Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“I had to wash my hands, you know?” she asked. “Then, when I was doing that, I had this huge urge to pee. Running water does that to me. So, I had to go to the bathroom. Then I had to rewash my hands.”
I shrugged. “It happens.”
“It does,” she confirmed as she fell into step beside me, oblivious to the men who were watching her like a hawk. “What are you doing inside?”
“Waiting for you,” I admitted as I pushed through the door and held it open for her, while simultaneously taking a glance around.
Suit guy was now filling up his car, but he wasn’t hiding the fact that he was interested in Ellodie.
“You know him?”
Ellodie frowned and started looking around, causing my stomach to clench in worry.
How had she not clocked all the people looking at her?
She was in a serial killer’s sights, for Christ’s sake.
She needed to pay better attention.
She also needed to get a one-on-one guide on how to keep herself alive.
“Oh, yeah. Actually, I do. That’s a doctor from the hospital,” she said as she ignored him and continued to the passenger side door of the cruiser.
I got there first and opened it, and a funny look crossed her face.
I closed the door on that look, then rounded the hood and caught the fancy suit doctor watching me.
I gave him a chin lift and wondered if he had a thing for Ellodie.
Unlucky for him, she was mine.
She just didn’t know it yet.
“I was just thinking today that chivalry was dead,” she said quietly when I dropped inside. “I don’t think a man who wasn’t related to me has ever opened my door before.”
“Really?” I asked. “You’ve lived in Texas for how long?”
It took less than a minute to get to the Chinese place, and soon we were bailing out of the cruiser once again to head inside.
“Really,” she confirmed. “I go on a lot of dates, too.” She shook her head, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress. “I’ve been here for going on nine years now. I started college at UTD—University of Texas at Dallas. Then I started work at Dallas Memorial. I had to work in critical care—the ER or ICU—for a year before I could go back to get my DNP degree. Now I’m about six months away from finishing.”
There was a lot to unload there, and I would comment on all of it eventually, following up with more questions. However, there was one thing in particular that was on the forefront of my mind.
“Why do you go on so many dates?” I asked. “There’s no way you haven’t found a man who would be hopelessly devoted to you.”
A faint flush crossed her face as she absorbed my compliment.
She didn’t answer until we were seated in the back, far away from prying eyes and ears.
“I made a deal with myself at the new year that I’d go on every single date that anyone asked me on until I found the one,” she answered, sounding exhausted. “I just didn’t know I’d be accepting ones from complete losers. Or getting invited to possible murder hikes.”
My eyes lost some of their warmth at her reminder.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” I started, smiling at the waitress when she arrived.
“I’ll have a sweet tea, please,” I ordered.
The waitress, who looked like she spoke just a smidge of English, pointed her stack of order forms at Ellodie.
“I’ll have a lemonade.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, either.
It was only as the waitress was all the way back behind the counter across the room that she said, “About the murders?”
“About the murders,” I confirmed. “And after what I witnessed today, I think maybe you need a lesson in survival.”
Her brows rose. “I’m a farm girl, born and raised. I am the ultimate survivor.”
I was already shaking my head. “How many men were in that gas station we just went to?”
She frowned. “Two? I think there was one behind the counter, and one looking at the drinks.”
“There were four,” I said. “The dude behind the counter was actually a girl. She asked me for a date when I passed her to go to the bathroom, which I declined. The four guys were scattered around the store. Two of them were waiting in the aisle right outside the bathroom when I came in.”
She scrunched up her nose.
“Actually, now that you mention it, I did see that she had boobs,” she admitted. “But I didn’t want to assume.”
“And you didn’t see the doctor guy until I pointed him out, either,” I continued.
She sighed. “I’m not the most observant, I can admit.”
Which might very well get her killed.
“You need to be,” I said. “I talked to the special agent in charge of the serial killer case. I…”