Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Fuck, she deserves better than this. She deserves a life away from this. I could have killed that man—hell, I still might.
Gently, I rise from the bed and walk into the adjoining bathroom. I quickly wash my hands, and after looking in the mirror and seeing the blood on my face, I wash that off too.
“Greyson?” Alice calls from the other room.
I dry my face and my hands on a towel hanging on the wall and walk back into the bedroom. Alice looks so small on the bed, and I want to lie down next to her and hold her, but I don’t dare.
I stuff my hands in my pockets. “Are you okay?”
She nods, still wide-eyed.
I walk closer to the bed. “I’m sorry. I should have…”
She sits up and groans. I hold my hands out to her. “What is it? What’s wrong… Did he—?”
She’s looking at me blankly and then shakes her head. “He didn’t hurt me… not like that. You got there before he hit me.” She touches her ribs. “But I think I’m a little bruised from him holding me.”
I fist my hands at my sides. “Can I look at it?”
“Will you help me, Grey?”
I let out a breath. “Honey, whatever you need, I’m here for you.”
She slides to the side of the bed, and just that small movement seems to take it out of her. She groans as she stands up. “I would like to shower and get out of these clothes.”
I don’t want to leave her. I also know we don’t have the type of relationship where I can just stand here and watch her undress. But I don’t want to walk out.
She’s holding the hem of her shirt. “I don’t want you to leave. I know there are things you need to do, but I don’t want to be alone.”
I nod. Hell, I don’t want to leave, but I want her to be comfortable too. Especially after everything that she went through tonight. “I can stand outside the door if you want me to get Lexi or Emily to help you.”
She bites her lower lip and seems to think about it. “I’d rather you help me.”
I nod because there’s no way I can tell her no. She unbuttons her shirt and then starts to take it off her shoulders. I tell myself not to look, but I do. My gaze travels across her neck, shoulders, and stomach. Her skin is red, and there are bruises already forming. I take a step toward her and touch my hand to her skin softly. “Oh, baby.”
I caress my hand over the pink, swollen bruises across her neck, her shoulders, and the handprint at her ribs. Anger ignites inside me again, and I want to stomp downstairs and finish what I started, but Alice puts her hands at my waist. “Gunner.”
I blink. “Fuck, I’m so sorry. If I was there—”
She lifts her hand and puts a finger over my lips. “This is not your fault, Grey.”
I’m not going to argue with her, but I know this is my fault. If I’d been with her, there’s no way this would have happened. She lowers her hand, and I miss her touch. Fuck, I have it bad. “What do you need, Alice? What can I do?”
She lowers her head and looks at my chest. “I don’t want to be alone.”
I put my hand on her chin and lift her head so she’s looking at me. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She nods her head. “I want to take a bath.”
My chest seizes up. “Okay.”
I put my hand on her shoulder and walk her into the bathroom. I help her sit down on the closed toilet lid and then turn to the bathtub, turning on the water. I test the temp, and when I get it to where it needs to be, I grab two bottles off the edge of the tub. “Okay, you want jasmine or, uh, strawberries?” I ask her, reading the labels.
“Jasmine.”
I pour some in, and soon the bath fills with bubbles and the scent of jasmine fills the air.
I bend down in front of her, pulling at her boots and then rolling off her socks. She’s sitting in front of me with her bra and jeans on, and I’m not sure how much more she wants me to do. Unsure, I gesture to her jeans. “Can I?”
She nods, and I stand up, pulling her gently with me. Slowly, I undo her jeans and then pull them down her legs. She puts a hand on my back as she shifts foot to foot so I can remove her pants. I try not to look. She deserves more than me gawking at her, so I force my eyes to hers.
Before I can walk out, she has her hands behind her back and undoes her bra. I stand here tensely with my cock shamelessly expanding in my pants. The straps fall from her shoulders, and then she lets the bra fall to the ground.