Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Plus, what did it hurt her to find Abe and head back to the hotel with him instead of on her own? Why would she want to be on her own, anyway? She was used to a house filled with people. Being alone sounded scary.
“Immy? We gotta go. I need to get back to the hotel.” Abe was frowning as he strode toward her.
But that was nothing unusual.
Abe was generally bossy and demanding. He was very driven and smart. She hoped one day he could find someone special who would make him see that there was more to life than just work.
Abe deserved that. He was loyal and he could be really kind. When he took his head out of his own butt.
“I’m ready,” she said cheerfully, wrapping her hand around one arm to guide him along as he tapped on his phone. He’d been known to bang into people. And walls. Once he’d actually walked out in front of a car and nearly been run over. He’d been doing better since then about being aware of his surroundings.
“Don’t need you to guide me, Immy,” he grumbled.
“I’m not,” she lied. “I felt a bit light-headed so I’m hanging on.”
He came to an abrupt stop and turned to her, putting his phone away in his pocket.
Shoot.
What was she thinking? That was the last thing she should have said. Although it wasn’t actually a lie.
“You feel light-headed?” he demanded.
“Just a tiny bit,” she admitted. “But I was also trying to guide you.”
Immy was a terrible liar. But she also wished she hadn’t mentioned being light-headed. Because she could tell from the look on Abe’s face that he was about to go all mother hen on her.
Immy had been really sick as a baby and her immune system hadn’t recovered. So now, it was easy for her to get sick and when she did catch something, she tended to get sicker than everyone else.
It sucked.
But it was what it was.
“You look pale.”
“I always look pale, I’m a natural redhead,” she said quickly.
“No, no. Paler than normal.” Abe placed the back of his hand over her forehead. “And you feel hot.”
“I do not feel hot.”
“You do.”
“Don’t you have some work to do?” she asked desperately. “Where’s your phone? You should be on your phone.”
“You are more important than work,” he told her, taking her hand in his.
That was so sweet and she would have appreciated the sentiment under other circumstances.
“Come on, let’s get you back to the hotel and into bed. Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t well?”
“Because I’m fine, Abe,” she said with exasperation. “Why won’t you listen to me?”
“Fine? Being pale, dizzy, and running a fever is not fine. That tells me that you’re ill. I’m going to message the others.”
“No! Don’t message the others!” she cried, trying to reach for his phone. She held onto his arm, but he used his free hand to type out a message.
Cupcakes!
Why did he have to be so good at typing one-handed?
“Abe! I’m fine. I don’t want to go to bed on my own.”
“Who the hell would you be planning to go to bed with?”
No one.
Sure, she might dream about Jenner falling madly in love with her and taking her to bed. She wanted her first time to be with him. She was certain he’d treat her like a princess.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she muttered. “I just don’t want to go to bed early.”
Abe grunted as he started moving again.
This time, he had his arm around her shoulders and his phone was in his hand, but he wasn’t on it.
Unicorn poop.
She was definitely in trouble. When Abe was on his phone working, she could usually get away with anything. But when he decided to focus on something, he gave it his full attention.
And that included her.
He walked outside and headed to a waiting town car that would take them to the hotel. Opening the door, he ushered her in as his gaze moved around their surroundings.
“Is everything okay?” she asked worriedly.
Why was he acting so alert? As though he anticipated a threat around every corner?
Her nerves started to jitter.
“Nothing,” he said as he climbed in. “I just get a weird feeling every now and then.”
Reaching over, she clasped his hand. “It’s all behind us, you know. We’re free.”
And they were.
They’d been free of the cult for years. They’d all gotten out safe. Some of them a bit more battered and bruised. But safe.
“Yeah, I know,” Abe said grimly. “Just sometimes it feels like there’s someone watching. Or like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know? As though the evil that was that place isn’t done with us yet.”
She tightened her hand on him as the car started to move. “Do you really believe that?”
“I don’t know . . . you know, of course I don’t believe that. You know me, I like to worry about everything. That’s my job, to think of all possible scenarios and how to troubleshoot them.”