Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Now Morr was my best friend, and though I did trust her, it was nothing against her that I couldn’t leave my kid with her without worrying constantly.
“I spent years protecting JP,” I said carefully. “Years running from an invisible foe that wanted to see me dead, and her with the people that wanted to kill me for running. It was exhausting, and I can’t say that all my mental headspace was ‘there.’ I was just surviving until Kobe came into my picture. And I’m sorry to say this, but there’s just something about him that I instantly trusted. A year of me being away from him, and I felt like we picked up right where I left us off.”
“You are in love with him,” Morr said quietly.
“I’m so in love with him that I can’t see straight,” I admitted. “I love that he’s grumpy and standoffish. I love that he’s hard to read and can’t stand to be around other people for long. I love that he wants to protect me and my daughter. I love that for the last who knows how long, he’s allowed me to completely and utterly violate his privacy without caring. I just plain old love him, and sometimes, I don’t quite know how or what to do with that love. Do I tell him? Do I freak him out and throw all that information at him? What if he decides that he can’t handle it? It took him forever to warm up to me. What if he remembers how much geniuses freak him out and he leaves? What will happen then?”
“Honey,” Morr said at the same time that Dutch said, “There’s no way that man leaves you. For the last year, any time he’s been around, there’s not been a single incident where he’s happy. I’ve been around him a lot, too. I think he was afraid to spend too much time at home, so he was more ‘invested’ in all of our lives. I know him better. Which you changed. I don’t think he knows how to leave you. Or live life without you.”
That made my heart ache.
“He’s a ghost pepper wing dipped in wasabi,” I found myself saying. “Spicy as hell, and something that nobody ever tried because they’re too afraid of the aftereffects.”
“Are you trying to tell us you’re not scared of what might happen?” Morr asked curiously.
I finally allowed myself to look at her.
Scared? Yeah, I was scared as hell.
But I was excited to experience that scariness with him.
“I think it’s time for us to go,” I said.
I needed to talk to Kobe about some things.
Needed to let him know what my plans for the rest of my life were and find out whether or not we were on the same page.
It was now a burning need that I couldn’t get away from.
“Do you want JP to stay the night?” Morrigan asked hesitantly.
I saw the open hand for what it was. A loving gesture from a friend, my best friend.
I smiled. “I think I’d like that. As long as she agrees.”
“I’ll go ask.” Morrigan raced out of the room, her belly leading the way.
Dutch watched her go. “She missed you a whole lot while you were gone. We kept her entertained, but apparently, you have really big shoes to fill.”
I smiled at Dutch. “Thank you.”
Turns out, not only did JP want to stay, but she also wanted her Oculus, which Kobe was very nice to dig out of a couple of packed boxes that were shoved deep in my car.
“What’s your plan for the rest of the night, Kobe Sano?” I asked.
He gave me a challenging look as we drove away from Aodhan and Morrigan’s place.
“Other than to spend it with you?” he shrugged. “A whole bunch of nothing.”
It was at that moment in time that I made the mistake.
I should’ve scanned the area. I should’ve been more aware that she was likely being watched.
When they couldn’t find me—and I knew that they had—they’d start watching my known friends.
Sadly, I hadn’t been as circumspect with my arrival as I had been in the past. Usually, I would’ve taken evasive maneuvers and not driven straight home. I would’ve also not driven straight into the gated subdivision without first making sure that the gate was closed all the way so nobody could follow me inside.
All of those things I didn’t do, or didn’t make Kobe do, as he drove us back to my house.
We’d just stepped inside my old home, the smells the exact same as they had been the day that we left, and tears filled my eyes.
“Morrigan cleaned it up for you to get it fit to live in again,” Kobe explained as I paused right inside the front door.
I was just opening my mouth to say “thank you” when there was a grunted out “hey!” roared from behind us.