Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
He grinned, reading me like a book. “You scared of me, Isla?”
I shot straight up, angling my chin in defiance, challenging him. A hint of amusement passed through his gaze, but he blinked it away. Making me think I imagined it as if I needed to cling to some connection with him.
My thoughts were lying out in front of us, and I was unable to run away like I usually did.
Wanting.
Needing.
Waiting.
Holding my breath with every fiber in my being. I couldn’t breathe, and I counted silently in my head. It was the only way to keep myself from passing out over the sensations I couldn’t control for the life of me. Shivers coursed down my spine and back up my neck. My heart pounded harder against my chest.
Beat.
Beat.
Beat.
“What, Kitty? Cat got your tongue, or do you only reserve your voice for screaming my name? Is that how I make you purr?”
“More like hiss.”
He smiled widely. “Hiss all you want. At least it’s got you talking to me now.”
I looked away. I had to.
“Relax, I’m not going to tell Julius about tampering with your Morse Code.”
My eyes shifted back to his.
“The guilt is written all over your pretty little face, and if I can see it, Julius will too.”
I blushed. I couldn’t help that either.
Feeling brazen, I replied, “Save the guilt act. You’re the one who’s watching me sleep. How creepy is that?”
“Can’t have you scurrying away on my watch.”
“Because of Julius?”
“Because of everything. That’s twice now that I need to know you’re not going to run your mouth.”
“To who?”
“My brother.”
I was offended. “If I didn’t last time, why would I now?”
“Well, for one.” He leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees. His hair fell in front of his eyes. “I didn’t scare the shit out of you when I was on my bike.”
I didn’t hesitate in spewing…
“Says who?”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
KRAVEN
“How do you think I’m going to feel when I find you passed out in a ditch? I didn’t know if you were dead or alive.”
Continuing my pursuit to know everything about her, I questioned, “How did you know I was out there?”
She confessed, “I followed you.”
“Why?”
She shrugged.
“No,” I called her out. “We’ve moved past that, Kitty.”
Finally, she admitted, “I don’t know why I followed you, okay? I just did.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
“Alright.” I let it go. “Why didn’t you tell Julius you found me?”
“More like rescued you,” she pointed out. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Again, you’re not answering my question.”
“Well…” She threw it back at me. “Why didn’t you tell him?”
“I have Julius on my ass enough. I didn’t need another thing for him to ride me about.”
She didn’t say anything, just narrowed her eyes at me.
Feeling snarky, I bit, “You always bite your lip when you’re deep in thought?”
Her eyebrows lowered. “Is there anything you don’t notice?”
I leaned back into the armchair, smirking. Fighting the urge to tell her I noticed her…
Shaking off the thought, I waited for her next question, knowing it’d come soon.
“So,” she slowly stated, “what was last night about?”
“We’re back to that?” I sighed.
“We never left.”
“We did in my book. Besides, if I told you…” I joked, “I’d have to kill you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Considering you weren’t far from that last night with Justin, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
“Oh, come on,” I mocked. “He was far from death.”
“What did he do to even deserve that? Why does he hate you?”
“Why does it matter?”
She stood her ground. “You want me to answer your questions, then you’ll have to abide by the same rules.”
“So now we’re playing twenty questions?”
“I’d settle for five.”
I smiled, sneering, “You better make them good.”
She thought about it for a second, like she’d been wanting to ask me the entire time.
“Do you know where Julius is?”
I wasn’t surprised that was technically her first question, though it shocked me that she didn’t know either.
“No, I don’t.”
She let out a deep sigh.
“You’re worried?”
“You’re not?”
“He’s just working.”
“If that were the case, why wouldn’t he tell us what he was doing?”
“You asked him?”
“You didn’t?”
I heaved a shoulder. “We don’t talk about that stuff.”
“And why is that?”
Feeling defensive, I snarked, “You’re a persistent little thing, aren’t you?”
With a smug expression, she responded, “Takes one to know one.”
I scoffed out a chuckle. “You’re going to have to work on your insults.”
“I—”
“No.” I stopped her. “It’s my turn to ask you.” Unable to resist, I interrogated, “Are you in trouble?”
“I don’t think so.”
I reworded my question. “The night we met. Were you in trouble?”
Not faltering, she stated, “I don’t know.”
“You’re talking in circles.”
“I’m just being honest because I don’t know.”
Her sharp tone informed me she wasn’t lying.
“Alright then, what were you running from?”
“No,” she interjected. “It’s my turn now.” Arching an eyebrow, she followed up with, “What happened between you and Justin that he baited you?”