Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
I filled a bucket with soapy water and began wiping down the cupboards. It would pass the time until Gwen and her dad showed up to get the chair.
A few moments later, there was a knock at my door. It was the same rap-rap-rap that Davey always used, so I knew it was him. The people buying the chair were early, but I was fine with that. I headed toward it, glad to have this almost over.
I swung open the door, expecting Davey, Gwen, and her dad.
Instead, a face I never wanted to see again stared at me. Cold, light, watery blue eyes glared.
“Hello, Autumn. Miss me?”
CHAPTER TWENTY
SULLY
Irolled over, unable to sleep. Punching down my pillow, I tried to relax, but nothing seemed to work. I felt a tightness in my shoulders, and my neck ached. I sat up, rolling my head carefully, inhaling long and deep, then breathing out slowly.
Still, I felt tense. Unsettled. I glanced at the clock, grimacing. It was barely past three. I had been struggling to sleep for over two hours, having woken up feeling startled and uneasy for some reason.
I got out of bed and headed to the kitchen, flipping on the coffee machine, going through the motions of grinding the beans and prepping them. I watched as the drips became a small stream, the rich aroma of the coffee filling the space.
Autumn liked my fancy-pants machine but was never patient enough to wait. She always had a Keurig cup then moved on to the real stuff I would brew for her.
I glanced at my phone, checking the tracker in her phone that linked me to her location. It blinked a steady blue, telling me she was still at The Haven. She had told me she’d sold the final piece of furniture and admitted she was done with the process, planning on giving away the last items.
I hadn’t wanted her to sell anything. I told her to give it all away, and I would take care of filling Lynn’s “incidental” account. Replacing anything of hers she sold to move here. When I found out from Finn she planned on using Facebook Marketplace, I had called her, upset and yelling.
“No!” I snarled into the phone. “No fucking Marketplace! No goddamn bulletin board! That is fucking dangerous!”
Her voice became low. Deadly calm. “I beg your pardon?”
“You don’t need to sell anything. I will take care of you.”
“What I do with my own possessions is not up to you, Sullivan Black.”
Her using my full name should have been a clue to back off, but I was too far gone.
“You are being reckless and endangering yourself for nothing. A few lousy bucks. Have you thought of the people you might be dealing with? That Alan could be stalking you through your profile?”
There was silence for a moment except for her breathing.
“I have. And as I explained to Una, I am using Lynn’s profile, a woman who Alan knew nothing about. I never mentioned her to him. And I plan on checking the profiles, only allowing pickups at certain times, and Davey will escort them upstairs. I am not being reckless or endangering myself.” She took a deep breath. “And what might seem like a few lousy bucks to you is not to me or Lynn. We both worked hard for what we have. And I do not need you to look after me. I am a strong, intelligent woman, capable of making her own decisions and taking care of herself. I thought you felt that way as well, but apparently not.”
I was taken aback by her words. She had obviously thought this out, and I had just insulted her on many levels.
“He could have dug around and found out about Lynn,” I pointed out.
Her voice was cool. “And again, I will be checking profiles and have Davey with me.”
Silence screamed between us.
“I think I’ll hang up now,” she murmured. “Perhaps give you time to cool off.”
“No, Autumn—wait.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, love. You’re right. I’m being a total arse.”
“Why are you doing that?” she asked, her anger tempered with sadness.
“Because I hate that you’re there and I’m here. I’m worried about you, and I’m pissed this fecker seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“I’m fine, Sully. I miss you too, but everything I’m doing is bringing me closer to coming to you. And if Alan is nowhere to be found, that’s a good thing.”
I was back to being Sully, so I felt relief course through me.
“I’m sorry, mo fhiadh beag. We’re so close to you coming, and I worry every day something is going to stop you.”
“Nothing is going to stop me, Sully. I love you.”
I found great comfort in those words.
My coffee finished brewing, and I carried the cup to the window, looking out on the streets below. The pavement was damp, the light snow we’d received gone once again. It was cold and the wind strong—usual late fall weather for Scotland.