Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“What about a bike?” Of all the things I thought she’d say, that wasn’t it. I find myself smiling but ducking down as I reach for my shirt so she doesn’t see it. “A motorcycle, I mean, not a bicycle, but that would be an option, wouldn’t it?”
“I have no ability to handle a motorcycle with my arm like this.” It was a good suggestion, though. “A bicycle? Hmm.”
“So you walk everywhere?”
“Yes. I also run every morning to stay fit. Walking isn’t a problem. I enjoy it. So now you know. It’s just easier to stay here and be the puppet master, as you called me. Have people come to me.”
“But you…you came to the church. It’s in the middle of the city. There’s no way you could have walked that far.” Everleigh tries to push herself against the headboard and fails. I finally decide that keeping her feet tied up isn’t exactly dignified, so I motion for Hans to release her, which he does expertly and quickly. She doesn’t try to kick him in the face for his efforts, and it seems we’ve reached an uneasy truce. My secrets for her cooperation. Not a bad bargain, though it would kill me for anyone else to know.
Pride and all that. I still have what’s left of it.
I slip my shirt back on. It might be difficult, but I’ve had lots of practice over the years. Hans steps in front of me again and buttons it with quick, methodical precision. If it bothers him to button my buttons, shave for me because I fucking suck at that left-handed, and after nicking myself badly one day, I decided enough was enough, and tie my shoes, he never says. But I don’t think it bothers him. He doesn’t even think about it. It’s just part of his job. I’m his job. Keeping me safe. Keeping me healthy. Mitigating my discomfort. It’s not his job description, though. It’s just what I think he’d say if anyone asked.
“I…” She deserves the truth. “We rented an SUV, and Hans sedated me. I was in the church basement, coming off of it. They’re prescription, just so you know. And…and Bradford gave me the wrong time on purpose. If I had known, I would have been up there at the correct time to marry you because I thought you knew. Hans went up because he heard voices, and he pulled and tugged and shooed me up there when he realized what Bradford was doing.”
“Is that why you were just staring?”
I ruffle a hand through my hair in embarrassment. “Sorry, I was kind of still a little out of it, and I had no clue what was going on.”
“So it’s like anxiety medication?”
More like enough of the prescription shit can knock a whale upside down for the better part of a week, but yes. “Something like that.”
Everleigh tucks her feet up under her, folding her knees. “You could have just given me some of that.” She sits up straight and gives me the hairiest eyeball I’ve ever seen. She’s still highly dubious, and my getting vulnerable with her for a few minutes isn’t going to change that. I haven’t won her trust. I’ve just temporarily mollified her into maybe coming to a different agreement. One between ourselves, not one between her and my fart of a brother. “So…” She stops and assesses me. Her face is quite expressive, and there is way too much going on right now. “You’re basically fucked then, aren’t you? Without me?”
I shrug my left shoulder because, of course, that’s the only shoulder that will cooperate, but she deserves to know the truth of at least this, so I nod. “Basically.”
“You’d lose everything. This house, your ability to take care of yourself, the doctors you need, whatever company is supplying you the means to do that…”
I have money stashed away that no one can touch, but she doesn’t need to know about that. She’s right about the company and the house. “Basically.”
“But if I stay, you can afford all this…private jets, the best healthcare, and more.”
I smell a hard bargain coming. “Yes.”
“And your super scary bodyguard who drugs people.”
“That was unfortunate. I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know he was going to do that.”
Everleigh gives Hans a scathing look. “Who just keeps that kind of shit in their pocket? Chloroform? Really?”
Hans actually looks a little chagrined. “It was a backup,” he says and then shrugs like I did. “Sorry.”
“I’m never going to trust you or forgive you for that,” Everleigh growls at him.
Hans doesn’t move, and his expression doesn’t change, but I can tell he’s thoroughly amused.
One of Everleigh’s hands raises from the bonds, and she flips him the bird. She keeps that finger flying high when she turns back to me, an adorable yet furious and sinister expression darkening her pretty face. She might be petite, but she’s looking at us like she might be considering taking both of us on. God, she’s sweet when she’s about to metaphorically castrate me. Here it comes. She’s going to name her price. “Compliments of your horrible, deceitful, lying asswad of a brother, the drugging, and tying me up, the price for my cooperation just went up. I don’t want one million. I want two… two millions.”