Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25727 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25727 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“We’re getting married,” I follow up so that it’s clear to everyone what my intentions are.
“No!” a youthful voice shouts. I swing my attention from Roberta to Jasmine, who has stood up, her little hands fisted by her side. “Vasey is mine. You can't have her. I won’t let you! If you let Vasey get married, I’ll never speak to you again!” This last part is screamed at her dad before she runs off. Ware blinks in astonishment at the rapidly disappearing figure.
“Jasmine, honey, I’m not leaving you.” Vasey casts me an apologetic but frustrated glance and then chases after Jasmine.
I fork another piece of steak into my mouth. Honestly can’t believe I’m getting cock-blocked by a twelve-year-old. Ware settles back in his seat, having won this round—or so he thinks.
“Vasey is a big fan of Gideon. I know she would want him to attend your school.” Roberta makes a last-ditch effort.
“I’d be careful making assumptions about other people’s feelings. You never know when they might strike back.” I push back my chair. “Your steak was excellent, Ware. I’ll say my goodbyes to Vasey and then leave your family to enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“Make sure it’s a goodbye,” he says.
“You should be prepared to find a new nanny, Ware, because I will never change my mind about Vasey.”
Vasey meets me at the base of the stairs. “Come here.” She grabs me and drags me into a small room smelling of cigars and leather. The walls are filled with wine racks, and there is a single chair in the middle of the room. Ware must drink in here…alone. The relationship he has with Roberta is curious.
“You can’t be running around telling people that we’re getting married.”
I drop all thoughts of the Ware family and draw Vasey into my arms. “I agree you deserve a proper proposal, but I think we both know I’m going to marry you. Why hide that?”
“Jasmine isn’t ready, and she isn’t safe either.”
“I’m not taking you away right now. We’ll prepare her. And we won’t remove you until she’s safe. But I’m working toward that. It’s been a long time since we’ve been apart. We need to be together now. Tell me, what are the conditions that you need to feel like she’s protected?”
Vasey grimaces. “Gideon has to be gone, but that’s not possible. Roberta won’t send him to boarding school because she wants him to be close with Thomas.”
“Ware has no interest in the kid. He barely has interest in Roberta. It’s hard to understand why the two of them married.”
“To give Jasmine a mom,” Vasey confesses. “He came home one day after a business trip and said he was giving Jasmine what she wanted the most. I thought, stupidly, it was this doll from Japan that she’d been talking about, but it was a mom in the form of Roberta. Only Roberta is interested solely in Gideon, and she hates Jasmine.”
That explains a lot. “This actually works in our favor. We just need to get solid evidence that Roberta is a scheming, dangerous bitch and then present it to Ware. The two get divorced, and you and I get married.”
“How is that easy?” Vasey cries.
“Just watch.”
Chapter Eleven
VASEY
The sound of a mysterious creak has me sitting up in bed. I’ve been a light sleeper my whole life. Especially when I was younger. Back then, it was about survival. The uncertainty of my surroundings always had me on guard.
The only time I ever fell into a deep sleep was when I was with West. I knew that if he was close, nothing would happen to me. He was my safe place and my protector. I miss having that, but maybe soon I will have it again.
When I hear another creak, I throw my legs over the bed and slowly stand. I try not to make a sound. Jasmine is fast asleep. I ended up falling asleep in bed with her last night. She clung to me, thinking that I was leaving. I reassured her over and over that I wasn’t ever going to leave her. Seeing her like that broke my heart.
My eyes stay trained on the door as I tiptoe closer to it. There is no missing the shadow of feet that land on the other side of it. I already have a good idea of who it is. The lock I flicked before turning off the lights tonight clicks over. I grab the handle and open it before he can.
Gideon’s eyes go wide when he sees me standing there. He stumbles back a step, giving me room to walk out into the hallway and close the door behind me. I have the element of surprise on my side.
“What are you doing, Gideon?” I make a concerted effort to look at his hand holding the tool he was using to pick the lock. He doesn’t answer. I can tell his wheels are spinning, trying to think of some sort of an excuse as to why he would be breaking into a little girl’s room in the middle of the night. The silence stretches between us. He wobbles on his feet, and I realize he’s drunk. His eyes are glazed.