Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
“Linda is not just anyone, and I have a feeling if you did anything to that woman, the whole state would turn against you, including me.” She reached over the table, because he kept running his fingers through his hair. “Stop.” She ran her fingers through it, getting it just the way he liked it. “See, you don’t need to keep messing it up.”
She offered him a smile, and she became aware of the fact she’d touched his hair. Not that there was anything sexual by it, absolutely not, but it was intimate, at least to her.
Get a grip, Ava. You’re just doing your job, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with just doing your job.
Knox was unreadable, as always.
She took a deep breath and reached for the menu, even though she knew it by heart. The burgers were the stars of the show, but their sides were just as delicious. Fully loaded potato skins, fries with chili and cheese, mac and cheese. There were just so many delicious meals.
“Are you just going to stare at the menu all night?” Knox asked.
Ava put the menu down and looked across the table. “What would you like to talk about?”
“Anything.”
She looked at him and promised herself she would never say anything, but now seemed a really good time to ask. “Do you want to tell me why you killed Pete Carmichael?”
Knox sat back in his chair. Her question didn’t have any impact. He didn’t care what he had done.
“You want to know why?”
She nodded.
“He hurt you.”
“Is that all?” Ava asked.
Knox put his hands on the table and leaned in close. “I told you when I found you, that I was going to do everything in my power to protect you. Anyone who has ever hurt you is on my shit list, and that means they are all going to die, Ava.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“The people on that list are not good people. You’ve been fucking unlucky, but I’m going to make it right. Do you understand me?”
She nodded. No one had ever cared to make her feel safe, not the way Knox had.
“The doctor Pete used has been taken care of as well,” Knox said. “Trust me, he deserved to go.”
Ava felt her stomach flip-flop, but not out of nerves. She couldn’t believe Knox would do that for her. No one had ever cared that much about her, yet he was doing so, and she adored him for it.
Linda didn’t make them wait long for their food, and she looked toward her with a smile and thank you.
Right now, words failed her, because what did she say to a man who was making her safe? Who did everything he could to protect her?
There were no words.
There was nothing she could say.
He was everything.
Chapter Four
Two Weeks Later
“I want you to hit out at the glove,” Knox slapped his palm and waited for Ava.
“This is stupid.”
“The next time anyone thinks to hit you, you’re going to hit them back.” He held his hands out.
Ava was currently sporting a black eye. She had gone to the grocery store, alone, as he had to deal with some work, and came back with a black eye. He’d been intent on killing the fucker that had hurt her. Only, it had been an honest mistake, and he’d hacked into the grocery store to make sure. Ava had been walking down an aisle, minding her own business, when a young baby, no older than two, threw his pacifier out of the shopping cart. Ava bent down at the same time, the two-year-old kicked out as he’d been flinging his legs back and forth. Ava, not watching, got kicked in the eye. The mother of the boy had been mortified. Throughout the whole shopping trip, the woman had stayed close to Ava, had even offered to pay for the groceries.
After seeing Ava’s lack of ... observation, he’d insisted on teaching her some techniques. She was proving to be a difficult student, as she simply didn’t want to learn.
“You don’t have to do this,” Ava said.
“That black eye says otherwise.”
“This was a complete and total accident. Trust me, there is nothing wrong with this black eye.”
“I’ve told you, you are training and that is final. You work for me, two hours of training every single day, and I’m not going to argue with you.”
Ava put her hands on her hips. She wore a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt. He could tell she was trying to figure out a reason to argue with him. There was nothing.
“We’re doing this.”
“I don’t need to learn to fight.”
“I say you do. If you don’t learn to fight me, then I’m going to tickle you until you have no choice but to learn.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” She glared at him, but he saw the doubt.