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)
His fingers slid from her neck and he was out of her car before she could think of something to say in reply.
How would he be watching?
Once he’d left, she sat there, trying to calm her racing heart.
The effect he had on her . . . it was unnerving and exciting all at once.
Maybe she should have told Brody where she was going. But she knew Brody would have insisted on coming with her and she didn’t want him to be exposed to her ex.
You aren’t supposed to keep secrets from your boyfriend, though.
He was coming to her place later. So she could tell him then. But what about her Hero? How could she ever explain about him?
She pushed those thoughts aside, unable to deal with them right now.
Getting out of her car, she looked around. How often did he watch her?
And why didn’t that creep her out as much as it should?
She groaned. She had issues. Serious issues.
She felt bad for not telling Brody about her Hero. But she’d made a promise. And it was safer for Brody this way.
Oh, this was complicated.
She headed into Brad’s office. She’d hated working here. No one had liked her and Brad had treated her like dirt.
Urgh, why was she here?
Because he’ll keep bothering you until you do what he wants.
How many nights had she stayed back to work late while he’d gone out for dinner, wining and dining people?
Often with Laura.
She stilled and processed that for a moment. At the time, she’d been relieved that Laura had been willing to go with him. It had made sense. She was the mayor’s daughter and he was the deputy mayor.
She’d been grateful to her. Thought that Laura was doing her a favor.
“I bought that bitch flowers to say thank you,” she muttered to herself as she walked into what used to be her office. Not many changes had been made. The Christmas tree was up.
Maybe she should put up a tree herself. Last Christmas, she’d been on her own and a wreck, but this had always been her favorite time of the year.
She glanced around, wondering where his new assistant was.
“What is happening?” a deep voice boomed from the office beyond.
“I don’t know,” a woman replied, sounding tearful.
“What did you do? You must have done something!”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she realized that it was Brad yelling. She’d never heard him raise his voice like that in public. At home, it was a different story. He used to save up all his frustration from the day and then wait until he got home to vent. The tiniest things would set him off.
She shuddered at the memory. At the time, it hadn’t registered exactly how controlling and abusive he was. But when she thought back . . .
Yeah, she was well rid of him. It had gotten to the stage where she had barely been eating, and her hair had started falling out from the stress of being with him. Of always having to be perfect yet forever coming up short.
Deep breath in.
Slowly out.
Why had she come here? This was her past. She didn’t have to put up with Brad’s bullshit anymore.
Yeah, she shouldn’t have come here. And her Hero was right. She should have told Brody.
But Brad was her problem, not Brody’s. And it was up to her to deal with him.
Still, she grabbed her phone to send him a message.
Autumn: Brad called me. Asked me to come see him at work.
There was more yelling from inside Brad’s office. She winced as she heard a woman sobbing. What the hell was going on? This was a bad idea. And even though her Hero said he’d be close by, it wasn’t like he had a camera in here, watching her.
Brody: You told him to get lost, right?
Crap. She bit her lip as there was more yelling and crying. The walls in this building were thick, but if they got any louder, someone was likely to come and see what the problem was.
Autumn: Ah, not exactly.
Brody: Autumn. I don’t want you near him.
Her eyebrows rose, even as a flush of warmth filled her at his protectiveness. It wasn’t like Brody to make demands.
Autumn: I’ll be fine. He won’t do anything.
There was a loud thumping noise from the office that made her jump. Okay, things were not going well in there. At. All. Maybe she should just go. Her stomach felt all jittery like she might throw up at any moment.
But what about whoever was in there with him? Were they okay?
“This is Brad, he’s not violent,” she whispered to herself. Right?
Autumn: Although he seems to be having a bad day.
Brody: Leave now. I’m going to be at your place in thirty minutes.
Autumn: You don’t need to do that. I’m going. You have work.
Brody: I want you to text me once you’ve left. Then when you get home.