Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Tyler place the folder on the coffee table before he left. She stared at the folder. “I should read it.”
“You should not,” Travus countered. “It will give you nightmares.”
“I already have those.” She shook her head. “Well, not so much anymore. Because I thought I was safe. I mean, I am safe. Why would he come after me? It’s been nine months. I’ve heard nothing. And I don’t think I was that important to him. I never saw anything. I don’t even know where I was because I have a fucking terrible sense of direction and I arrived at night via helicopter then a car with tinted windows. I left a similar way. I was stupid to be fooled by him like that. I need to read what’s in the folder.”
“No, you don’t. You will have nightmares and I won’t have it. And I know you’ll feel guilty or stupid or some shit like that and I won’t have that either.”
“You can’t control everything that happens to me, Travis. Or everything that I feel.”
“I can sure as hell try.” Leaning in, he kissed her gently. “Because you are mine to take care of. Mine to cherish. Mine to love. And you are infinitely lovable, you are precious, you deserve good things. You know who is none of those things? Your fucking parents and Aadan fucking Joseph.”
She let out a sigh that kind of shuddered because she was barely holding back more tears.
“And I’m here to tell you that as often as you need to hear it, understand me, beautiful girl?” He peppered her face with kisses, catching the tears that slipped free. Then he kissed her lightly. “Utterly beautiful. Completely lovable. So deserving of everything good in her life. Including me.”
She had to laugh at that. Lack of confidence was not something that Travis suffered from.
“I’m going to take care of you, baby.” He wrapped her up tight in his arms and she held onto him just as tightly. “I just need you to let me.”
“I’ll try.”
“That means having a bodyguard for a while longer. Doesn’t have to be Tyler, I know how annoying he can be.”
She found herself grinning again. “I like Tyler.”
Travis grunted. “Don’t have to lie to me.”
“I’m not!” She lightly slapped his chest, leaning back to glare up at him.
He winked at her.
“How long will I need a bodyguard for?” She still thought it was overkill when Aadan had probably forgotten she existed. But she knew that Travis needed to do this.
So for him she’d put up with it.
“Oh, I don’t know . . . I was thinking the rest of your life?”
“Travis!” she cried.
“Just let me protect you for a while, okay? Alexa is still doing a bit more research into him. I don’t know what I’m looking for exactly . . . but when I feel more confident that you’re safe, I’ll remove Tyler. Although, I really don’t want you going to this protest tomorrow.”
She sighed. “It has nothing to do with Aadan, though.”
He just stared at her.
“I have to keep living my life. And I really want to get some images.”
“Can you do it from afar?”
They wouldn’t be as good. Urgh. “I suppose.”
“Thank you, baby. I appreciate it. I love you, I just never want anything to happen to you.”
Yeah, she understood that since she felt the same way.
No, no, no!
She saw him fling back his arm, ready to strike the smaller man in front of him. Caren tried to run to him . . . to get in between them . . . but an arm wrapped around her middle and another one was placed over her mouth.
“Shut up, you stupid girl. You’re going to get yourself killed. Never come back here, forget all about him, or you and everyone you love . . . are dead.”
Caren sat up with a gasp, shaking and sweating. What was that? She’d never heard those words before, why would her brain make them up?
What was wrong with her?
“Baby, hey. What happened? What’s wrong?” Travis sat up and she flung herself at him.
“It felt so real. It felt so real,” she cried.
“Fucking hell. I should have known this would happen. I never should have told you that I was looking into him.”
“No, no. I’ve had nightmares about him before. This isn’t your fault. It’s just . . . this one was different.”
She told him what the voice had said. “What do you think it means?”
“I think it means you’re nervous I’m going to unearth a hornet’s nest.” He held her tighter. “But no matter what happens, I won’t allow any harm to come to you. Understand?”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you either!” she cried.
“Nothing will, baby. I promise.”
Caren wished that she could simply believe that. But it wasn’t really a promise that he could make.