Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Hell, I wouldn’t want to be with me either.
But God, how I miss him.
To keep myself busy, I’ve been sketching like a madwoman, and I even decided to reach out to my favorite gallery to see if they’d exhibit some of my work under a pseudonym, and I’m meeting with them later this afternoon.
It’ll be a soft launch, since I’m not well known, but the fact that they agreed to give me gallery space meant a lot to me.
It sucks that no one I care about will be there.
Fuck, I’m lonely.
There’s a knock on my door, and I open it to find Bishop standing there.
“Hello, Lena. I just have some questions for you, if you have time.”
“I have nothing but time. Come on in.” I step back, giving him room to pass. “This is convenient because I have some questions for you too.”
We walk into the living room and have a seat across from each other.
“How are you feeling?” he asks me.
“Fine. I have headaches once in a while, but I’m told that’s normal.”
He nods. “Good. I’m glad you’re healing. Lena, I have to ask questions about Chelsea.”
I frown over at him. “Is she in trouble?”
His eyes narrow. “You don’t know.”
My stomach rolls. I never know anything.
“Well, why don’t you tell me?”
Bishop blows out a breath and pulls his hand down his face. “Chelsea was the one responsible for feeding information to the people who tried to take you.”
No.
“She was having an affair with Rogers, and he was feeding her drug addiction in exchange for inside information on your whereabouts.”
This is impossible.
“She’s currently in jail, awaiting trial, and she’ll end up in prison for the rest of her life for treason.”
I’m simply staring at him, not even blinking. I don’t want Chelsea in my life anymore, but I wouldn’t wish this on her. She was on . . . their side? She was my best friend!
“This is impossible.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s not. It’s the truth. I need to ask questions about specific times and dates that the two of you were together and what she was privy to.”
“She was privy to fucking everything. She was my best friend. My only friend, thanks to this fucked-up life I live. Jesus.” I stand and pace the room, my heart hammering. “She could have had me killed. She could have had Gideon killed.”
I hate that her weakness was used against her, but she knew that I would get hurt, and she didn’t care.
She didn’t care.
I spin and stare at Bishop, who’s now also standing.
“Please tell me he’s okay. Dad said he is, but—”
“He’s in Montana,” Bishop says with a nod. “The three of them are safe, Lena.”
My shoulders drop in relief. “Why isn’t he here? Or better yet, why am I not there? No one will fucking talk to me, and I can’t get his number.”
Bishop’s face is hard, and he doesn’t look like he’s going to answer me.
“Please talk to me. I’m not a child, Bishop. I deserve to know what in the hell is going on.”
He’s quiet for so long, I’m convinced he’s not going to answer me, and my heart sinks.
Finally, he whispers, “Shit,” and sits down again.
“You’re here because your mother wanted you to be here. The threat was eliminated, and it was time for you to come home. Gideon is in Montana because that’s where he lives, Lena.”
I shake my head. “You know what I’m asking you. He would not just abandon me. If my mom insisted I come back here, he would have come with me. Why isn’t he here, Bishop?”
“Because he was given very specific orders to not be here,” he replies. “Not because he didn’t want you, Lena. He was a fucking mess in that hospital. I’ve never seen him like that.”
Oh, thank God.
He didn’t abandon me.
“We don’t question the commander in chief’s orders. We follow those orders to a T. It’s what we do. He left that night because he’d been given the order to do so, but that isn’t what he wanted.”
Tears fill my eyes, and I cover my mouth with my hands, holding the sobs in.
“What do I do?” The question comes out as a hoarse whisper. “I want to be in Montana. I need to be with him.”
“I think you need to take a little time,” he replies slowly. “You’re still healing, and if you’re going to fight your mother for what you want, you need to be at the top of your game for that.”
He’s not wrong.
“Keep getting well. Work on your art. If you want, I’ll set you up with a therapist to help you navigate all this, and when the time is right, Gideon will be there. Trust me, he’s not going anywhere.”
“I want to call him. I need to tell him what the plan is and hear his voice. I was with him every single day for weeks, and now nothing? This isn’t right, Bishop.”