Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54817 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
A weight lifts off me and I kiss the hell out of her. I only pull back when I hear her whimper. Her face has to be too sore to kiss her like that. “I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper once I pull back. I touch her cheek and the area around her lips gently. “Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine. I’m tougher than I look, apparently.”
“You are.” I whisper, letting my forehead rest against hers. “How soon do you think we could travel to Virginia?”
“Can you give me until tomorrow so I can talk with Asher and maybe call Joe? I know he’s worried.”
“I’d give you anything you want, Grace.”
“You promise me you’re not going to end up being thrown in jail?”
“Won’t happen. First, there’s no one to report Benny missing. Second, there’s no body, and finally, if someone did wonder what happened to him, their first thoughts will be that the Korslova family were tying up some loose ends.”
“Okay,” she responds, but I can see the nervousness written all over her face.
“Grace, you can trust me. I’ve never hurt someone who didn’t earn it in the first place.”
“I think maybe this is a conversation we’ll revisit later. I just need time to think about everything.”
“Fair enough. Are you hungry? You were sleeping so deeply that I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”
“Not really. I haven’t had much to eat in the last couple of days, so I’m used to it, I guess. I’m mostly just worn out, which probably explains why I slept so much. They didn’t feed me but brought water. I’m pretty sure there were drugs in the water to keep me kind of out of it. It was a dicey game of drinking it or allowing myself to get sick from not having food or water at all.”
“Motherfucker. If I could, I’d bring him back just to end his miserable life all over again.”
“How about you try not to kill anyone?” she suggests and cracks a smile.
“Then they better stay away from you. I meant what I said. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.”
“I’d be okay if you try to never hurt me. If you did, I’m not sure I’d recover. I’ve never had someone who cared enough to save me when he could be killed, let alone look after my son. Well, except Detective Garcia, but it was kind of his job,” she mumbles.
Before I can respond, I look at the door to my room. “Ford?” Asher’s voice rings out.
Grace looks up at me and tries to get off my lap, but I don’t let her. It’s good for him to see me and his mother together. It’s something I’m hoping he’ll see often. “Come in, little man.”
“I can’t find … Mom! I got worried. Lyla said you were resting when she tucked me in, but when I woke up, I couldn’t find you,” he exclaims without barely taking a breath.
He jogs over to the bed, and I let Grace slide off me. I help her settle beside me and then I motion for Asher to climb up in between us. He grins and bounds up. I grab him quickly. “Slow down, Ash. Your momma is delicate right now. We need to be careful around her,” I warn him, ruffling his hair to soften my rebuke.
“Sorry, Ford. Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s okay, baby. How come you are awake?” Grace asks.
“I had a bad dream. When I had one last night, Ford read to me and stayed with me until I fell asleep. I was going to lay with you, but I couldn’t find you.”
“I’ll go tuck you in and—”
“You can sleep here with us,” I respond before Grace can say she’s going to sleep with her son without me. I can’t let that happen. She needs to get used to being in my bed.
“Ford—”
“Yay!” Asher cries and then surprises me by reaching up and putting his arms around my neck and hugging me tightly. “I love you, Ford.”
“Love you, too, buddy,” I tell him, closing my eyes and hugging him back. When I open them, Grace is staring at me. I see her tears shining in her eyes. I smile at her and mouth the words, “I love you, too.”
She rolls her lips together as some of the tears escape. I can’t do anything other than silently pray that when I get her to Virginia, she will see how different her life will be there with me as opposed to the memories that haunt her.
28
FORD
Three Days Later
“What are you doing?” Ford asks, coming through the front door carrying a basketball and Asher tagging along beside him.
“Yeah, Mom. What are you doing?” he parrots.
“What does it look like?” I laugh.
“It looks like you’re cooking,” Ford mutters, looking at me. I can tell he’s frustrated I’m not lying around doing nothing, but even so, he walks right to me and presses his lips gently against mine. “Hey, baby,” he whispers close to my ear. His deep voice makes my knees weak.