Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
“No, baby, you don’t understand. I’m the one who is sorry. I left you and you had a nightmare; then, you were so scared you had to hide. I shouldn’t have left you while you were ill.”
“But you had business to attend to. That comes first.”
There was a strange look on his face.
“Really. I’m feeling much better.”
He gave her a skeptical look. “You don’t look better.”
She sighed. “You’re right. I feel awful. I’m sick.”
Regent’s lips twitched. “Poor baby. I promise I won’t leave you again. You really don’t remember anything?”
She frowned. She couldn’t remember the nightmare.
But a few images danced through her mind.
A man looming over her.
Fear.
Huddling in the closet.
Your father is dead.
She shuddered. God, it had felt like he wasn’t. Like he was right there.
I killed him.
A gasp escaped before she coughed. Regent leaned over and grabbed her glass of water, holding it to her lips.
“Sorry,” she whispered hoarsely. “I must be having delusions still because I thought I remembered you telling me that you killed my father.”
“I did kill your father.”
Holy. Moly.
Mind. Blown.
She sat there for a long moment until she realized Regent was as still as a statue.
He was probably worried she’d tell someone or freak out.
So she leaned forward and gave him a fierce look. “Good. The asshole deserved it. He terrorized Mama and me all of our lives. He would fly off the handle at the smallest thing. While he wasn’t always violent, there were times when he was. We weren’t even allowed to leave the house most of the time. When we did, we had to be very careful. I had a childhood filled with fear. Mama rarely smiled until after he died. So good. I’m glad you killed him.”
“Do you think me a monster?” His voice was monotone, as if he didn’t care either way about the answer.
But she had the feeling he did.
“No. He was the monster. And I’ll never tell anyone. I promise. Thank you for killing him. You set me free. You saved me. You’re my hero.”
“I’m not a hero, baby. I’m the villain. But that just means that I can and will do whatever it takes to protect you.”
She believed him.
Regent frowned as he watch his girl sleep. She’d done a lot of sleeping today. He’d grown so worried he’d actually called Doctor Stanley’s nephew who’d told him that sleep was good for her.
But Regent had barely been able to tear himself away from her side. At least she hadn’t had any more nightmares.
His phone rang and he glanced down, seeing it was Lottie.
He moved out into the hallway. “Darling? Everything okay?”
“Everything is more than okay. Well, other than being nervous about this showing this weekend.”
He hated that she was nervous. Why weren’t her men doing something to reassure her?
“Why are you nervous?” he demanded. “You have no reason to be nervous.”
“What if I flop, Reggie?” she whispered. “What if I’m a complete failure? I’ll let everyone down.”
Outrage filled him at the sound of the wobble in her voice.
“You could never let anyone down. Not ever. No matter what you do.”
“You’d never be disappointed in me?”
“Never.”
He heard her take in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Something niggled at him.
“Lottie, darling, have I ever given you a reason to think you have disappointed me?”
“What? No. No, Reggie, you’ve always looked after me. You never gave up on me, even when you probably should have.”
He let out a low noise of disagreement at that remark.
“It’s just you’re so confident. You never fail at anything. I don’t want to let you down.”
“I’ve told you that you won’t. And you need to believe that,” he said firmly. Then he closed his eyes. That wouldn’t help her. Not fully. “I’m also not good at everything I do.”
She let out a soft laugh. “Yes, you are.”
He understood why she thought that. It wasn’t like he went around telling people about his failures. His father had taught him that admitting failure was weak. But he was trying his best not to be his father.
“I fail at plenty, darling.”
“Like what?”
“Well, right now, I think I’m failing Jilly.”
There was a beat of silence. “Jilly? From the tunnels?”
“Yes. That Jilly.”
“Is she all right?” she asked.
“She’s ill.”
“Ill? How ill? Did you call Doc?”
“Yes, I called that crotchety old bastard,” he grumbled.
“Oh, he’s leaving soon for his holiday, isn’t he?”
“You knew about that?” he asked.
“You didn’t?”
He grumbled to himself. “I suppose I did and I forgot.”
“But you never forget anything.”
Not usually, though.
“He said it’s the flu.”
“Oh, poor Jilly,” Lottie said. “Is Alister looking after her?”
“You know Alister?”
“Of course, he’s Doc’s nephew.”
Regent thought he knew everyone in this city. Or everyone who could impact his family.
“No, I sent him away.”
“What? Why?” Lottie asked.
“I didn’t like him.” Even he could hear how ridiculous he sounded.
“Why?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Then who is looking after Jilly? Does she have any family? Friends?”