Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
“You need to stop.”
“Tell me how.”
“By giving your worries to me.”
She let out a sharp sigh as longing filled her. How amazing would that be? But even if she could do that . . . it wouldn’t be fair. Everyone had their own crap going on and he didn’t need hers.
Especially when hers was never-ending.
“I can’t do that.”
“You can. You will.”
“Jack.” She leaned back to look up at him. “What if he presses charges?”
“He won’t. Those people are cowards. They hide behind their placards, screaming abuse at people who they don’t even know. Besides, that asshole touched you first. I had the right as your guardian to protect you.”
“Really?” she asked in a small voice.
“I wouldn’t lie.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Okay. Good.”
“Fucker should never have gotten near you. I should have protected you better.”
“He didn’t hurt me.”
“He had no right to touch you,” he told her fiercely. “No one gets to touch you.”
Dear Lord.
The possessiveness in his voice should have been terrifying.
But nope, her body just wasn’t wired that way. Instead, she had this warmth building inside her.
“As much as I appreciate you defending me, you can’t attack everyone who touches me.”
“Why not?”
Was he serious?
He looked serious. Holy. Heck.
“Jack, I’m fine.”
“You were shaking. Terrified.”
“Only because I was worried about you. I knew you wouldn’t let them hurt me.”
“I wouldn’t. And I’d never hurt you, either.”
“I know that.” And she did. There was no doubt in her mind.
Reaching up, she cupped the side of his face. “Don’t let them ruin our day. Please?”
He blinked and she felt the tension in his body ease. “I won’t. Those assholes won’t ruin anything for you.”
And she’d thought that Ian was over-the-top protective. Seemed Jack was giving him a run for his money.
“Who are they?” she asked, trying to distract him. But also curious.
“The Purity Party. They believe harems are morally wrong, and they hate the current rulers. They’ve been around for a while, but lately they’ve really been gaining momentum. We think they’ve now got someone funding them. This asshole named Pinky. He was working with one of the princes’ cousins, Jeric, to overthrow the current princes. Jeric’s brothers had no idea he was plotting to rule.”
“They’re Alina’s harem?” she asked, trying to keep everything clear.
“Yeah. Anyway, they found Jeric and put a stop to that plan. Jeric died in custody, though. We think Pinky got to him.”
“Wow. But who is this Pinky? Why did he want to overthrow the princes?”
“For power. No one knows who he really is, but he’s into all sorts of nasty shit. He’s on a lot of countries’ most-wanted lists. MI6 had someone on the inside with him, but his cover was blown, unfortunately.”
“And you think he could be funding the Purity Party?”
“Yeah.” He ran his hand up and down her back. “We think he’s giving them money in order to help them cause unrest. He sent someone here to arrange a trade deal with Prince Kassim and if he failed, he was to kill Pippa.”
“Uncle Willy told me there had been a threat on her life. Pinky was behind it?”
“Yep. Seems like he’s out for revenge now. Against the princes and probably their cousins too. That’s why security is so tight.”
She understood it much better now.
“So if you ever see those assholes, you stay away from them. For now, they seem like a nuisance. But I don’t like it. And I don’t want them anywhere near you.”
“Yes, Jack.”
Jack pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She leaned back and his mouth touched hers. Immediately, the kiss turned hot.
He moved his hand up to the back of her neck.
A claim of possession.
Lord. The man could kiss. It felt like she was drowning.
And she never wanted to come up for air.
But all good things had to an end, and eventually, they made their way back to the hospital.
Exhaustion weighed her down, making it harder to hide the pain in her hip. She needed a good night’s sleep. Maybe even a bath. When they walked into Uncle Willy’s room, she didn’t even have time to talk before Ian moved toward her.
He picked her up in his arms and carried her right out of the room.
“Ian? What are you doing?” she asked.
“Ian! Set her down!” Jameson demanded.
Had he been in the room?
Ian carried her into another room which was empty, and set her down on the bed.
“Ian! What the hell are you doing?” Jameson barreled into the room after them. “You can’t just pick Maggie up and cart her around like that.”
Rather than replying, Ian started running his hands over her. “Did they touch you? Are you all right? Why the fuck did you leave without your phone?”
“Jack wouldn’t let me take it.”
“Way to throw me under the bus, baby girl.” She glanced over at Jack, who was leaning against the wall of the room, his arms over his chest as he grinned at her. “I’d do the same. Don’t worry.”