Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
"You don't have to buy me things. I'm not after you for your money. I'm not... Dan," she said and immediately wished she could suck the words back in. A quick flash of hurt crossed his face and she wanted to kiss it away. She hadn't meant it. She hadn't even actually felt present enough to notice how nice of a gesture it was. How it was the first piece of jewelry a man had ever given her. That it probably meant something coming from Elliott.
Elliott's face quickly went guarded. "Right. So you're just after me for the sex then," he said and she felt the words like a slap in the face.
Slut. Whore.
"I'm glad we cleared that up," he said, turning away from her, walking back to his desk, pouring a fresh drink and drinking it in one swig.
Hannah stood dumbly for a second, every ounce of her wishing she could go after him. But every inch of him was erect, on edge. She couldn't even think of the right words to say. Confrontation was never something she was comfortable with. She silently went out the door, to her car, and drove to a hotel.
She locked the door, dropped her bag and fell into the bed, sobbing like a child. Uncontrollable, uninhibited. Gasping, ugly sobbing.
Her phone chimed announcing a text message a long while later and she grabbed for it desperately, praying to see Elliott's name pop up.
Xander Rhodes: 8:11 PM: Try not to stress too much. I'll find the bitch.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Hannah woke up early in the morning, her eyes swollen, her cheeks burned red from tears. She skipped a shower and dressed methodically. She had only one thought in her mind as she checked out of the hotel and drove to work. She was going to fix it. She had no choice. She had to find a way to apologize. Offer some kind of excuse for her behavior. Make things right.
He had been trying.
And she had shoved it in his face.
Tad followed her into her office when she didn't respond to his greeting. "Whoa crying hangover, much?"
Hannah shrugged, "Bad night."
Tad's brow quirked up. "You got a diamond out of it. It couldn't have been that bad."
Hannah's hand went to the diamond automatically, cool to her touch. "The psycho broke into my house again. Drew a picture of me dead on my living room wall. I was in a mood and I said something awful to him and now he's pissed."
Tad sighed, reaching for her hand and rubbing it between his.
"Hannah," Sally's voice called from the lobby, making her jump. "There is someone here to see you."
Hannah felt an irrational fear rise up her throat as if this person could be her stalker. She shook her head and opened the door to find Xander standing there. Dark and looming, looking completely out of place.
"Well, hello," Tad said seductively and Xander laughed. "I know I know. You're straight but... hello."
"Tad this is Xander Rhodes. My private investigator."
"Right," Tad said, all seriousness. "I'll leave you to it then."
"You look like hell," Xander commented, his words matter-of-fact.
"Gee, thanks," she said back.
"Anyway," he said, leaning close and pulling out a folder. Inside were copies of some of her emails with Xander's small, quick print all over. "I looked into the address on these. There's nothing real there. They called themselves Jane Doe and gave an address to a abandoned print shop. I pulled some prints off the actual letters. I have a buddy at the station running them for me as a favor. Hopefully that turns up something but I wouldn't count on it."
"Okay," Hannah said, dropping her voice to a whisper at the sound of Elliott coming into his office. She stood up straighter, her heart beating fast.
Xander's voice dropped to match hers. Leaning closer he said, "I would suggest talking to EM and getting a list of exes. People he thinks might be holding a grudge."
"No," Hannah said, looking up at him, her eyes pleading. "He doesn't know. That's not an option."
Xander's brows rose, surprised. But he nodded. And then his eyes shot up toward the doorway and he cleared his throat loudly enough for only Hannah to hear.
Hannah's head jumped and found Elliott standing in the doorway, his face angry and then guarded again. Xander sensed the tension, moving away from Hannah and reaching for the door. "I'll figure it out," he said, half way out the door.
"Elliott..." Hannah said, her voice a whisper.
Elliott felt his anger racing through his veins. He didn't know what the hell was going on. First she was weird when she came to his house and then she snapped that line about Dan. And now there was some strange man in her office whispering to her. He felt possessiveness and jealousy mix with his hurt feelings from the night before.