Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
"His wife and twin boys died in a house fire," he says as he pulls out onto the street.
I don't respond. There's nothing I can say that will change anything, but that doesn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks all the way back to the cabin. I knew there was some form of tragic backstory where his wife was concerned, but I never imagined the man suffered such a great loss.
No wonder he's incapable of getting close to someone else.
Chapter 30
Jersey
"We found more information than we expected to find in Adair's car," Hemlock says.
He's situated in the front of the room, off to the right of the massive TV hanging on the wall.
Casper controls the monitor, and page after page of handwritten notes flash on the screen.
"It seems he kept all of the information on his holdings and all business dealings with him wherever he went."
"That's great fucking news," Nyx says.
"There are agencies all over the place that are following up on the information we found," Hemlock continues. "As you can guess there are a lot of places that have disbanded and hit the hills because they have gotten wind that Adair is dead."
"Like fucking roaches when the light turns on," Lark matters.
"We need to keep the momentum," Hemlock says. "Jersey, I'm sending you to Ohio."
I sit up straighter in my chair, ready to argue.
I feel like I need to be here. This is where Caitlyn is, and she's going to need protection, but there are others here who can protect her just as easily as I can, isn't there?
"Ohio?" I ask instead of arguing because it would reveal a little too much about myself, and I haven't got a fucking clue on how to deal with anything where Caitlyn is concerned.
"The installation on the house is done, correct?" Hemlock asks.
"It is," I confirm.
The company we hired to do all the heavy lifting wrapped up late this evening, and I stuck around to make sure everything worked perfectly before heading back here.
"What's in Ohio?"
"Cornfields and assholes," Echo says, drawing my attention to him. He smirks at me. "I can say that because I'm from Dayton."
"Send him then," I say, hooking a thumb in Echo's direction.
"I'm sending you," Hemlock says, a hint of challenge in his tone.
"You got it, boss," I mutter, wondering when he's going to get over the fucking Zara thing.
I'm not a fan of getting the shittiest jobs because the man is holding a damn grudge.
But that's not exactly true, is it? I was lead on the Adair event, and if I were still working for ICE, I probably would've gotten more than one accommodation for it.
Hemlock continues, giving everyone in the room assignments except for fucking Zeus. He'll be the one left behind to help Caitlyn get settled back into her newly reinforced house.
I'm livid by the time the meeting is over, and I don't hesitate to shove my way out of the room and take the stairs two at a time. I clench my fists, fighting the urge to go to Caitlyn's room and warn her away from the man, but what would I tell her?
Zeus isn't a bad guy. None of the guys here are. I have no fucking claim on Caitlyn, and it's rather asshole-ish of me to try to take something from her that someone else could give her that I could never provide.
Instead of being a dick, I push open the door to my bedroom, freezing when I see the good doctor sitting on the edge of my bed.
I close the bedroom door, pressing my back to it as she stands.
Sadness coats every feature on her pretty face, and my first instinct is to offer anything to make it fade away.
She doesn't speak as she approaches, but I can sense her nervousness as her throat works repeatedly on a swallow as if there's something lodged there.
Her hands are cool on my face as she places both hands on my cheeks.
My chest aches, my heart pounding behind my ribs, and I swear the thing has the ability to take flight when she lifts up on the tips of her toes, her intentions becoming clear a moment before she acts.
Her lips on mine are warm and fucking perfect, and I swear we both gasp at the contact.
We haven't kissed before. I've had my lips and tongue over various parts of her body, but this is a line we've never crossed. It has always felt too personal, too intimate, which is laughable considering what else we've done together.
When her tongue lashes out and swirls against mine, I swear my knees go weak, my arms coming up to cling to her, the contact with her body happening before I can think better of it.
"Sorry," I murmur against her lips as my arms drop back down to my sides.