Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 76812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Nathan was kept in isolation after being arrested by Farmington police, limiting his contact with the outside world, but I have no doubt that his attorney, who came into town and stayed there nearly the entire time he was in jail, relayed all sorts of information for him.
Recording those conversations would've been a violation of his rights as if the man even deserves to be treated like a human with the things he has done in his lifetime.
There's still a part of me that hopes Wren was somehow able to tap into the room they met in five times a week and can somehow figure out how to use them against him, but I imagine his boss Deacon Black frowns against such felonious behaviors.
"Sure are a lot of people out there," she mutters as she plops down on the end of the bed.
She doesn't look around the room in awe like I did when we first walked in. This place is swanky, possibly the nicest hotel I've ever stepped foot in, but she seems indifferent to the accommodations.
I want to tell her that she's important to me, and that connection makes her important to the club, but I don't need her worrying about how I feel when she already has so much on her plate already.
"We never travel light," I say instead. "We know what's at stake here, Brielle."
"I think I'll get a shower," she says, exhaustion in her tone to match the heaviness weighing her shoulders down.
"Go ahead," I urge. "I'll unpack our suitcases."
She swallows as she looks from me to the suitcase she packed as if she wants to argue about unpacking it, and I fully understand the desperation in her eyes. I know there's a part of her that's telling her to take off, that getting out of this state increases her safety. I can't count the number of times my fight-or-flight senses kicked in and urged me to hit the road to stay safe. I also know how hard it is to ignore that urge.
"I'll just grab your pajamas out of it," I clarify.
She stands, walks toward me, and presses a quick kiss to my lips before heading into the bathroom.
I wait until I hear the shower turn on before going to her suitcase. I don't doubt that if she had access to weapons, she would’ve packed as many as she could find into her suitcase. I found a fork hidden under her pile of blankets in the closet when I pulled all of that stuff out of there to wash them once I realized she was staying in the bed with me.
Protecting yourself and making sure you’re safe makes you do things that a lot of people might consider crazy. It didn’t surprise me at all, and I’m a hundred percent sure that if I had tried to attack her, she would’ve stabbed that fork into my skin as far as she could get, and good for her. She needs to take some of the power back that was raped and beaten out of her.
I tilt my head back, looking up at the hotel ceiling. Tonight is supposed to be a good night. I don’t want insidious thoughts in my head trying to ruin it.
I grab her pajamas and the small gift I got for her and head into the bathroom.
I place the items on a towel on the vanity before stripping naked.
“Can I join you?” I ask.
She smiles, her eyes closed as she rinses shampoo from her hair.
“I was wondering what was taking you so long,” she answers.
I scoop up the gift and wait until she turns back around to face the stream of water before pressing my body to hers.
“I wanted to tell you happy birthday,” I whisper, pressing my lips to her bare shoulder.
Droplets of water hit my face, blinding me for a moment as she turns around in my arms.
I wipe at the water and smile down at her. Sadness fills her eyes.
“You are so fucking important to me, Brielle,” I tell her as I unclasp the necklace and secure it around her neck. “I’m so proud of how brave you are, and I can’t wait to watch you face everything that has ever caused you pain. You’re a dragon slayer, baby.”
She gives me a weak smile before looking down at the necklace. She pulls it away from her skin, taking in the two linked rings and gemstone in the middle. The blue topaz sparkles, making her smile grow.
“It’s a survivor necklace,” she whispers.
“It is,” I confirm.
“I don’t feel like I’ve survived yet.”
I know the confession is hard for her to make, but I’ll do everything in my power to see her through all of this, and every Cerberus and BBS member in Ohio with her will do the same.
She presses her palms to my chest as she looks up at me.