Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“It was all a lie,” she murmured. She reached for Raven’s hand. “He hurt you.”
“I’ll recover.”
“That bastard!” Deb spat out. “I knew something was off. He was too perfect.”
I bit back my smile. I was glad to see her anger.
“I knew it wasn’t going to work,” she added. “But I didn’t expect this.”
“None of us did.”
She tossed her hair. “I met someone last night. My neighbor’s brother moved back into town. He asked me for a drink, and when I told him why I couldn’t right then—how upset I was about you, Raven, he was great. He sat and talked to me about life in general. Distracted me.”
“Maybe you should take him up on the offer,” Raven said.
“Maybe I will.” She paused. “Where is Stew now?”
“Where he can’t hurt anyone,” I lied smoothly. “He won’t be back.”
“Good.”
Egan knocked and came in, stopping when he saw Deb. “You got a moment?” he asked.
I stood. “I’ll give you girls some time to talk. Raven, are you okay if I go downstairs with Egan?”
She paused, then nodded. “Yes.”
“I won’t leave her until you get back,” Deb offered.
“Okay.”
Downstairs, Egan showed me a file he thought I’d be interested in. I stared at the image on the screen. It was a younger version of Raven—or a very close facsimile. “Who is that?”
“The girl Andy stalked when he was younger. I think he created his site to look for replacements. He saw Raven’s picture, and that was that. I found several files on his computer of women he went after.”
“Were they hurt?”
“Not to the extent of what just happened. It escalated with Raven.”
“You give this to Marcus and Julian?”
“Yes. They’re going to make sure a complete investigation is done and anyone who needs it gets help. Financially or mentally. They told me to show you and then you could move on, knowing the why. He was mentally unstable and fixated on a certain type. Unfortunately, he had the wealth and talent to do something about it.”
I stood. “Had is the operative word. He’s gone. He can’t hurt her or anyone else again.”
“Nope.”
I stuck out my hand. “Thanks for everything, Egan. You’ve been amazing.”
He stood and hugged me. “You are my friend. And soon to be my cousin. Of course.”
“Sofia know about the cousin thing yet?”
“No. I like to prepare. She’s like building a bomb. One careful piece after another. Each one perfect.” He grinned. “And I am excellent at building a bomb. She will be my greatest detonation. Fireworks like never before seen.”
I laughed and headed back upstairs. I had a feeling Sofia had no idea what she was up against.
And I hoped Egan got his wish. With him beside her, I wouldn’t have to worry about her happiness, safety, or anything. I knew him well enough to know that. I hoped she could see that too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Damien
The look of sheer delight on Raven’s face as we approached the island let me know I’d made the right decision in bringing her here. We’d traveled with Julian and Marcus, the private plane making her comfortable as they suggested. She still shied away from bright lights, loud noises, and strangers. Even going for a walk caused her anxiety. She clung to my side, pressed as close to my body as she could when people would walk our way. She’d been unable to return to work at the camp, and Deb had told her the replacement they hired wasn’t as much fun to work with, although she understood why Raven wasn’t coming back.
She needed time, space, and love to recover, and I planned on giving her all of them. Leo and Egan were running Elite in my absence, Egan thrilled to be donning a suit and looking businesslike and professional. He informed me Sofia liked that look, so he was going with it. He carried a briefcase and made sure that she saw him as often as possible in his business attire.
“I wear her down. Brick by brick,” he told me. “The wall is going.”
Sofia, of course, had no comment on the subject, although I noticed her softening toward him.
“It’s so beautiful,” Raven murmured, bringing me back to the present.
I held her close, her back pressed to my chest. I had my arm wrapped around her tight, and I gripped the rail of the boat to keep us upright. I lowered my head and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Almost as beautiful as you.”
She laughed softly, squeezing my arm. I glanced down, pleased to see the welts and bruises beginning to fade. I hoped the sun, peace, and beauty of this place helped the memories fade as well.
We arrived and were greeted enthusiastically by the crew. Missy, Tally, and Evie were all smiles and welcoming hugs. Matteo shook my hand and waited until Raven extended hers before approaching her. He was still larger-than-life, his presence intense, his countenance serious. But his voice was gentle and careful while interacting with Raven. I appreciated his holding back, knowing he would make Raven nervous.