Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 78732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Ellis looks over his shoulder at me, and I can see that he understands completely what is happening. Either I'm reading him wrong or he actually looks a little sad at the veiled threat I've been issued.
As if we've been together forever, Ellis holds his hand out, waiting for me to cross the room in my too-high heels and then he places his palm on my back. I don't miss the way his fingers curl, and I take it as a way he's trying to assure me that everything will be okay.
I climb into the SUV, scooting away from Ellis when he climbs inside, while trying to fight tears.
I thought it would be simple, that I could come here, find out what I needed, and leave whenever I wanted, but the threat against Morgan makes it very clear that isn't going to be possible. It makes me wonder what threats the other women have gotten to keep them there. I approached this situation only looking at the face value of it, and that shows just how uneducated I am about this sort of thing.
Regret makes my stomach turn the entire way across town, and I press my hand to the window when we drive right past the grocery store. How I wish my life was still just the boring old go to work and go home that it was a mere twenty-four hours ago.
I feel like a failure, and, worse, I feel selfish and unkind for wishing I had just minded my own business instead of trying to find out what happened to Alena.
I flinch when Ellis palms my knee, giving it a little squeeze of reassurance, before pulling it away.
He frowns at me, but I'm in no position to worry about his feelings right now.
I look out the window, my eyes scanning the multidimensional building. I've driven by this place a million times in the two-plus years I've lived here, but I never imagined I'd be in a vehicle, parking in the lot, then walking through the front doors.
Once again, as we make our way into the building, Ellis has his hand on my lower back.
"I can't," I say, stopping in my tracks.
Dima steps forward, as if he's willing to put me in my place right here in front of God only knows how many witnesses, but he freezes when I bend over and reach for my shoes.
"I'm going to fall," I mutter, trying to break the damn heels off of the shoes.
"Just take them off," Dima urges, as if he's going to miss getting paid if we're delayed another minute.
"You can't enter a government building without shoes," Ellis says at the same time I say, "You can't go inside without shoes."
"Let me help," Ellis offers. He crouches in front of me, his palm warm on my calf, as he urges me with the slightest pressure to lift my leg.
I teeter on one foot for half a second before the heel is removed.
"The other one," he says, moving his touch to the other leg.
I press my hands to his shoulders as he removes the second heel before standing and putting them in the front pocket of his jeans.
I wobble less as we enter the building, but these shoes weren't made to be flats.
After following the directions to the correct place, we enter an office with a long counter. The clerk on the other side looks bored and ready to go home. I want to yell at her and tell her that there are worse positions to be in than working a government job with great benefits in air conditioning, but I doubt Dima would let that slide.
"Mr. Tkachenko," the clerk says, her tone just as bored as her face. "Another friend getting married?"
"Yes, Sandra. Mr. Burke and Ms. Rhodes."
She points to a tablet on the counter. "After completing that, I'll need to see your identification. The names you enter must match what's on them."
"I don't—" I start to say, turning around to Dima, only to find him holding my driver's license between two fingers.
I grind my teeth before pulling it from his hand and turning back to enter my information into the tablet.
He has my license which means he went through my purse. I know how silly it is to worry about the hidden emergency hundred-dollar bill in there and my social security card, but it doesn't stop my mind from heading in that direction.
I know how bad things could be for me. Ellis's warning back at the warehouse made me really consider just how bad of a man could end up going to the warehouse and purchasing me. Those thoughts are the only reason I'm standing here going through with this. I never considered that it would be a legally binding marriage. I had no clue we'd be here filling out paperwork to actually get married.