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)
“So, have you asked Gray about his intentions? I mean, he already proposed.” She handed Gray his coffee and Maeve a glass of chocolate milk.
Bless her.
Gray frowned in disapproval, but didn’t say anything as she sipped the chocolate milk, savoring it like a fine wine.
Heaven.
“That wasn’t a proper proposal,” she told Immy. “He’s going to do better.”
“Apparently,” Gray said with what almost looked like a hint of fear in his face. But that couldn’t be right.
Big bad Gray scared of a bit of romance?
Actually, that was pretty hilarious.
“Cookie?” Immy held out a plate of snickerdoodles.
“You’re spoiling her,” Jenner said to Immy.
“She just got out of the hospital, of course I am. Besides, I spoil you every day and you never complain.”
Jenner shrugged and took a snickerdoodle.
Maeve happily munched on the cookie and sipped her drink.
“Well? You haven’t answered my questions,” Sampson said.
“More like interrogation,” Immy muttered.
“Immy,” Sampson scolded.
“Sampson, Maeve is too sweet to say it so I will,” Immy said. “Keep your big head out of her business. Clearly, she is into Gray and Gray is into her. We all know you’re just peeved because you couldn’t find anything about him and Isaiah has been too busy to look into him.” Immy grinned at Gray. “You know we’re only nosy because we care, right?”
Maeve had to bite her lip to stop smiling. Sometimes, Immy knew no fear.
“Is that so?” Gray drawled.
“We just want to make sure you can take care of her. Especially with this stalker,” Sampson said. “I need to know you can protect her.”
Maeve bit her lip worriedly. “You’re right. This guy is even more dangerous than I thought.” She peered up at Gray. “I don’t want you to get hurt. This guy is clearly deranged. What’s to stop him coming after you?”
“Believe me, little girl. It is my sincerest wish that he come after me. Then I can rip out his intestines and string him up by them.”
“Kind of gross,” Immy said. “Wouldn’t shooting him be enough?”
“No. I’m going to make sure he suffers for a long, long time before I put him out of his misery.”
Gray knew everyone was giving him looks of differing levels of surprise. There might have even been a hint of approval in Sampson’s face before he wiped it clean.
“Aww, that’s so nice of you to want to kill him for me,” Maeve said.
He stared at her in shock. Nice? That was almost as bad as calling him sweet. Was she crazy?
“I’m not nice, girl.”
“Oh, sorry. I shouldn’t have said that in front of the others. I know it embarrasses you to show your sweet side.”
He spun her around so her legs straddled his and she faced him. He had to get something straight with her.
Right. Fucking. Now.
He cupped her face between his hands, glaring down at her. “Let’s get this clear, girl. I am not now, nor have I ever been, nice or sweet. Got me?”
She stared up at him with wide eyes.
“Tell me you understand me.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Tell me you know I can protect you.”
Her hand rose to scratch at her cheek, but his hands were in the way.
“Girl,” he growled at her. “I am going to protect you. You will listen to me. And if you do anything to put yourself at risk, you’re going to be in a world of trouble, understand me? So if you have any ideas of trying to protect me, then think again. Not. Fucking. Happening.”
“Hey, you can’t threaten her,” Sampson stated.
He didn’t bother looking at the other man. They might be Maeve’s family, but this was between the two of them.
“You go against any of my safety rules and you won’t sit for a week.”
She sucked in a sharp breath.
“Whoa,” Immy whispered. “Anyone else finding this hot as heck?”
“Immy,” Jenner scolded. “We should give them privacy.”
Gray blocked them out, staring down at Maeve. “I can and will protect you, Maeve. And you will let me. Or I will lock you down, got me? I will ground you from now until you figure out that no one is getting past me to you.”
“This guy is dangerous, though,” she whispered.
“So am I, baby.” He knew he needed to tell her exactly who he was.
Suddenly a phone rang. He glanced over as Sampson answered his phone with a frown.
“Isaiah! I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day! Why weren’t you answering your phone?”
Sampson seemed to listen to the other man for a moment. “Right. Got it. Did you listen to my messages? Yeah, we think it was Maeve’s stalker. Don’t know who else would try to kill her. No, yeah. She’s fine. She’s here. Really. You can talk to her if you want. I’ll put you on speaker phone. Abe’s all right. Just got a concussion. He’s sleeping. Yeah, we’re keeping an eye on him.”