Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Now I was afraid, pure and simple. Not of Tiny. Never him. I feared for myself. Because, if he continued to see us every day like he had been, I couldn’t imagine a scenario where I didn’t miss him for the rest of my life when he left.
Once inside the apartment, I pulled the blinds tight and triple-checked the window locks. The twins watched me intently. Kira shed her shoes, then pressed her back to the wall and kept her eyes fixed on the door. Zelda, arms crossed, watched me instead. She probably wanted to ask something but didn’t want her sister to hear.
I went through the motions of preparing for bed. All the while, I strained to hear any noise from the hallway or outside, certain I’d catch the metallic purr of the BMW’s engine or the telltale staccato of Andy’s angry footsteps on the stairs even though I knew he couldn’t get inside the building, let alone up to my apartment.
When I heard movement outside our door, I froze, fingers tightening on the edge of the Formica table. A gentle knock. I nearly came out of my skin.
“It’s me,” Violet called softly through the wood.
I cracked the door and saw her standing alone, concern etched deep into her pale features. “Knight’s almost finished tinkering with the cameras,” she said. “He and Tiny will be here most of the night. Riot’s watching the gate. They’ve even got a few of the brothers keeping watch on the only road in or out of this area. He’s not getting past us now.” Her gaze flicked past me, toward the twins. “You can sleep easy tonight, Penny. We’ve all got your back.”
Sleep easy. The phrase sounded obscene. “Thank you,” I managed. “Is he still out there?”
She shook her head. “Not since dusk. But we’re not taking chances.”
“Can I…” I didn’t finish the question. I didn’t want to leave the girls alone, but I also didn’t want them anywhere near Andy if he came back. “Never mind.”
Violet nodded, as if I’d said something important. “If you want, I’ll stay in the room with them. I can bring a laptop and get some work done while they sleep.”
I hesitated, glancing at the twins. Kira was watching cartoons on mute, but Zelda’s eyes were on me, waiting. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
Violet followed me back into the apartment and set up at the kitchen table, her laptop glowing blue in the half-dark. “Go on,” she said quietly. “If you need anything, just knock on the wall.”
I slipped out and walked the halls. On the main floor, the common area was empty except for Tiny, who stood by the entry with his arms folded and his gaze fixed on the darkened window.
He didn’t look up as I approached, but I saw his jaw clench. “You all right?” he asked, still watching the lot outside.
“Not really,” I said, because there was no point in lying to a man who’d already seen me at my lowest. “Is he coming back?”
“Don’t know,” Tiny said. “Probably. When he does, he and I are havin’ a come-to-Jesus meeting, so let him come.”
I peered out the window beside him. Nothing moved on the lot. “He’s never been this direct before,” I said quietly. “I thought he’d try to charm his way in. Talk to the staff, pretend he was worried about the girls. This is new.”
Tiny snorted. “Sometimes, when a guy knows he’s about to lose, he doubles down on the crazy.”
We stood in silence for a while, his presence comforting. I found myself leaning toward the warmth that radiated from his body, letting it shore up the places inside me crumbling under the pressure.
The moment shattered when the phone in my pocket buzzed again.
Andy: The girls need their father. You’re traumatizing them. If you make me come up, I’ll call the police. How do you think this looks?
I felt the rage crawl up my throat, sour and choking. I held out the phone so Tiny could read it. He read the text, then looked at me, his expression unreadable. “He’s going to try to scare you into coming out by making you look unstable.”
“He’s good at that,” I said, bitterness slipping out. “Used to have me doubting my own memory. There were times I thought I was going crazy.”
Tiny’s phone buzzed in his back pocket, and he pulled it out, reading the text. His jaw tightened, but there was an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes. The man was looking forward to whatever was about to happen. “You do exactly what I say. Understand?” His expression was firm, a man expecting to be obeyed. Strangely, I’d seen the same look from Andy, but… different. Tiny was most definitely capable of violence. A man his size who’d been in prison would have to be. The difference was subtle, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. But I thought maybe I felt differently because this dangerous mien he showed now meant he was intervening on my behalf rather than wanting to hurt me.