Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
About a minute later, I would find I was right when he stalked into the room appearing homicidal.
He did a head count but landed and stayed on me.
“Are you all right?” he asked tersely as Chassie ran to Christian, who came in behind him, followed by Harry.
“Were you at the police station?” I asked in return.
“Are. You. All right?” he gritted between clenched teeth.
I went to him and put my bandaged hands on him. “I’m all right, baby. Now tell us what’s happening.”
He didn’t tell us what was happening.
He took my wrists in a gentle grip and looked down at my bandaged hands.
That muscle in his cheek danced, then it did it again.
Oh boy.
“Battle, honey, I’m fine,” I stated. “Really. But I’d like to know what’s happening.”
His gaze lifted to mine and he said one word.
“Chelsea.”
I gasped.
Prue gasped.
“What on earth?” Chassie whispered from where she was tucked with Christian’s arm circling her shoulders against his side.
“She hired someone to mess with Vivi,” Christian shared.
I pulled my hands from Battle’s hold and snapped, “Oh my God! Seriously?”
“He’s been watching you for a few days,” Christian said. “Getting your habits down. He crept up to the house, locked the door you usually use. He cut the electricity and phone line to the studio, doing that just to spook you, but also to get you out of the studio. And when you took off, he stalked you. As he was ordered to do.”
“This will be explained,” Battle said dangerously Harry and Scotty’s way.
Both had hangdog faces.
Both nodded.
I’d have a word with Battle later about Scotty and Harry. They weren’t responsible for this, and they couldn’t be expected to have a mind meld with every inch of The Downs so they knew when there was an intruder.
But that wasn’t for now.
I should have known from the way she was staring hatred at us at the wedding reception that Chelsea would pull something.
But this?
The woman was deranged.
“How did you see Vivi?” Chassie asked Christian.
“I was up late, working on my paper,” he told her. “Good luck, I was looking out the window when I saw a shadow trying to get into the armory. I couldn’t tell who it was, until I went out. Then I saw it was someone chasing Vivi in the rain.”
At this moment, I realized my mistake at allowing Chassie to request the story before I calmed my man down, because hearing Christian say that, Battle prowled to the teapot, picked it up, and hurled it violently into the fireplace, shattering it with splashes of the remains of the tea wetting the stone.
It was probably Limoges or something.
Yikes.
“That bloody, fucking cunt!” he exploded.
I moved to him to put a soothing hand on his back. “It’s okay. I’m okay, honey.”
He turned furious eyes to me. “It is not okay, Vivienne. It’s fucked up.”
It was that.
“But I’m fine and the bad guy was caught,” I reminded him.
“As will be the true villain in this scheme, darling,” he said sinisterly. “We’re pressing charges against Chelsea. I don’t give a fuck we’ll be splashed all over the tabloids, she will be. She’ll be humiliated. Ridiculed. And hopefully, after she faces the likely minimal consequences she’ll receive for her part in this plot, she’ll need to retire to some island like my mother to escape the scandal.”
But…
He couldn’t do that.
He worked so hard to protect their privacy.
Nevertheless, I didn’t think now was the time to remind him of that.
“How about we all get some sleep and discuss it tomorrow?” I suggested.
“We can do that, but I won’t change my mind,” he replied. “They’ve already phoned the Met. They’re picking her up in London for questioning tonight.”
Well, that was happening, and I wasn’t about to stop it.
Chelsea needed a good, hard scare.
“Okay, then everyone is all right. Everyone is safe. We can’t do anything about that, not that we’d want to, so let’s all get some rest,” I suggested.
“A good idea,” Fitzy decreed as Patsy started gathering the unbroken china onto a tray. “Sleep helps all ailments.”
“It’s so lucky you’re so diligent in your studies,” Chassie whispered to Christian in a my hero tone.
“Let’s go to bed,” I whispered to Battle in an I’m fine and I love you’re so pissed on my behalf, but you can chill tone.
My tone didn’t work. He scowled at me.
I hooked my arm in his and looked to Patsy and Fitzy. “Thank you guys for taking care of me.” I turned to Christian. “So much.”
Chassie beamed.
Christian nodded.
Fitzy and Patsy tutted and herded everyone out.
I guided Battle to our room.
Once inside, he turned the light on by the bed.
I sat on it as he stalked to the bathroom.
I stayed where I was as I saw the light go on there and then in the closet.
Not long later, the lights were extinguished, and he came out in blue and white thin-striped pajama bottoms.