Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
"Fuck!" he shouts, doubling over in pain.
I push him again as hard as I can. He's off-balance just enough that it forces him back a couple of steps. As soon as he's out of my way, I rush past him, my heart racing with fear. Agent Gunner stands in the doorway, his expression shocked.
"Ms. Donovan, are you–?"
I push past him and race down the hallway. I don't stop until I'm in my room with the door locked. There's a rickety chair in the corner of the room. I grab it and shove it underneath the door handle, making sure Agent Sanders can't get in here. Making sure no one can.
Once I'm sure I'm safe, my legs give out. I sink to the floor and wrap my arms around myself, sobbing.
I thought cops were supposed to be the good guys, but apparently not. I think…I think if Agent Gunner hadn't come in when he did, Agent Sanders would have hurt me. And I wouldn't have been able to stop him.
I'm stuck here with no way out, and one of the men meant to protect me is someone I need to be protected from.
"Please," I pray, rocking back and forth as tears pour out of me. "Please help me, Octavio."
Chapter Five
Octavio
"I've been trying to call you," Michael Gunner says, meeting me at the bottom of the rickety steps when I pull up in front of Faith's safe house. It's barely even dawn, but I couldn't stay away. All I've been able to think about since I left yesterday was her…about how her mom used to beat on her when she was too little to defend herself. It's fucking with my head in a major way. I've been up all night chasing down leads in the shooting, but I know I won't be able to sleep until I see for myself that Faith's okay.
"What's up?" I ask, not liking the grim expression on Gunner's face.
"There was a…situation."
"What kind of situation?" I growl, liking the sound of that even less than I like the look on his face.
"Fuck, man," he says, huffing out a sharp breath. "I walked in on Sanders trying to force himself on Ms. Donovan. He had her backed into a corner and wouldn't let her go. She asked him repeatedly to stop, but he wouldn't. I walked in, she kneed him in the balls and then took off. She's been locked in her room since. She won't come out or let me in."
I'm moving before he's even finished talking. Rage roars through me in a red cloud, stealing my breath as I jog up the stairs and into the small house. "Where the fuck is he?" I growl, so pissed my temples throb.
"I kicked him out of here. I tried to reach Roman when I couldn't get ahold of you, but his phone was off too. I even tried Bethel, but couldn't get ahold of him," Gunner explains. "I didn't know what else to do. She won't even answer me."
I ignore him, stomping down the hall toward Faith's room with my heart in my throat.
"Faith, angel, it's me," I call, trying to keep my voice soft and gentle as I tap on her door. Despite the sheer rage pumping through my veins, the last thing I want to do is scare her.
She doesn't say anything, but I hear her moving around inside. Hear her sniffling. The sound breaks my heart in half. After everything she's been through, he put his fucking hands on her. He tried to force himself on her.
The son of a bitch is lucky Gunner sent him home, because I might actually kill him when I find him.
"Faith, please open the door. He's gone and he's not going to come back. I swear I won't let him anywhere near you ever again. Please open the door," I plead, panic beating at me. If I have to break the door down to get to her, I will, but I don't want to traumatize her any more than she already is.
"He's gone?" she whispers through the door, her voice ravaged by tears and so damn small it breaks another little piece of my heart.
"He's gone, conejita. Please let me in."
I'm about to give up and take the door off the hinges, but something scrapes across the floor on the other side. A moment later the doorknob turns, and she cracks the door open. The crack is so small all I can see is a sliver of her arm and a flash of fabric.
"He's gone?" she whispers again, not opening the door any further.
"Yeah, angel, he's gone. Gunner kicked him out of here. He's not coming back."
She hesitates for another moment and then pulls the door open. Her honey eyes are red-rimmed and swollen. Her face is splotchy, and her lips are red. The sight of her looking so tiny and sad cracks me wide open.