Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
“And I’m sorry I treated you so coldly that last time we spoke before Fergus’s death. I’ve always felt terrible that I never did more for you.”
“I wasn’t your responsibility.”
Jared just grunted. “I was going to free you, you know. Once things died down after Fergus’s death. But you ran. You were safe while away from me, but now we’ve put you at risk. However, I won’t let anyone harm you, baby. I will die before that happens.”
“I don’t want you to die,” she said. “Either of you.”
The door to her room opened and North stepped inside.
His face looked as impassive as always, but he was tense as he stormed to her side. He leaned over her, and to her shock, cupped the side of her face gently.
“Are you all right? Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?” North asked and it took her a moment to realize he was talking about the Fox.
“He didn’t. I promise. He’s a friend.”
His gaze narrowed.
“A renowned assassin is your friend?” he murmured.
“Yes. I promise he won't harm me.”
“He didn’t seem like he would, but that doesn’t mean that if the price wasn’t high enough he wouldn’t turn on you,” Jared said.
She understood his mistrust. Like her, he’d had little reason growing up to trust anyone, to let anyone close. But she just knew, deep inside, that the Fox wouldn’t harm her.
“I know I’ve got no concrete reason to trust him, but I do.”
“Fuck,” North said. “We should move. Take on new identities and leave the country.”
“Yeah, right.” She let out a small laugh. “I didn’t know you joked like that. If we go anywhere, can it be warm, and have a beach where I can swim in the water with turtles?”
That had always been her dream.
Then she realized that neither of them were smiling. In fact, they looked very serious as they stared at each other.
“Turtles?” North asked.
“Yeah, I love whales but I don’t want to swim with them. However I once watched this travel show where they swum with turtles and it looked magical.”
“I wish we could,” Jared said. “But if I leave, who will take over? Antony is dead, there would be a power vacuum and it could be someone far worse than him.”
“She has an assassin for a friend,” North said. “She’s not safe.”
“And I have a mafia kingpin and his assistant for boyfriends,” she said hotly. “The Fox isn’t a bad person. I’m safe from him.”
“She’s right, North. We don’t have any reason to suspect he’s a danger to her.”
North started to pace. He really didn’t like this, did he?
At all.
“North? Are you all right?” she asked.
“He got close to you. I knew there weren’t enough guards on the doors. I should have stayed here. I should have protected you both.”
She sent Jared a look, but he seemed as worried as she felt.
“It’s not your job to keep me safe,” she said.
“But it is!” he yelled.
Oh God.
North definitely wasn’t all right. She took in a breath and let it out slowly.
“North,” Jared said quietly, walking over to him. “North. Everything is fine.”
“It is not. I failed. He could have killed her.”
“But he didn’t.” Jared wrapped his hand around the back of North’s head.
Quicker than she could even see what had happened, North had a knife pointed at Jared’s throat.
She whimpered.
What was going on here?
“It’s all right, baby,” Jared said soothingly. “North just needs a bit of a reset.”
“Don’t be fucking condescending to me.”
North’s cheeks were flushed. He was trembling. What was going on? Whatever it was, it was freaking her out.
“I didn’t mean to be,” Jared told him. “But you need to calm down.”
“Fuck. You.”
She kind of agreed with North. She hated when people told her to just calm down. If she could do that, she would have.
“On your knees.”
“Fuck. You.”
“On. Your. Knees. Or I will put you there.” Jared moved his other hand to wrap his it around North’s wrist. Then he started drawing the knife away from his throat. “You are mine, boy. You belong to me. You do what I say. And you’re being very naughty right now.”
She winced at those words. She didn’t think North would take them well. And he didn’t. He lunged. But Jared managed to spin him, knocking the knife from his hand as he turned him so North’s back was against Jared’s front and Jared had his arm across his neck.
North was heaving for breath, his face twisted.
“This was not on you. I’m at fault here,” Jared told him. “It’s my job to take care of you both.”
“Nothing happened,” she said. “No one is at fault.”
Both men stared over at her and she swallowed heavily.
Sheesh.
“Someone got into your room without our permission,” Jared told her. “Friend or enemy, it doesn’t matter. Security failed you. But it is on me, not you, North.”