Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Anger filled Sampson’s face.
“I’m not going anywhere, guys,” she said hoarsely. “And Gray’s right. He’d never harm me. And I . . . I owe him some explanations.” He was being amazingly patient.
“He saved her, Sampson,” Immy said quietly. “Maeve would have died without him.”
Maeve shivered. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was due to being cold or the thought of how close to death she’d come. But Gray immediately moved to the cupboards across the room and drew out some more blankets.
He tucked them around her, making sure that Squish was in with her before brushing her hair off her face gently. Then he grabbed her water and held the straw to her mouth.
“Drink, baby.”
“Fine,” Sampson said after a moment. “But I’m also going to send over a guard to watch the door.”
“Don’t bother. I won’t trust anyone else with her safety and she won’t be out of my eyesight.”
Sampson grunted. “Call if you need me, Maeve.”
“Did you find my phone? I think it went in the pool,” she said hoarsely.
“Give me your number,” Gray said. “She can use my phone.”
Sampson gave his number. “I’m still sending someone over. They’ll wait outside.”
He probably wanted them here as much to make sure that Gray didn’t take her as he wanted them to protect her. But Gray didn’t protest again.
They all said good night to her and she stared up at Gray with tired eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said in a raspy voice. “That you saved me.”
He sat on the chair, studying her. “You ran from me, girl.”
“I didn’t. My stalker . . .”
“What the fuck happened? What stalker? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“The flowers were from him. Roses then violets. And a note saying I was pretty. I thought they might be for someone else.”
“Fuck, Maeve,” he groaned.
“Then there were photos of me. And another note . . . this note was more threatening and I knew I had to go. But then he . . . he attacked me in the basement as I was trying to leave.”
“Fuck. You should have called me the minute you got the first note.”
“I know that. Now.”
“Baby, you don’t need to tell me the rest now. You need sleep.”
“No . . . no I need to tell you. He hurt me.”
“That’s how you got the bruise on your face?”
“Yes. But I stabbed him with my knife.”
“That’s my good girl,” he told her with satisfaction. “That motherfucking bastard, I’m going to find him and make sure he regrets ever touching you.”
“I dropped my bag with all my stuff. My velvet coat and shoes. My tracksuit. The Purple Pussy Eater.”
“What?” he asked.
“That’s the name of my vibrator.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. We’ll buy you new stuff.”
“I know it’s just stuff. It’s all right. As I was running, I tried to call you.”
He winced. “Fuck. Fuck. And it went to voicemail. Fuck!” Standing, he paced back and forth.
“Gray?”
He turned around, his face so full of torment that it made her suck in a sharp breath.
“I’m so sorry, baby. Fuck. Fuck!”
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know I was hurt and running.”
“But I should have taken your call. I was in the middle of something . . . but it doesn’t matter. That won’t happen again. Ever. You are the most important thing to me from now on. Nothing else comes before you.”
Whoa.
Did he know how those words affected her? Even if she wondered why. Why her?
“Why didn’t you leave a message or call me again?”
“I tripped and fell,” she explained. “Dropped my phone and it smashed. I was scared if I took too long that he’d catch up to me. So I grabbed Squish and my wallet and kept running until I got on a bus to the bus station. Then I came here.”
“That’s never happening again. Understand me? You are never going to be apart from me. You will always be able to get in contact with me. I promise.”
“S’okay. I’m not your problem.” She was so tired. Exhausted.
“Yes, you are my problem. Fuck, said that wrong. You’re not a problem. You’re my girl.”
“I’m sorry,” she told him, tears dripping down her cheeks. “I was so terrified.”
“Hey . . . hush now. Shh. No tears.” He sat on the bed next to her and awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Baby, don’t cry.”
“You keep calling me baby.”
Okay, that wasn’t exactly what she’d meant to say . . . but it had just popped out.
He gave her a surprised look. “You don’t want me to call you baby?”
“N-no, I do. I just . . . why? Why are you here? Why did you come after me? Why did you tell my friends that you’re my . . . boyfriend? That I’m yours. I thought I was just a casual fuck.”
His face tightened and he glared at her. “Don’t call yourself that.”