Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
“That’s what you wanted to escape by coming here.”
“Yeah. I really thought they’d let me go. I don’t know why I’m so important to Miles McAllister. He doesn’t need me. There are plenty of other women he could force himself on.”
Falcon grips my shoulder again, this time hard. “You’re not marrying Miles McAllister.”
“Damned right I’m not.”
“No, Vannah.” His grip tightens further. “You’re not marrying Miles McAllister…because you’re going to marry me.”
15
FALCON
Did those words just come out of my mouth?
It must be my hunger. Or the late hour. It’s after one a.m.
I don’t want to get married.
I’m completely fucked up.
I’m Falcon Bellamy again—not Savage—but there’s part of Savage in Falcon now. He’ll always be there, gripping at me, keeping me from being whole.
Her jaw drops.
“Falcon, I don’t think—”
“I’m not proposing, Savannah. I mean, I guess it sounded like I was, but you’re not marrying anyone you don’t want to marry. Certainly not Miles McAllister.”
She nods, her lips trembling.
“I’ve got a phone call to make. To my buddy—well, ex-buddy—the one I was supposed to join the Navy with before… Well, before everything.”
“All right, Falcon.”
I look at the time on my phone. “But it will have to wait until morning now. Let’s go to bed.”
The sun streams in through my window, and I stretch my arms. My stomach growls. Scrambled eggs don’t last long, and despite the shit that’s brewing, I’ve got to eat.
Savannah still sleeps, her face serene. She seems at peace, so I don’t want to disturb her. I rise, walk to the kitchen, shove a few pieces of bread into the toaster, and then type Leif Ramsey’s number into my cell phone.
Four rings, and then— “Yeah? This is Ramsey.”
I clear my throat. “Hello, Leif.”
“Who is—” A pause for a few seconds. It seems like an eternity. “Falcon? Is that you?”
“It is.”
“Yeah, my dad said you were getting out.”
Leif’s father, Krister Ramsey, visited me in prison quite a few times. But Leif never did.
“Where are you? You still in New York?”
“As a matter of fact, I’m here. Home.”
My jaw drops. “You are?”
“Yeah. I just got married.”
Leif Ramsey got married? Not too big of a shock. His blond good looks always had the ladies in a twitter. He and I were like night and day, literally.
“I suppose you’re wondering why I’m calling,” I say.
“No congratulations?”
Is he fucking serious? He didn’t get in touch with me at all while I was in prison.
“Sure, whatever. Listen, I—”
“Look, I should’ve visited, man. I was overseas a lot of that time, and—”
“I don’t want your apologies, Leif. I can’t take it right now anyway. What I need is your help.”
Another pregnant pause, and then, “I’m listening.”
“I—”
“Wait, wait. Before you say anything more, I just want to tell you how sorry I was to hear about Raven.”
Man, I really can’t go there now. “Raven’s going to be fine.”
“Yeah. I hope so. I heard you donated bone marrow.”
This line of conversation has to end. If I let myself think about Raven, I’ll go soft. “Listen, there’s a lot we could talk about. Like I could try to find out why Eagle’s hanging around Scarlett.”
“Eagle’s hanging around Scarlett?”
“Damn, do you know what your family’s doing, Ramsey?”
“Hey, you just—”
“Save it. This isn’t what any of this is about. I’m going to need some help. I know you’ve been doing security and investigative work for the Wolfe family in New York. I’m thinking I need to hire you.”
“What for?”
“There’re some things I need to tell you, but I can’t say them over the phone. Can you come to my place? We’ll talk outside.”
“You don’t think your place is safe?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But I want you to have a look. You’re trained in detecting surveillance, right?”
“Yeah.”
“How quickly can you get here?”
“Kelly and I are free tonight.”
“Kelly? I assume that’s your wife?”
“She is. She’s been through some shit as well.”
“Welcome to the fucking club. All right. I’ll text you the address.”
“Falcon, you don’t need to text me the address. I was there when the house was being built, remember?”
Despite myself, I crack a smile at the memory. “Yeah. I remember. Nix it, though. Meet me at the hospital instead. I have to check on some people there.”
“Oh? Is Raven…”
Just the thought slices into me like a knife. “No. Some others.”
“Got it. Just text me where.” A short pause. “Maybe one day you’ll trust me enough to tell me what happened. Why you bagged on all our plans.”
I don’t answer.
Because that day will never come.
16
SAVANNAH
I think I’m awake.
But I’m not sure. The sun is streaming in from a window, hitting my face.
My mind is a haze, and I don’t feel like I can move my body.
It’s like one of those dreams you have in that semi-awake state. Where you know what’s going on around you, but you can’t move.
I’m not even sure where I am.