Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
I shook my head. “Well, you’re not going this week.”
Ignoring me, Juliette strutted to the front door and grabbed her keys from the hook. I stepped in front of her, planting myself between her and the door. “I’m sorry you can’t go. But the only way you’re going out without me is by walking over my dead body.”
Juliette’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward. “If you insist…”
Her chest heaved up, and she looked about as pissed as a person could get—but damn, she smelled good. And that spark in her eye? It only made her sexier. Being this close was messing with my head. My body reacted and clouded every rational thought.
I had to take a step back, put some room between us before I did something stupid—like grab a fistful of her hair and kiss the living shit out of her. Oh boy. Make that two steps. I definitely needed two.
“You’re not leaving this house, Juliette. If I have to tie you up to keep you inside, that’s what I’m going to do.” Crap. Now I was picturing her with her arms spread wide, wrists tied to her headboard—so yeah, I needed a better strategy than restraining her. That might be even more dangerous than letting her walk out the door.
“Fine…” She huffed. “I’m going to call all of my uncles, until someone puts me on the phone with my father, and he puts an end to this ridiculousness.” Turning around, she marched toward the back of the house, where her bedroom and bathroom were. “But first I need to pee.”
I waited a few minutes, expecting to hear her yell or maybe throw her phone, but it stayed quiet—too quiet. So I walked to the back and knocked on the closed bathroom door.
“Juliette?”
No answer.
“Juliette?”
Still no answer. I reached for the door handle, expecting it to be locked, but it turned. And Juliette wasn’t inside.
Fuck.
I ran to her room, but that was empty too. Goddammit!
She must’ve climbed out the bathroom window or slipped out the back door. Either way, I needed to find her. Now. I bolted out the front door in a panic and spotted her standing at the neighbor’s front door. I reached her just as it swung open.
Pam glanced between us and grinned. “Ooh. Hot stuff is coming too?”
Juliette opened her mouth to respond, but her words fell by the wayside as I wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her close.
“I’m sorry, Pam,” I said softly. “I came to apologize for making your friend stay in with me. I just got her to agree a few minutes ago. I really want a night alone with her.”
Pam’s eyes widened. “A night alone?”
“She’s been so busy since I got here. You understand, right?”
A grin spread across Pam’s face. “Of course.”
“Thanks, Pam.”
“You two have a great time.” She winked at Juliette. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
We walked back to the house with my arm still tightly around Juliette. She hadn’t said a word, but I suspected I was in for an earful once we were alone.
Boy, was I right. The minute I shut the door behind us, she threw her purse at me. I caught it, which only pissed her off more.
“How dare you do that in front of my friend?” she hissed.
“You didn’t leave me any choice, sneaking out like that. What are you, twelve?”
The vein in her neck bulged. “Maybe I act like that because I’m treated that way.”
I was pissed that she’d ditched me, yet I could understand why she was so upset. The woman had done everything she could to break free of her father, and somehow his shit still blew back on her. I spoke with a calm voice. “I get it. I really do. But my priority is keeping you safe, even if doing so also happens to make you miserable.”
“Tell me what’s going on. Why are we on lockdown?”
Vince had never instructed me to keep her in the dark, and I sort of thought she had a right to know anyway. “I don’t know that many details. Just that we have some extra eyes watching the house, and a guy named Sonny is a threat.”
Juliette’s face fell. “Sonny Altieri?”
I nodded. “You know him?”
All the anger was suddenly gone, and it seemed like she was on the verge of tears. She looked away. “I’m going to my room.”
***
I waited a few hours before knocking on her bedroom door. “Juliette? You okay?”
Her voice was small. “I’m fine.”
I pressed my ear to her door. “Can I come in?”
A few beats passed. “Yeah.”
She was lying in bed, curled in the fetal position, and didn’t sit up when I entered. “What happened earlier? I said a name, and you lost all your fight.”
“There’s nothing left to fight for.”
I pointed to the foot of the bed. “Can I sit down?”