Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 109976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
GAVIN
Although I was sure that no one had followed us, I still took extra precautions when we left the ferry and headed for the house. I’d bought the place believe it or not with her in mind. I’d seen it by chance and for some reason the remote mansion with the English cottage garden had made me think of her.
All the renovations had been made with her in mind, so this house out of all the others I owned had a much softer ambience, both inside and out. I knew I’d made the right choice in bringing her here when her eyes lit up and she walked ahead of me to go check out the garden.
I left Kevin and Dave to deal with security and followed her as she flitted from flower to flower, sniffing them as she went. She turned to me with a bright smile and it was hard to imagine that she’d just been through an ordeal.
“Who planted these? I can’t imagine that you’re into gardening.” I put my hands in the pockets of my slacks and studied her. “I have a gardener of course, but I did choose what plants I wanted here.” All with you in mind!
“You like gardens?” She turned at my question from fingering a rosebud and nodded. “Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve seen one as lovely as this. Everything’s so well blended. It’s a beautiful mix of color and scents.”
We spent ten minutes in the garden before I talked her into going into the house. I let her roam around while I went to check with Kevin about the arrival of his team. “I just checked in with the rest of the team that followed us to the funeral. Did you know she hired an Uber to come pick her up?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Lucky for us our guys found an Uber at the location suspicious and questioned the driver. She ordered it ahead of time and asked to be dropped off at the train station.”
“She was going to make a run for it.” Why? Why wouldn’t she tell me if she had plans to leave? And where the hell was she going?
“After what I saw and heard today I can’t say that I blame her. There’s definitely something not right about the senator’s fixation on her.” Kev’s words played right along with my own growing suspicions. But there were still a lot of unanswered questions that I needed answers to in order to fill in the blanks.
“Let me know as soon as your guys get here with her stuff.” I went in search of her and found her in the entry foyer looking up at the chandelier. I knew she was into that shit because she’d dabbled in interior design when she first got married. Though it had been a while since she’d worked outside the home as far as I know.
“Did you choose the layout and design of the house? Somehow it doesn’t seem like your style.”
“It’s not, it had it done with you in mind.” Her mouth fell open and she stared at me in surprise. But since she was holding onto secrets I saw no need to give her an explanation of my actions at this time.
“Come, you must be hungry.” Though I never come here, there’s a caretaker who keeps the place stocked. We might be low on fresh produce but I’m sure I could find something for her to eat, or I can send one of the guys out.
“I’m not hungry right now, maybe later.” She rubbed her stomach as if it were upset and headed for the stairs. “I want to look around upstairs if it’s okay.” I waved my hand towards the stairs in a go ahead fashion. “If you’d like, I have some things to take care of. Don’t forget, your hour is up. I’ll give you enough time to get settled in but then I want some answers.”
Her face fell as she turned to head up the stairs but I couldn’t pay that too much mind. If I gave in to her again the way I did before who knows what else might happen next.
I didn’t really have anything to do, not until the others showed up with her stuff and there was no sense in discussing the photos with anyone else because like me, their answers would only me conjecture. So instead I headed for the study to sit in silence and wait.
I’d imagined her here as well over the time we’d been apart. But the day’s events had marred whatever joy I could’ve expected from the experience. At least she seems to have forgotten it for now, while I can’t stop thinking about it.
Maybe she’d grown use to this shit, to being hunted by her father in law. I was giving serious thought to putting a hit on his ass or doing that shit myself. I don’t know what the real issue was but I’m sure it was nothing good.