Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“Other Littles live there?” she asked.
“Yes. And like I told you, we have the best security you can get. The stalker will first have to find out where you’ve gone and then find a way to get to you on the Ranch. Then he’ll have to get past a bunch of ex-military as well as me. And that is not happening.”
She smiled up at him, but she still looked unsure.
“What will they think of the fact that you’re with me?” she asked.
“Well, they might think I was a bit unprofessional, but Bain fell for Ari while he was protecting her. So it’s happened before. It’s that whole bodyguard-client thing.” He winked at her.
“No, it’s just a you-thing. You’re too difficult to resist,” she told him.
“Why, thank you.”
“Plus, you’re persistent and stubborn and like to get your way.”
“Hey!”
She grinned at him. Then her face sobered. “But I meant about me? What will they think about you being with me?”
“They will think I’m a fucking lucky bastard,” he told her. “That’s what they’ll think.”
“What’s wrong?” Hayes barked as he sat next to them, his plate nearly overflowing with food.
“Did you leave any food for anyone else?” she asked him.
He grunted. “Got a few looks, but if you put a buffet out, you’ve gotta expect people will want to eat it. So what’s wrong?”
“Bebe is worried about going to Sanctuary,” he said.
“Is it the flying? I hate flying commercial. All those people. No one seems to have any idea about personal space. And I always end up next to someone who falls asleep and then snores or farts the entire time.”
“Commercial?” she asked.
“He was a SEAL. He’s used to flying in military planes,” Corbin said. “No snoring or farting on those flights, huh?”
Hayes ignored him. “Don’t use the bathroom on the plane. Imagine how dirty it is. Only takes one person with norovirus to touch stuff, and boom, the whole plane is vomiting and shitting themselves.”
Both of them gaped at Hayes.
“Okay, now I really don’t want to get on the plane,” Bebe said, looking slightly pale.
Hayes clapped his hands together as he stood. “Good. Let’s hire a car. It will only take around sixteen hours to drive to the Ranch if we don’t stop.”
“Wait.” She grabbed his arm as he stood. “I don’t want to do that either.”
“And it’s not as safe,” Corbin pointed out.
Hayes sighed, sitting and picking his plate back up. “Fine. But neither of you had better fall asleep. Got it?”
35
Sanctuary Ranch was beautiful.
Montana was beautiful.
How had she never come here before? Sure it was cold. There wasn’t any snow on the ground, but it was there on the mountains.
And it stole her breath.
But it didn’t stop the nerves that threatened to overwhelm her. What if the stalker followed them here?
Corbin said it was very secure, but she could still see the stalker attacking him. The knife coming toward him. Her screams filling the night.
It was too raw. Too real.
Hopefully, the stalker wasn’t able to follow them. That was the best scenario.
But how would they catch him? Could she live here indefinitely?
It’s where Corbin lives. You want to be with him.
Yes, but she couldn’t imagine living on a ranch with a bunch of other people. They’d all know who she was. They might have watched the show.
They might even believe all the lies about her.
She twisted her fingers together in her lap, anxiety thrumming through her.
“What do people do for fun around here?” She needed a distraction. A way of getting rid of all the energy bubbling up.
Something adrenaline-inducing.
“Is there somewhere to jump out of a plane? Or a ski-field close by? Tobogganing?” she asked.
Corbin turned around to stare at her worriedly. Reaching back, he took hold of her hands in his, stilling her movements.
“Everything will be okay, baby.”
How could he be so sure?
“And when the snow settles lower, I’ll take you tobogganing okay?”
He didn’t say anything about the other stuff. But she could figure something out.
Right?
Corbin’s phone beeped as they drove along the long driveway toward a gorgeous, large house built out of wood and stone, nestled between two tree-covered hills. In the distance were snow-topped mountains.
Breathtaking.
“Kent said to meet him at Clint’s place,” Corbin said.
“All right,” Hayes said as he parked in front of what seemed to be the big house.
Corbin turned to her. “You want to come in, baby? Meet Kent?”
“This is his house?” she asked.
“No. This belongs to his brother, Clint, who runs the Ranch. Kent’s house is up the hill. That’s where I live too. By JSI.”
“Same,” Hayes grunted.
“All right.”
She waited for Corbin to get out and open her door. Then he held out a hand to her.
He’d been like this all day, doing these sorts of things for her. He’d always opened her door before too. But it already felt different. Now he was her . . . her boyfriend and everything felt more intimate.