Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Time passes, and I know she feels it too. Even if I’ve fucked up.
“Every day without you was torture,” she says softly.
With that, she leaves, and I try to think through things as I wait for Roland and Joshua to finish their sweep. There’s nothing else for me to do other than watch the videos again and again and again, searching for some clue that I’ve maybe missed before.
Hours pass through the late night, and there’s nothing there. Not a damn thing that’s helpful. When Roland comes in, I’m already exhausted, frustrated, and fucking pissed. The sun peeks over the horizon, and while that might be only slightly late for Kiersten after running Club X for years, I’m still not quite adjusted, let alone able to sleep. “What did you find?” I ask Roland as he stands in the doorway, a grim look on his face.
“The neighborhood’s been swept twice. Full crew on duty.” He runs a hand over the back of his neck. Lack of sleep darkens his eyes.
I can only nod in understanding before clearing my throat and thanking him for the update.
“I’m at the door,” Roland says. “Unless you want me somewhere else.”
With nothing to go on and exhaustion weighing me down, I decide sleep may be needed, although I have no idea how I’d be able to with the ruminating thoughts of what will happen when we find him, or worse, if this man gets what it is that he wants.
I can’t help myself . . . I listen in at Kiersten’s door. Just to check on her. Just to know she’s alright. The creak of the bed alerts me to tossing and turning. Slowly, I open the door.
The queen-sized bed is made up with a flannel sheet and comforter set from a big box retailer, and the walls are a plain pale blue. I suspect that the former owner used this as a kid’s room. As she lies on her side on the bed and her heavy breathing raises her shoulders, all I can think is that this room is certainly not fit for a woman like her.
“Kiersten?” I whisper, but she gives me the cold shoulder, turning over and staring at the far wall. Sighing, I come over and sit on the edge of the bed. “I fucked up, I know. I should have told you about the threat. I was just . . . it’s been twenty years, and I just got you back. I didn’t want to risk things.”
“But you did risk it,” Kiersten says quietly.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“So, what now?”
I shrug, reaching out but not laying a hand on her comforter covered body. “I’m hoping we can move on. Not forget, but learn and move forward.”
“It can’t be like it was twenty years ago,” Kiersten says, turning over. “We’re not those people any longer.”
“You’re just as beautiful.”
Kiersten shakes her head. “You need glasses, it seems.”
“What can I do right now to help you?” I ask, lowering my hand to touch her. “Do you still need space?”
She’s quiet a long time before she turns over to finally look at me. "Do you think the past is catching up to me?" she asks, tears pricking her eyes. “Like, long lost karma?”
I slowly shake my head in reply, keeping her gaze. It fucking kills me that the fear is so evident in her. "I'm the only thing from your past that caught up to you, my sweet submissive. Don't think about that."
She parts her lips to say something but then stops. I know she thinks it’s only empty reassurances. I can’t make it all go away that easily. The look in her eye is the reason I didn’t want to tell her, but there’s no way I’m going to say it. I don’t want to fight anymore.
“I can’t sleep,” she repeats, and I feel ashamed. I never wanted this for her. Never.
“Can I just lay with you and hold you?" I offer. “Just that.”
Kiersten nods and wipes away a tear that I didn’t see in the dim bedroom light. "Please."
I kick off my shoes and slide under the comforter, wrapping my arm around her from behind. I kiss her shoulder, inhaling her warmth.
"It's going to be okay," I whisper into the shell of her ear. Her only response is to hold onto me tighter. I didn’t realize how much I needed that until this very moment. I hold her until she’s breathing softly, finally on the path to sleep.
I’ve got a long way to go, though, for sleep to find me. Because the fact is, we didn't find the man who’s set out to threaten us.
Whoever it is, the man is a ghost.
KIERSTEN
Present
Irepress a sigh as the black-suited man with me hurries ahead to check the room before I can enter. It’s been days, and each day is worse than the last. I barely slept the night before last. Yesterday, I slept on and off throughout the day, keeping to myself in a guest room of Gabriel’s while he and Joshua tracked down a lead to nothing. I understand his wanting to protect me, so he can understand my cold shoulder when it comes to keeping vital information from me.