Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
“Will it?” she whispered. “What did he text? Where has he been?” Tears welled in her eyes, and he wished he could do something to make her feel better.
“I don’t know. But he’s on his way.”
“Here?”
“Yes, here. He said there’s something wrong. We’re not to open the door to anyone but him. And we’re to pack a bag.”
“What? Why? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.”
“I can’t . . . I can’t go anywhere, Brody. You know I don’t do well with change.”
“I know you don’t. But you’ll be with me and the Fox.”
“He left us!”
Brody cupped her face between his hands. “Look at me. I don’t agree with what he did. He never should have just cut himself off from us. But there’s stuff going on that we don’t know about.”
“Because he won’t tell us.”
“I know. He was protecting us.”
“I don’t . . . how can you defend him?”
“I have faith. You have to have faith too. We know there’s a reason for everything he’s done.”
She didn’t look completely convinced. But she nodded.
“Stay here. I’ll do everything.” He helped her sit on the sofa. Racing into the bedroom, he drew the curtains, then grabbed her pacifier. When he returned, she was holding Freddy Fox and looking at the TV blankly.
“Here, I got you this. Maybe. it would be better if you came with me into the bedroom.”
She started to breathe heavily. “I . . . I . . .”
“It’s going to be fine.” He took hold of her hand, helping her stand and leading her into the bedroom. Then he grabbed a duffel bag and shoved in some toiletries and clothes. Not much would fit, but he made sure to get her favorite onesies, some fluffy socks, and her spare pacifier. Then he shoved some of his own stuff in, doing up the zip.
“Where are we going? What’s going on?”
He crouched in front of her once more. “Breathe. Just breathe. Take my hands. Squeeze. Squeeze tight. Tighter. Ouch! Jeez, not that strong!”
She let his hands drop, looking horrified.
“Joking.”
“Brody!”
He grinned at her. Then he held up his pinky finger. “Whatever happens, it’s you and me. Got it? We’re together.”
“Together.” She slid her pinky finger around his.
He stood in the doorway, watching them. They looked so perfect together.
They turned to look at him. Brody appeared relieved and angry. That, he kind of expected. But it was Autumn who floored him. She seemed so scared. Of him?
Please don’t let her be scared of me.
“Bunny,” he said in a low voice, stepping toward her.
She shook her head, staring up at him with lips that trembled. “You left.”
“Bunny, no.”
“You did. You left. You left us. Did I do something wrong?”
What the fuck?
What. The. Fuck.
Even Brody seemed surprised by what she was saying.
“Baby girl, no. You could never do anything wrong.” Why hadn’t he seen this coming? What should he have done differently?
Everything.
You stupid bastard. You should have done everything differently.
Why had he left her? Because it had seemed the logical thing to do at the time. He’d done it to keep them safe. But it hadn’t, had it? And now she thought she’d done something wrong.
“I must have for you to leave. I must have been bad. I’m sure I can be a good girl, though.”
What was happening? It was like she was regressing. But this was more.
This was because of her fucking grandparents.
Christ, losing her parents, then knowing if she was naughty, if she did something wrong, she might get given away . . . fuck.
“Tutu, no,” Brody told her. “That’s not true at all.”
Brody shot a look at the Fox, telling him to fix this. And he wished to fuck he could. But what did he know about fixing trauma?
The Fox was a product of his trauma.
He was the result of so much fucking injury done to him when he was younger that he couldn’t even feel or process things normally.
But the bigger, pressing issue was that he had to get them out of here. His skin felt itchy, like he was being watched. Hunted.
If it wasn’t for the two of them, he’d head into the darkness to search out what was making him feel this way.
However, he had to keep them safe. They were the priority.
The way he always should have.
“We have to go.”
Brody gaped at him. “Fox, we need to talk.”
“There’s no time. Safety trumps everything else. But Bunny, there is nothing you could do that would make me leave you.”
The look she gave him said she didn’t believe him. He’d figure out what the hell he could do to make her feel better.
Later.
“It’s that bad?” Brody asked.
“I don’t know. It could be. Bunny, you have Freddy Fox?”
“I don’t think I can leave,” she said. “This is my safe place.”
“Aren’t I your safe place?” Brody asked. “And the Fox? We’ll keep you safe.”
He wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t wait anymore. He could only hope she didn’t hate him. Striding forward, he picked her up. Thankfully, she didn’t fight him. But she also didn’t wrap her arms around him.