Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Light filled the car. Where was that coming from?
Headlights?
Oh my God! Was someone going to rescue her?
“Who the fuck is that?” Lauren asked, sounding panicked. “No, no, no. We’re nearly there. He’s waiting on me.”
Then the light seemed to go past them.
“Noo!” Lauren screamed as she slammed on the brakes.
Immy flew forward with a yell of pain that was quickly squelched as all the air left her lungs.
Breathe, Immy.
She couldn’t. She couldn’t breathe. Panic filled her as agony engulfed her.
She was going to die here, covered in vomit.
The pain was too much. But finally, she managed to drag in a breath. Then another.
But, God. It was almost too much and her stomach twisted.
Do not vomit.
Not again.
The backdoor opened and she let out a cry. Was it Lauren?
“Girl.”
She knew that voice. It was rough and she hadn’t heard it all that often. But she’d know it anywhere.
“D-Dev?”
“Smells of vomit in here.”
“S-sorry about that.” She was shivering. Why was she shivering? “Is i-it cold?”
“Shock,” he said.
Huh? What did that have to do with the temperature?
“No. Cold.”
“You’re in shock,” he told her in a rough, low voice. “Got to get you out. Get warm.”
“D-dev, what are you doing here?” she asked as he leaned in.
Lauren had said she was meeting someone. That she was taking Immy to this person.
Was it Dev?
But why would he race out in front of Lauren’s car like he had? At least that’s what she was assuming had happened.
“Saw her load something into her car. Thought it was a drunk bitch she was picking up. But when I walked over there, saw your ridiculous Taser on the ground. Decided to follow her. Left the city, started up a dirt road, knew it wasn’t right. Pulled my truck out in front of her. She smashed into it.”
He suddenly reached in and picked her up. She screamed in agony. Oh God.
Oh God. Unicorn poop. Cupcakes.
Unicorn poop cupcakes!
That hurt so much. She couldn’t breathe. He put her on her feet and she immediately started to fall over.
Oh cupcakes!
This was really going to hurt.
And, seriously, Immy! If there was ever a time to start swearing, surely it’s now!
But then Dev grabbed hold of her again, lifting her into his arms and carrying her to sit her under a large tree.
Dev crouched as she was still trying to convince her stomach to stay calm and drew out a knife, quickly snipping open the ties around her ankles and wrists.
Immy took a few shallow breaths, trying to keep her stomach calm. She glanced around. It was dark and there was no street lighting out here.
Oh God.
Calm, Immy. You’re fine.
There wasn’t even a street. It was more of a trail through the trees. Where the heck were they?
“Where are we?” She glanced at what she assumed was Dev’s truck, it was sitting sideways across the dirt road. Lauren’s car had smashed right into the passenger side of the truck.
Shivers.
She was lucky that she hadn’t been hurt worse than she was.
Although the stabbing pain in her side and her inability to take too deep a breath without crying out in agony was making her wonder about that thought.
“Your . . . your truck! I’ll pay for the damages!” It was the least she could do. She still couldn’t believe that he’d come after her. She’d been starting to worry that he didn’t like her.
Which was really stupid. Of course he liked her. Who wouldn’t like her?
It would be impossible.
Lauren didn’t like you . . . Lauren hit you with her car, drugged, and kidnapped you.
Yeah. But Lauren was an anomaly.
Most people liked her. Including, it seemed, Dev.
“Don’t worry about it, not mine.”
Huh?
“What do you mean it’s not yours?” she asked.
Dev shot her a look. As usual, he had a cap on his head and wore a turtleneck top that came to his chin. He had a long beard and hair. She’d actually be hard-pressed to identify him if she had to from a distance.
Maybe that’s the point, Immy.
Perhaps he doesn’t want you to be able to identify him. And maybe it would be a good thing if you didn’t look at him too closely.
“You can try to see the best in people, doesn’t mean that they have any good in them.”
Immy swallowed heavily.
Wow. He’d stolen that truck? And did he truly believe that there wasn’t good in everyone?
That was a scary thought.
Especially since she was all alone with him in the middle of nowhere.
Not completely by yourself, you’re forgetting someone.
Oh cupcakes!
How could she have forgotten about Lauren?
“Lauren! We should go check on Lauren!” she cried.
“Why?” Dev looked at his phone.
“Because she could be hurt,” she explained. “And what are you checking on your phone?”
“Just ensuring that someone is going to rescue you.”
“Rescue me? But you’re my rescuer.”
He shot her an unamused look. “Girl, I’m no hero.”
“How can you make sure that someone rescues me?”