Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
His phone buzzed again. Trees this time.
He answered quickly, aware of Haisley’s attention shifting to him. “Hey.”
“Heads up. We’re making progress through these assholes’ encrypted files,” his brother said. “It’s slow going, and some of the images I’m getting are horrifying. Fucking stomach turning. I wish I was there to kill these bastards. But this footage…basically an engraved invitation to prison.”
“No shock there.”
“But what we’re finding… This operation is even bigger than we imagined.”
“How much bigger?”
“Massive. The bosses have been coordinating with their FBI contacts. This ring operates in at least eighteen cities across the US alone. International presence, too. Hunter contracted a female agent, Karliah Dane, to join us undercover as a hairdresser in the spa. She’ll make contact when she arrives.”
“Good. You know I never turn down a woman,” he quipped for the surveillance. “But will one be enough?”
Haisley sniffed and looked away again. Nash bit back a curse.
“To make a difference in this investigation?” Trees asked. “Can’t hurt. I’m telling you, this fucking operation is a disgusting ball of worms. This new operative is supposed to be damn good, so I figure getting her there as backup and listening in on any employee gossip can only be a bonus. Need anything else? Something I can pass onto the bosses? I know you can’t talk much.”
“You’re right about that.”
His older brother sighed. “I’m worried about you. And Haisley. Laila is pacing a lot.”
That brought a little smile to Nash’s face. “I can picture that now. Send my best.”
“She’s going to need it.” Trees paused. “She’s pregnant again.”
Nash’s chest tightened, the word pregnant hitting too close to home, given his standoff with Haisley. Still, he forced a laugh for his brother’s sake. Trees was deliriously happy. “You know, you need to figure out what’s causing that.”
“Oops,” Trees said with a smile in his voice.
“In other words, you’re not even trying not to stop it.”
“I love my wife, and I love my kids. Shoot me.”
“I won’t. She might. But congrats.”
“Thanks, bro.” Trees sobered again. “Stay safe.”
“Will do.”
Nash ended the call, then turned to study Haisley. She wouldn’t look at him, but the afternoon sun illuminated the tears she tried to hide.
Fuck, he hated that he couldn’t just hold her and make everything right. He hated the trust that had evaporated between them. Maybe he could help her escape this nightmare, if only for a while, and earn some goodwill.
“Come here,” he commanded in low tones, gentle but firm enough for their audience. When she hesitated, he raised a brow. “Now.”
She moved to him slowly, like a wary animal. He plopped onto the plush sofa and pulled her down beside him, arranging her against his side. She was stiff, but she didn’t pull away. Because she knew better with all the technical eyes watching their every move? Because she still liked being near him, despite everything? Or because she was afraid to cross him?
Nash hated wondering. “I’m in the mood to watch a movie.”
She wriggled to put space between them. “I’m not.”
He wasn’t having any of that. “You pick.”
He handed her the remote and dragged her flush against his body again.
“Fine,” she snapped.
But he caught a spark of interest in her eyes.
She scrolled through the available selections until she found a comedy they’d watched together years ago. He remembered that night perfectly: Haisley curled against him on his couch, both of them laughing until they cried, her face glowing with happiness. Back when things between them had been simpler. Back when she’d trusted him.
As the opening credits rolled, he stroked her hair and swept his fingertips over her shoulder. Her familiar scent teased his nose and made him hard. Somehow, she managed to hold herself carefully apart, even while he pressed her against his side.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly, some of the tension left her. Twenty minutes into the film, he felt her lips twitch against his chest. Not quite a smile, but close.
It wasn’t much. They still had a mountain of issues to work through—his deception about Jasper, her secret pregnancy, the trauma of their current situation. But the fact that she wasn’t pulling away, that she was letting him offer this small comfort…
It was the first bit of progress they’d made since this shit began.
Unfortunately, the nightmare was casting a long shadow. Nash knew he was taking a risk by treating Haisley more like a girlfriend than a sex slave. Cameras were always watching. But she needed a little more time. He couldn’t give her long without arousing too much suspicion. Hunter would probably have his ass for putting her feelings first. But he couldn’t toss her on the bed and demand she put out because it fit their narrative. It would destroy her last shred of trust in him.
For now, he pressed a kiss to her temple, allowing himself to hope that maybe, if he gave her a little more time, they would find their way back to each other. If they survived this hell, he’d spend the rest of his life making sure she never had reason to doubt him again.