Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 73192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Tyler’s here.”
I frowned. “How do you know?”
He gestured to something over his shoulder and I felt my stomach tense.
Cameras were set up on the driveway showing Tyler as he pulled up in his police cruiser, coming to a stop right underneath the garage view for the security system. This angle was giving me an unencumbered view of the inside cab of Tyler’s vehicle.
He wasn’t in the jeans and t-shirt that I last saw him in. Instead, he was decked out in his full uniform—navy button up uniform shirt, navy pants, a hat on his head that said Hostel PD and from the bulk of his chest, I could see that he had his Kevlar vest on.
All the other bells and whistles were there, too. His utility belt, the mic at his shoulder and the blazing gold badge on his chest that declared him a police officer.
I admired him, temporarily forgetting everything that had happened that day and studied every single feature that I could make out.
I couldn’t see his face, though. With the way the night darkened the interior of his vehicle and the light above where he was parked casting shadows along with the hat he had pulled low over his head, I couldn’t make out the expression on his face.
I watched in silence as he leaned over and pressed his head against the steering wheel, resting it there for a few long seconds.
Then he pulled back and then seemed to snap.
His fist came down hard on the steering wheel five times in quick concession and the movement of his body caused his hat to come askew.
The moment that I could make out his face, I realized that Tyler was blaming himself.
“Still think he didn’t regret what he said?” came Rome’s careful reply.
I didn’t look at him.
Instead, I got up from where I’d been wrapped in a blanket on Rome’s couch and hurried to the front door.
Once I was outside, I raced down the steps toward Tyler, who was still in his cruiser, pounding away at the steering wheel.
I reached for the door but stopped when he leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and looking so defeated that I wanted nothing more than to hold him.
Pressing my hand against the window, I whispered to him. “Tyler.”
There was no possible way that he could’ve heard me.
None.
But his eyes opened and he turned to see me standing there, hand pressed against the glass.
He closed his eyes again, then moved so that his forehead was pressed to the glass where my fingertips were.
It didn’t feel like a quarter inch of glass was separating us. It felt like his forehead was resting directly on my palm.
I clenched my other hand, waiting for him to come to whatever decision he seemed to be weighing.
Five long minutes later, I backed up as he pushed his door open.
Then I was caught up in his arms and he was pressing his face into the crook of my neck.
“You did something to my heart,” he said. “I can’t fuckin’ think because you’re all in my head, making me do and say things that I never would’ve done before you.”
I tightened my arms around his neck and turned my face slightly so I could press a kiss to his ear.
“I love you, Tyler.”
I hadn’t meant to tell him that.
I didn’t want to scare him away with my feelings, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
I needed him to know what he meant to me, just in case something happened and things didn’t work out the way I hoped.
His entire body shivered. “My life would be easier if I didn’t love you back.”
I felt myself smiling.
“I’m sorry for what I said.” He paused. “Well, I’m not necessarily sorry, but I would’ve waited until I knew you were okay first before I lit into you.”
I chuckled, which turned kind of watery halfway through.
And then, not two seconds later, I was crying my eyes out and Tyler was the one holding me now instead of the other way around.
“I love you,” he told me long minutes later, tears still in my eyes. “And your dad and I had a talk today…we also found we have stuff in common.”
That sobered me enough to lift my head from his neck and give him a curious glance.
“Seems we both want to kill Dusty but can’t.”
My mouth fell open at his words. “Y’all can’t get into trouble…”
He tightened his hands on my hips. “We won’t, honey. We’re old enough to realize the consequences of such actions but, just sayin’, I better not catch him anywhere fuckin’ near you. And we will be pressing charges on his ass.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he stopped me by placing his hand over my mouth.
“You may think that by not doing so you’re helping us, or hell, even that Dusty will just get out, but that’s not quite the truth,” he murmured, eyes serious. “This time, we may not get any further than where your father got last time when y’all tried to file a restraining order. But, let me tell you something, if it’s not recorded, it didn’t happen. One day soon, Dusty’s going to fuck up. And when he does, I’ll be there, ready to charge him. But I want to make sure that I can charge him with every goddamn crime I possibly can and to do that, I need to have all his past offenses on record.”