Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 47758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“How are you?” she asked. “Not that I don’t like hearing from you, Landon, but you only ever call me when you’re in trouble.”
He laughed. He’d accidentally told her he was running for his life and may not call for a while a few months ago. Big mistake on his part. He knew she worried, and he’d been high on painkillers at the time. He learned his lesson and never called her unless he was in control of all of his functions.
“I’m fine.”
“And how is everyone else? You know, Jacob, and the others.”
“They’re fine. Last time I checked, they had nothing wrong with them,” he said, rubbing at his face. “I’ve got to go now. Stay in that town. Don’t befriend anyone you don’t know. They’re still looking for you, Tamsin. They will find a way to get to you but I’ll do whatever I can to protect you.”
“I love you, Landon. If you see the others, tell them I love them and miss them, but I like my life here. I’m free, and that’s the way I want it to be.”
“Will do.”
He hung up the cell phone.
“Who was that?”
He turned to see Tulip standing outside the hotel room door.
“You shouldn’t be outside.”
“Jade’s cleaning the gun. No offense, but I don’t even think she should have a gun, let alone clean one.”
“She likes to shoot.”
“Yeah, and I like to live. You don’t have to tell me.”
He pocketed his cell phone. “My sister.”
“You have a sister?”
“I have five brothers, one sister, and one half-brother. A big family.”
“Your sister isn’t with your brothers?” she asked.
“No. I put her somewhere safe, where she can have a life without people trying to sell her off for some family deal.”
“You protect her?”
“I do what I can to keep her safe. So far, no one has found her. It’s all I can do for her right now.” He had no doubt the Savonas were still looking. She was gifted to them. On her sixteenth birthday, she was supposed to be theirs, but that day had come and gone. Now he could only hope she stayed hidden from them, or he’d kill them.
With all of his problems right now, he needed a small miracle. He rubbed at his temples.
“Thank you,” she said.
He dropped his hands. “For what?”
“Saving my life. You didn’t have to do anything to help me, but you did. I’m grateful. I don’t want to die and I don’t have a death wish,” she said.
“You’re being nice to me so I will teach you how to shoot.”
“No, I mean, yes, but no. I want to learn how to shoot. That’s a given, but I was just saying thank you for keeping me alive.”
He took hold of her arm and urged her back inside the hotel room. Jade had already finished cleaning her gun and was curled up in bed.
“If you two are going to have sex, I need a different room,” Jade said.
“We’re not going to have sex.”
“I don’t know if I feel sorry for you.”
“Not funny,” Tulip said.
“Have fun.” Jade rolled over. From experience, he knew it wouldn’t be long before she was asleep.
“Lie down,” he said.
“Is this the way you speak to all of the girls?” she asked.
“Only the ones I like.”
She didn’t argue with him and laid her head on the pillow.
He removed his jacket, kicked off his boots, and lay down beside her. He didn’t give her a chance to argue with him. He took her in his arms and pulled her close.
Pressing his nose against her neck, he breathed her in. At first, she was tense, and he accepted that. There was no other way to expect her to react.
“I want you to teach me how to shoot.”
“So you can blow my balls off?”
“No. I don’t want to die.” She rolled over, and there wasn’t much light in the room, but he could see her. He knew he’d be able to see her anywhere.
“I can protect you.”
“Landon, I get it. You’ve been at this for some time, but even still, people need to accept they need help.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I can guarantee that with my life.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“What about me?”
She sighed. “Look, you said with this curse thing you’ve got, you feel this connection. The women don’t. You have to make us fall in love with you, right?”
“Exactly.”
“I need you to teach me how to shoot.”
“You’re safe, Tulip. You won’t ever have to worry about the pain of losing me. You don’t feel this like I do.”
“But that’s the point, right? I don’t feel it now but it doesn’t mean I won’t ever feel it. What if you succeed and I fall in love with you? I don’t think it will happen. I’m a hard person to love and I don’t love easily, but I know the way the world works. It’s cruel and evil. If there’s a chance I fall in love with you and you’re lost to me, I’ve got to be able to deal. If I lose you because I never learned to fight, how am I going to live with myself? You’ve gotten this second chance with me but you’re not a twin, Landon. I won’t get a second chance and you’ll leave me out in the cold, miserable and all alone, because you refused to train me. That’s not fair, not even a little bit.”