Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63786 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
“No, and don’t tell her. She just had a baby, and I absolutely don’t want her involved. She has enough on her hands. She doesn’t need to worry about me.”
“What about Sam and Chloe?” I hesitate answering, and again he gasps dramatically. “They know about the hot CEO boyfriend?”
“Only that I was seeing him. But they don’t know we’ve broken up.”
Henry sighs and then asks, “How does any of this require me to stay at a hotel for the next few days?”
“Because Lev will come looking for me.”
“His name is Lev? Mmmm, he sounds sexy—is he Russian?”
“Not the point here, Henry.”
“Right, of course. Why will he come looking for you?”
“Because he’s not as into breaking up as I am.”
“Riiight.” He pauses. “Are you in danger? Should I be calling the police for you—”
“No, nothing like that.” I downplay it, and I hate that I’m keeping so many things out of the conversation. But it’s for his own benefit. I can’t have Henry do something stupid like getting the police involved. Hell, I don’t want my friends involved in any of this, and I have to protect them from the fallout, no matter what.
“Why do I feel like you’re not telling me everything?”
“Because you watch too much Crime Channel.” Outside, I see a set of headlights pull up. I tense up but relax when I see the driver disappear into Candy Kane’s room. “Please, will you do this for me?”
“Fine, I always wanted to stay at the Museum Hotel, so I might as well stay there.”
“Good, my treat.” I try to keep my tone lighthearted, but it’s hard when I’m worried for my friend.
“Did I say Museum Hotel? I meant The St. Regis,” he says, swapping the four-star hotel for the famous five-star hotel.
I chuckle. “Nice try.”
He sighs. “Is it really a necessity? I mean, what are the chances he’s going to come banging on my—”
Through the phone, I hear a knock on his door, and a bolt of panic zips down my spine like lightning.
“Henry—”
“It’s okay, it’s just the Chinese takeaway I ordered,” he says, answering the door and accepting his takeaway from the delivery guy. The door closes again. “You sound so panicked.”
“Because I don’t want you to get caught in the middle of this.”
“I’m not even really sure what this is. You say he’s not dangerous. He’s just a rich prick who doesn’t want to let you go. I’ll just tell him to fuck off. But, you know, nicely, because I don’t want to break the guy’s heart any more than you’re already breaking it.”
I have a feeling it would take a lot to break Lev Zarkov’s heart, and I don’t think my leaving him would even come close.
But what if it’s not Lev who shows up but one of his men, and they get heavy-handed with Henry? I would die if Henry got hurt.
No, Lev will go looking for me himself.
Because I’m carrying the heir.
“Please, can you just go stay somewhere for a couple of days until I figure out my next move?”
“Your next move should be coming home. I’ll stay with you, and if Mr. CEO turns up, I’ll protect you.”
Yeah, I can’t see that happening.
Lev could mow down Henry with a blistering look. There are not too many people he couldn’t.
Henry’s voice lights up with excitement. “It will be fun living together for a while. Lots of homemade dinners and cocktail nights, how does that sound?”
It sounds perfect. But impossible.
Because he doesn’t know the truth.
I know if I told Henry everything, he would be advising me to do something completely different. Go to the police, he would say. And that’s why I can’t fill him in. Because going to the police wouldn’t work out very well for me. Knowing Lev, he’s probably tight with everyone in the Chicago PD.
So, for now, I’m going to sit on the truth and hopefully keep Henry and Elsa and the girls safe.
I sigh, resigned to doing this myself.
“Let me sleep on it, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”
21
BROOKE
After I hang up from Henry, I lie on the bed and stare at the movie playing on the TV. But I’m not paying attention. All I can think of is the pain of what I am doing. Not just to me.
But to Lev as well.
I wasn’t going to eat, but Henry ordered me some tacos and had them delivered to the motel room. Despite not feeling hungry, I force them down because I know I have to fuel my body for the baby at least.
Somehow, after rechecking the door and window locks, I manage to fall asleep.
But just before midnight, I wake up and immediately feel the empty space beside me, and it feels cold and dark and lonely.
He’s not there. And he’ll never be there again.
I stare up at the ceiling.
Missing Lev is midnight poison. The ache. The longing. The knowing I can never go back. I know I am doing the right thing. But the guilt of what I am about to do keeps me awake. And the empty space beside me is a cruel, cold reminder that I am doing it to him.