Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“Idiots,” Joshua snaps.
I smile broadly. “What’s wrong, Stan? Are the girls going to crash the slumber party you have planned?”
He narrows his eyes. “They are actually,” he murmurs. “What if they won’t go?” I ask.
“I’m not giving them a choice,” Ben replies. “This isn’t a joke, this is serious now. They have put us all under a cloud.”
Joshua shakes his head in disgust. “Let them know.”
Natasha
Joshua lies on my bed as I pack the last of my wardrobe. “Why are you bothering packing everything anyway? Just buy new things when you get there.”
I look at him deadpan. “Is that what you do?”
He shrugs. “I have a full wardrobe at Willowvale and one for LA. That way I don’t need to pack when I go.”
“So, will I wear my jodhpurs in LA?” I ask a little too sweetly as I bat my eyelids.
“You do know that you are learning to ride,” he replies matter of factly.
I raise my eyebrows. “Pff, as if.” I continue folding. “I hate horses…and vets. I really hate vets with a passion.” I widen my eyes to accentuate my point.
He quickly scrambles to change the subject. “I’m glad your mother is coming over in a month.”
My heart drops. “I’m more worried about Mum more than ever. At least before she had Bridget and Abbie to keep her company but now that they are coming, she will be left here alone.” I keep folding the clothes and putting them in the suitcase.
He smiles sadly. “She can come too. I told you that.”
“She won’t. I’ve been trying to persuade her all week.” I sigh. I blow out a breath and walk back into the closet.
“Hurry up. I’m hungry,” Joshua calls.
I stick my head out of the closet. “Well, go and make us dinner, dick.” Who is he kidding…hurry up. I’m hungry.
“I meant so we can go out for dinner. There is no food in the house.”
I stick my head back out of the closet. “Joshua, we leave tomorrow. I am not going out for dinner tonight.”
He shakes his head. “Looks like you are done to me.”
I smile. “No, can you go and get my diaries from the shoebox and put them in this bag.” I put a large tote on my bed and open my bedside table drawer as Joshua walks into the wardrobe. My heart stops as my eyes look into the drawer.
“Joshua,” I call. “Yeah,” he answers.
“Have you packed my things?”
“No,” he replies. “What things?”
“Can you come here, baby?”
My heart starts to thump through my chest as I am gripped by fear and my eyes dart around the room. “Someone has been in here.”
He frowns and walks over to see what I am looking at in the drawer.
My pink vibrator sits in an empty drawer, but my underwear is gone.
“Oh my God, he’s been here. He has been in here.”
Joshua frowns again at the drawer. “Are you sure it was ever gone?”
“Where is my underwear Joshua?” I yell as I grab my head in a panic. I run from the room to get my phone.
“Who are you calling?” Joshua snaps as he senses my panic. “Max,” I spit out.
He takes his phone out and rings Ben.
“Can you get up here, please? We have a situation.”
CHAPTER 31
Natasha
I sit on the plane next to Adrian on the flight into Phuket. Joshua has insisted we come here for a week on the way to LA. Apparently this is one of the only places on Earth that he can relax, and I can’t wait to see it. I watch him silently as he plays cards with Abbie and Cameron. He didn’t sleep last night. He, Max and Ben were up watching security tapes all night. My apartment was broken into yesterday by someone. I never imagined it, who would want to do this? It doesn’t make sense. The motive for scaring the hell out of me is still unknown, and Joshua was frantic. I have never been so glad to get on a plane as I was today.
TC’s murder, Coby Allender, the serial killer, Margaret Stanton and her ultimate betrayal, I can’t wait to get the hell out of here. Joshua’s uninhibited laughter echoes through the cabin, and I smile broadly at their interactions. He changed out of his suit two hours into the flight and since then the real beautiful Josh has come to visit. What must it be like to be him and under so much scrutiny all the time? What is comforting though is the fact that he is finally being himself around the girls. I suppose he realizes they are going to be around more than he previously thought and has finally let his guard down. Bridget is up the back of the plane talking to Ben and the other guards and Adrian has come down to sit with me. Abbie is getting her ass kicked at poker.