Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
It sounded like a lot. “You’re sure this is necessary?”
After a moment, Ruby responded. “I have a weird feeling.”
She’d learned to trust her partner’s instincts. “They can land in the field north of the house. Any kind of ETA?”
Niall walked back in, a frown on his face. He immediately turned and went to the closet, opening it and disappearing inside.
He looked super serious.
“It should be any time now.” Harlow could practically see Ruby wincing as she said the words. “I’m sorry. I kind of wanted you to not be able to say no.”
“Because you have a feeling.” Harlow felt a chill go down her spine. “We’ll be packed up and ready. Can you call my folks and tell them what’s happening? If I get on the line, they’ll want me to wait.”
Adrenaline started to pulse through her. Ruby had a sixth sense about when things were about to go wrong. The last time she’d told Ruby to ignore that sense, they’d hired Daisy O’Donnell and gotten themselves into this mess. She was going to listen to her bestie on how to get out of it.
What was going on with Niall? And where the hell was Jensen? Probably taking a walk or something, but he should leave a damn note. It wasn’t like they were on vacation.
“Will do.” Ruby paused for a moment. “I’ll have the chopper take you right to the MT building, and Big Tag can move you from there to Sanctum. I kind of won’t breathe until I know you’re there. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be your dad.”
“It’s okay. I’m not even mad at my dad anymore. Tell them everything and have them meet us at Sanctum tonight. Tell Dad I’ll order his favorite burger from Top and convince Mom it’s the veggie burger.” She wasn’t going to be angry anymore. Her family loved her, and they would work this all out. Being at Sanctum meant she could have her family and friends over and still be safe. It was a good thing. Niall walked out of the closet, and there was a grim look to his eyes. Her stomach sank. “I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon.” Ruby hung up.
“What is it?” She asked the question, but she was afraid she already knew the answer. He wouldn’t, though. He wouldn’t do this to her twice. He wouldn’t do this to her after last night. He just…wouldn’t.
“He either left on foot or he went with Jack,” Niall said, his voice tight.
She wanted to throw up. He left her. Again. He made the choice for her without discussing or talking about it. Something cold hit her. She put the phone down and went over the last twelve hours in her brain, and now she could see what he’d been doing.
One last night. One long good-bye.
He wasn’t leaving because he didn’t love her. He did love her in as much as he could love anyone. But there was something deeply broken in Jensen. He was being a martyr, but that didn’t excuse the fact that she wasn’t worth talking to. Wasn’t worth letting in on the plots and plans.
Niall was ranting, but then he hadn’t been in this place before. Oh, she knew Jensen had pulled some shit on him over the years, but it hit different after spending days in bed with someone. Even if they didn’t have sex together, their relationship had hit an intimacy plateau.
Would Niall want her if Jensen wasn’t involved? Would they even work? Or would they always miss the part of them that walked away?
She stood there listening to Niall’s anger, and all she could feel was sorrow.
And a little panic. Ruby had a feeling that she needed to be in Dallas. Did she need to be in Dallas because someone was coming for them? Or because Jensen was making a mistake. One that could cost him his life.
Ruby said something had changed. That the hit was going down today. Would they take Jensen out if they didn’t know where he’d hidden the information? “What would happen if Jensen went with Jack?”
Niall stopped, and his face flushed. “What? I mean I’m assuming he went with Jack and everything he said last night about listening to the lawyer this morning was complete bullshit.”
Harlow nodded. She shoved down her heartache because there was a mystery to be solved and logic to be followed. It was good because she knew this time when her heart broke, it might not come back together again. She’d been stupid to open it. But she wasn’t thinking about that now. “All right. He goes with Jack when Jack left this morning. He needed roughly four hours to get back to Dallas, and he’ll want to shower and shave before checking in, so if he was planning to get to meet with his boss before he went to the meeting at the club to go over security for the Hamilton visit, he would have left around six a.m. It’s nine now, so he should be about an hour outside of Dallas. He would go with Jack so Jack can potentially put him in protective custody.”