Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Outside, he continued speaking even as she locked the front door. “I’ve told you over and over, I’m sorry and I hate that I’ve hurt you. What do you want me to do?”
She faced him. “Honestly? Stick your cock in a bees nest. Call me and let me know how that goes.” Flashing him a sweet, acidic smile, she then made her way to Tanner, who was holding the car door open. “Hey, Tanner.”
“Problem?” He flicked his gaze to Royce.
She sighed. “I just don’t understand your gender. Do you?”
Tanner held up his hands. “This isn’t a conversation that could go well for me.”
Smiling, she slid into the car. “So true.” Within seconds, they were driving on-route to her apartment. She hadn’t seen Knox for four days, since he’d been on a business trip. In that time, though, he’d contacted her telepathically every night.
The days apart had given her a little time to get used to their psychic bond. It was true that it was impossible to ever feel alone when you were anchored. His mind constantly stroked hers instinctively yet idly. It was comforting. She could feel him and was always aware of him on some level, yet she couldn’t sense him or his feelings as the bond wasn’t intrusive.
As he was returning from his trip today, they had made plans to see each other tomorrow. He wanted to talk about the gathering for the whole Monarch business that was occurring in one of his Underground hotels in just two days. The time running up to the gathering had flown over fast, and during that time Knox had taken her to his home every night, had fucked her hard and long with an urgency that told her he was taking advantage of what time they had before his demon withdrew from her on a sexual level. The demon would accept her as its anchor, but it wouldn’t wish to keep her as anything more.
Up to now, his demon wasn’t at all bored. She knew it because the brand on her breast hadn’t faded. She could admit that she checked it each morning and evening, wanting to be mentally prepared for the demon’s withdrawal. Considering how obsessed her own demon was with Knox and the predator that lived within him, Harper was pretty sure that her demon would want to burn shit down when his lost interest.
Forcing her mind off the matter, she spoke to Tanner. “I’m surprised you don’t sometimes give yourself a break and let either Keenan or Larkin take over.”
He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Surprised? Why?”
“You must get bored of babysitting me.” Her life wasn’t exactly exciting.
“You’re important to Knox, which makes you important to me.”
“This babysitting gig still has to gall you on some level. You’re a sentinel.” He was meant for more than this.
“Knox would never trust anyone but a sentinel with your safety. I volunteered for the position.”
“Dear God, why?”
He chuckled. “I knew I was the best choice. Levi has always been Knox’s personal guard and it would be better for it to remain that way. Keenan and Larkin wouldn’t have been good guards for you. Keenan would have flirted with you, and Larkin would have conspired with you to do crazy shit just because she’s weird like that. Both would have driven Knox insane, which is never a good thing.”
She nodded. “Got ya.”
“Sometimes I think—” He grunted as his whole body seemed to jolt. Then he slumped in his seat a mere second before the car flipped in the air once, twice, three times and landed upside down. Then it was sliding along the ground, making the metal hood screech. Eventually, it ground to a halt. What the fuck?
Coughing, she called out, “Tanner! Tanner!” Nothing. Her inner demon was at serious risk of freaking out.
Instinctively, she spoke to the one person she knew would come. Um, Knox, we’ve got a problem here. Okay, maybe that was understating things a little, but she didn’t want him to lose his shit.
What sort of problem? His voice was tense, hard.
Undoing her seatbelt, she awkwardly fell to the ground. Ow. Well, the car kind of flipped over a few times, like a huge wind caught it up and hurled it. That was after Tanner suddenly lost unconsciousness. And…oh shit.
What?
Well, a black SUV is heading right for us.
Where are you? It was a rumble of danger.
It’s hard to tell. Scanning her surroundings as best she could, she realized… We’re in an alley. Tanner had only been driving for maybe five minutes or so; the alley can’t be far from the studio. And as the alley was blocked off on one side, it meant there was no way out. But she wouldn’t have left without Tanner anyway.
I’ll come for you.
She knew he would. She also knew he was beyond pissed and there was a very good chance these people would die. Grabbing Tanner’s arm, she shook him. “Tanner, wake up!” she hissed. Noticing the blood trickling out of his ears and nose, she suspected he’d taken a psychic blow to the head.