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)
Whoa. This side of Brody was so hot.
“You would? What would you do to him, Brody-bear?”
He chewed his lip, staring down at her. “I’d make him suffer. Long. And slow. More than a computer virus, I can tell you that.”
“He deserved to die.”
“He sure did.”
He brushed her hair off her face, giving her a tender look. “Please don’t feel pressured to do anything with us.”
“I don’t . . . I’m just scared.”
“We would never hurt you. We’ll always stop if you need us to.”
“I know. The thing is, I—”
The door banged open, making her cry out as the Fox walked in. He was dressed all in black and held a shovel over his shoulder.
“I’m going out.”
This time, Brody let her off his lap. The Fox frowned, but didn’t say anything. Right, he still wasn’t exactly here with them.
“Foxy? What are you doing?” She approached slowly, as though he was a frightened animal. And in some ways, he was. He looked like he might shy away from her at any moment.
“I’m going to dig up that bastard so I can torture him some more.”
Okay, then.
That was a perfectly reasonable response to what she’d told him.
No, it isn’t!
“You’re what?” Brody stood.
The Fox took a step back.
She glanced at Brody, and he gave her wide eyes. Yes, she was just as freaked out as he was. But they had to get the Fox to come back to them.
“You’re going to dig him back up?”
The Fox wouldn’t meet her gaze. Not a good sign.
“Yes.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“That’s really what you want to do after what I just told you?”
Finally, there was a twitch on his face. At least that’s what she thought it was.
This wasn’t Daddy. Or Sir.
This was The Fox. The killer.
“Yes. He deserves it.”
“He’s dead,” Brody said bluntly. “He’s not going to suffer anymore. You’ll only be doing it to make yourself feel better.”
Yeah, the Fox didn’t seem like he cared too much that the senator was dead and had been for a long time.
“Should I not have told you?” she asked sadly. If she’d kept quiet, then all of this would have been avoided. The Fox wouldn’t be about to go off to desecrate a body, and she didn’t even want to think about what that body would look like when he dug it up, and Brody wouldn’t be glaring at him like he wanted to shake him or kick him in the balls. Maybe both.
Would he even be more than bones now?
“How long does it take for a body to decompose?” she asked.
“Depends on a number of factors,” Brody replied. “Whether the body was submerged in water.”
He had a shovel. She was guessing that wasn’t a factor.
“Temperature, humidity, presence of insects. Could be just a skeleton. Might be more.”
“You got all that from Criminal Minds?” she asked. He loved that program.
“Yep.”
“I feel a bit sick.”
With that, the Fox’s gaze met hers. “You feel sick?”
So that got his attention? All right, she could use this, even if it wasn’t going to be that much fun for her.
“Could be something I ate.”
“Like all those fruit candies,” Brody said.
Had he caught on?
The Fox glared at Brody. “You let her gorge on candy?”
“How was I meant to stop her?”
“Take them away. Put her in timeout. Smack her butt.”
“He can’t spank me!” she said with outrage. “Everyone just doesn’t get to spank me.”
She forgot that she was meant to be shocking him out of wherever he’d gone by pulling on his Daddy side.
“If I’m not here, Brody is in charge. That means if you don’t follow the rules, Brody can punish you.”
Oh, hell no.
No, he did not.
This man needed some schooling.
“Brody is not in charge when you’re not here. Although it is hot when he’s bossy,” she muttered.
“You find me sexy when I get bossy?” Brody asked.
“Just sometimes. It’s the glasses’ fault. So sexy and commanding.”
“Glasses can be sexy and commanding?” Brody asked.
“On you they are. That’s my hill and I’ll die on it.” Her glare dared him to argue with her. But he appeared too shocked to say anything.
“I’m leaving. The two of you will stay here. Brody, make sure she eats something healthy for dinner and goes to bed early.”
“No way! Nope. You’re not leaving.”
“Uh, Autumn, I don’t think I’d push him right now,” Brody said nervously. “He looks like he might snap.”
The Fox glared at them both.
“Maybe I’ll take charge of Brody.” She wouldn’t. That wasn’t something she’d be comfortable with. She stepped toward the Fox. “Perhaps I’ll be so good at it, by the time you get back, I’ll be in charge of you, too.”
The Fox’s gaze narrowed.
That’s it. Come back to me.
Oh, her ass was going to be toast tonight. She might not sit for the rest of the week. But it would be worth it if it meant that he didn’t leave them right now. That he didn’t go inside himself to that place where she was scared he wouldn’t come back from.