Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
That was made loud and clear the day she came marching into my office. I’d never been so pissed, turned on, and proud all in one moment. That’s true, though. She’s always been able to pull out emotions from me that no one ever could before. I realized this even when I was younger.
My grandfather had seen it too. He only met her a couple of times, but he’d seen the way I watched her and how I talked about her to him. He knew one day I’d marry her. I did too. I wish he'd lived long enough to see her with that ring on her finger, but he knew. He was one of the reasons I knew Truly was different.
I always loved my grandfather. He'd been the only one I ever cared about growing up. Except I knew Truly was different because what I'd felt for her ran even deeper than any love I'd ever felt before.
I stand in the empty bathroom, about to lose my mind. She hadn't run. If she had run, she would have gone straight to me to either confront me or explain what was happening. That means a person took her, and that list is short.
Anger fills me. Those motherfuckers think they can take her from me. They'd done it before, and now they're trying again. I can already foresee their plan to fill her head with ideas. My guess would be they want her to now divorce me, then she could take part in the investment firm.
"She's not here?" Lauren asks, pushing open the bathroom door. I see Emily behind her along with a security guard. My eyes stay trained on Emily.
"You."
Emily's eyes widen.
"What?" Lauren asks.
"The fuck did you do?" I grit out. "And don't fucking lie to me. I'll spend the rest of my life devoted to ruining you like it's my motherfucking job." Emily stands there looking like a deer caught in headlights.
"Now!" Lauren barks at her, making the security guard and Emily stand up straighter.
"Her parents—I told them she'd be here tonight." As much as I want to lay into this cunt, that will be for later. She's not going anywhere.
"Move." I push past them back into the hallway. They wouldn't have taken her back toward the event. So I head down the hallway in the opposite direction.
When I push out a side emergency exit, I am momentarily relieved to see my wife, but as all the details around her snap into place for me, I feel utter rage take over. I lose my ever-loving mind.
Chapter Twenty-One
TRULY
“Blake,” I groan. Why are the lights so bright?
"Truly, please, open those eyes for me, beautiful." He sounds distressed, which has my eyes fluttering open.
“What's wrong, bear?” I ask as he slowly comes into sight. I have to blink a few times. When I see him in the black suit, everything comes flooding back to me. We’re not home; we’re at a charity event.
“How are you feeling?”
“My mother,” I croak out. "She's—"
"Handled," he finishes for me.
“She tried to—"
“Tell you lies.”
I stare up at him. "Yes." That was what she was doing. I reach up to touch Blake's cheek. “What happened?" The left side has a red mark. A slow, boyish smile takes over his handsome face, taking me back to younger days.
“You should see the other guy." I start to laugh but realize he’s not joking. That only becomes clearer when I hear sirens in the distance.
"What happened?" The last thing I remember is being in the bathroom, then the sound of a few voices. I know one was my father, but I didn't know the two others except that they were male.
"They tried to take you from me." Blake's expression grows intense, and I can see he's still fighting his anger. He's always been so good at hiding his emotions; now he's not so great at it. When it comes to me, at least.
"I would have come back," I reassure him. That makes him relax marginally.
"So you didn't believe whatever they tried to tell you?" he asks, but I don't get a chance to respond. Lauren is there, popping up behind him. I then realize that I am lying in the back of an SUV.
"We don't answer questions, got it?"
"Lauren." A lovely brunette smacks her shoulder. "Not the time for lawyer mode," the woman tells her.
"It's always time."
"What?" I ask Blake.
"The police. Lauren is telling us to not speak to the police, and her fiancée is scolding her because you're babbling."
"Why? We didn't do anything."
"Doesn't matter." Lauren's response is lightning fast.
"You're engaged?" That shouldn't be the question I have, but it is.
"Okay, this isn't the time either, but yes!" The brunette holds her hand up to show a ring.
"That's sweet," I say. "We should do lunch." The thought of food makes my stomach twist.