Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 801(@200wpm)___ 641(@250wpm)___ 534(@300wpm)
She felt secured but not smothered.
“If you feel uncomfortable, tell me.” Reaching over into a bedside drawer, he drew out a pacifier. “Here, open up. That’s it. Good girl.”
She took the pacifier and he returned to the rocking chair. She was still deciding if she liked the pacifier or not.
But what she definitely did like was being taken care of.
A small sigh escaped her and turned her face into his chest, breathing him in. It was hard to believe that this was North taking care of her like this.
She knew she wouldn’t sleep. Not after what she’d seen.
But it didn’t hurt to close her eyes and just rest.
North felt her fall asleep in his arms.
Hmm. He hadn’t been certain that that would work. But he made a mental note that she seemed to find being swaddled soothing.
The door to the playroom opened and Jared rushed inside, looking furious.
North quickly held his finger up to his lips and then nodded down at the precious bundle in his arms.
Jared slumped with relief and nodded back, gesturing to the bed then the door.
He was reluctant to leave her. To his shock, he actually enjoyed holding her like this.
Curious.
However, he knew he needed to update Jared and he didn’t want to risk waking her. So, standing, he carried her to the bed then walked out onto the small landing.
He kept the door cracked slightly so he could see her. “We need a camera.”
“What? For where?” Jared asked. “Don’t we have enough? Is there a gap in our security?”
“No, of course there isn’t.” North had set the security up himself. He was offended that Jared might suggest that. “I meant to keep an eye on Angie when she’s sleeping.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
He knew it was. That’s why he’d said it. He’d also started placing trackers in all of her shoes. They were slim and fit under the inner sole. He’d set up an area that she couldn’t step outside of without him getting an alert.
“Where is the head?” Jared asked.
“In the walk-in-freezer,” he said. “John delivered it to the house. He didn’t see who dropped it off at the front gate. I’m going to go through the camera footage.”
“Did he see Angie?” Jared asked.
“No. But I think we should tell the guards about her. It will help keep her protected. Also, she saw the head.”
“What?” Jared snapped before wincing and checking that he hadn’t woken Angie.
He explained what had happened and Jared winced. “Fuck, that will give her nightmares. More nightmares than she already has.”
“My fault,” North said.
“No, you didn’t know she was there. And you’re right, we should tell the guards about her. I just don’t want Beltran finding out that she’s here.”
“You think he’s the one who killed Rex?” North asked grimly.
“It’s the only explanation I can think of. Fuck. I can’t believe Rex is dead.”
North felt a pang of something that he guessed was sadness. That quite surprised him. Maybe he’d been more attached to Rex than he’d realized.
“Do you want to go look at the head?” North said. “Then bring me up my laptop? I’ll work from the nursery.”
“I can stay with her. Thanks for taking care of her.”
“Why are you thanking me?” North asked. “She is mine too, is she not?”
“Yeah, she is.”
“As I was looking after her, I realized that I didn’t feel annoyed or indifferent. I wanted to watch out for her. I wanted to care for her. I’m also going to discipline her later.”
“Discipline her?”
“Yes. Not now, but at some stage she’s getting her butt spanked.”
47
Angie woke up with a gasp.
Where was she? Why was she trapped? Why was she gagged?
Panic had her thrashing around, trying to free herself.
“Whoa, easy, baby,” Jared soothed as he appeared above her.
He quickly freed her from the blanket of death and scooped her up. She tried to talk but she was still gagged.
Could she even breathe?
She wasn’t certain that she could.
“Easy, it’s a pacifier.” He drew the pacifier from her mouth and she could finally get air into her lungs.
Thank God.
“Poor baby girl. You’re all right. I have you. Daddy has you.”
She let out a small noise that sounded both sad and scared. Shoot.
What was wrong with her?
Why did she panic like that?
Then images shot through her head.
Rex’s head. Vomiting all over herself. North cleaning her, doing her hair.
Her breathing grew fast again, her heart racing.
“I can’t . . . I can’t,” she gasped.
“Shh. Shh, you don’t have to. I’m here. Daddy is here. Slip into your happy space. Be as Little as you want. Daddy will do everything so that you don’t have to be scared.”
She wrapped herself around him and he turned her so her chest was pressed to his, her legs around his hips.
He kept a hand on her bottom, bouncing up and down slightly. “Shh. Shh. Shh. I’m here. Daddy has you. You don’t even have to talk if you don’t want to.”