yet. But I do. And I’m not letting her go.”
Reuben’s gaze narrowed. Then he looked away. “I sent her here in the hope she’d find someone like you. Someone who would see her for the prize she is. No one has ever treated her like she’s precious. They haven’t put her first. And she deserves that. She needs it.”
“She does,” he agreed. “And that’s how I feel about her.”
Reuben stepped forward. “You won’t leave her?”
“No. Never. And she will never be second best to anyone. I know about her parents, how they treated her.”
Reuben nodded. “She said she’d told you.”
“She told you about me?”
“Yes. And I was pleased for her. You seem like a good guy. I’ve done some research on you. There’re no red flags.”
“You didn’t seem pleased just before.”
“I am . . . angry at myself.” Reuben stopped at the end of the bed, staring down at Gwen. “I’ll never forgive myself if this is because of me.”
That was unexpected. Dominic shot his gaze up to the other man.
“Did you suspect she’d be in danger?” Dominic asked.
Reuben’s gaze shot to him. There was something hot and dark in his eyes. Something that promised pain and retribution.
But Dominic wasn’t scared. He just stared calmly back.
“Of course not. I’d never put her at risk. Ever.”
“You researched this Davidson guy? Nothing came up as a red flag?”
“Nothing. He just seemed like a cocky asshole. Fuck! This was all a fucking excuse to get her out of the city. I was worried . . . God I was so worried that the city was going to kill her. That she’d jump straight into another job and the stress would cause her to grow more ill. This was meant to keep her safe.” Reuben started pacing back and forth.
Something unhappy filled his gut. “You said she was ill. Her blood pressure?”
“She told you?” Reuben asked.
“I saw the medication she takes. She said she has problems with blood pressure and that it can make her nauseous and light-headed.”
“Fuck. She didn’t tell you everything.”
“I suspected that.”
“You didn’t push her?” Reuben asked.
“I wanted to let her tell me on her own.”
Reuben let out a small bark of laughter. “If I ever found someone who I wanted to make mine, they’d be allowed to keep nothing back. No secrets. I’d know it all. They would rely fully on me for everything. Holding back wouldn’t be allowed.”
“You realize there’s about a hundred red flags in that statement, right?”
The other man just shrugged. He grew pensive. “I thought I was going to lose her.”
“Same,” Dominic said. He didn’t think he would ever get past the terror of not knowing where she was or if she was all right. Fuck. He couldn’t go through that again.
“No, I don’t mean now. It was terrifying, but I didn’t know she was missing until the early hours of this morning.”
“Wait. You knew before the nurse called?”
“Yes, of course. I was already in the air when she called. How do you think I got here so quickly?”
Damn, he was a crazy bastard.
He shook his head, then looked over at Dominic. “She’s tough. So tough. But also, so fragile. She needs someone to take care of her.”