Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
She stayed tense. No one spoke on the journey, and she wanted to be near a window just so she could look out. To see the city passing her by, and not to be afraid of anything.
She hated feeling fear. The spiraling twist in her gut was not a welcoming feeling. She wanted it to stop.
“Are you okay?” Antonio asked, filling the silence.
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
“You must be scared,” Marlo said.
She shrugged and then leaned her head back, closing her eyes and enjoying the hum of the car.
“Is she asleep?” Cash asked beside her.
“No,” she said. “I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
She hadn’t been able to sleep the night of the break-in either. Not that he’d done anything to her. Every time she closed her eyes, she had seen him coming at her with a knife.
Tonight, she had no idea if she’d get some sleep.
Enemies, plural. More than one person. And she hadn’t done anything wrong other than be the person she was.
“I’m pretty sure Roman can help you with that,” Cash said with a chuckle.
She tensed up even more.
Roman didn’t touch her. Other than the brush of lips at the wedding, they didn’t touch. Today, he’d grabbed her arm, and tonight, he held her hand, but that was all. Back home, in either his apartment or his country home, they didn’t even share a bedroom. She had moved all her belongings to a spare bedroom. Being as far away from Roman as possible suited her.
“Enough,” Roman said. His voice was gruff.
She opened her eyes and turned her head to see Roman looking at her.
What was he thinking? He was a mystery, and had been since their wedding.
She rolled her head back so she was looking straight up at the ceiling of the car. What could she do to get out of this situation? If she asked for a divorce, that would put Greco and her father at loggerheads, if not outright war.
Her father would be convinced she wasn’t happy. This was a giant mess.
“We’re here,” Antonio said.
She didn’t even know how much time had passed, but as she sat up, she looked out the window.
They were parked in her father’s driveway. The front door was aglow with the light shining up. She wanted to climb over Cash to get to her home, but she was the perfect lady, waiting until he climbed out of the car.
Alex didn’t wait for them to follow. She rushed up the front steps, and as the door opened, she saw Millie, their cook, and she threw her arms around the older woman.
“I’ve got you now, child. I’ve got you.”
“Oh, Millie, I’ve missed you.”
“And I’ve missed you.”
She hugged her, breathing in the scent of chocolate and cinnamon. Millie was a keen baker, and when she wasn’t cooking for her father, she often baked and cooked too much and took the leftovers to the local orphanage. Alex had volunteered to go with her all the time, and that had only stopped because she was now married and expected to follow Roman around like a damn puppy.
“Your father called, sweetheart. I have everything you need in the kitchen.” She looked past her shoulder. “Even for your friends as well.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her that Roman and his buddies were not her friends, but she decided against it. Now was not the time to start making waves.
****
Millie liked to feed people.
And it was the best damn food Roman had ever tasted. His dad once had a good cook, but Lucas had killed the bastard for attempting to poison him. Since then, Lucas and Roman used their own restaurants to cook their food. Never the same one either.
Roman couldn’t remember the last time he sat down for a proper home-cooked meal. His mother wasn’t a cook.
He watched Millie and Alex. They had a bond. The older woman constantly filled Alex’s plate, touched her hair, and kissed her cheek. Told her she was looking a little on the thin side. Each time Millie mentioned her weight, Alex looked toward them, but Roman only observed. The only way he was ever going to learn about his wife was to see how she handled each situation as they came. So far, she seemed to be as innocent as she claimed.
If she truly was a virgin, why forego the simple test? He didn’t understand it.
“So, Millie, do you have any secrets to share about Alex?” Marlo asked.
His friends were playing their roles perfectly. Appearing to be friendly to Alex to earn her trust. To get under her skin.
“There are not any secrets to share about this one. She is a treasure, truly.”
Alex covered her face. “Stop it, Millie.”
“I’m only speaking the truth.” Another kiss to the cheek. “Stuart asked after you again.”
“Who is Stuart?” Roman asked, his interest piqued.