Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 14459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 72(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 48(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 14459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 72(@200wpm)___ 58(@250wpm)___ 48(@300wpm)
What did a person eat to comfort them after being held at gunpoint?
4
Trent jumped out of the car before Larry had even came to a stop. Before getting on the plane from Vegas, he’d managed to get hold of Larry and asked him to meet him at the airport in Jackson to bring him back here.
The older man ran a taxi service in Wanton. It was surprisingly busy considering the town had less than eight thousand people in it. Still, this would likely be the biggest fare he’d ever had.
But Trent didn’t give a shit. He was just grateful that he’d managed to get a flight out of Las Vegas to get back to his girl.
Fuck. What had she been doing in town? He’d told her to rest. And she was supposed to text him before going anywhere.
Not that he’d ever have a reason to object to her going to the corner store. Even knowing how tired she’d looked this morning, he likely wouldn’t have said no.
However, he couldn’t help but think of all the ways he could have stopped this from happening. Running up to the house, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. His foot hit something, and he looked down in surprise at a number of her toys on the floor.
What the hell were they all doing in front of the door? The alarm beeped, and he quickly took care of it as someone walked out of the living room.
“You made good time,” Noah rumbled.
He sighed, nodding. “I got back here as quickly as I could. How is she?”
Noah ran his hand over his beard. “She went up to bed a couple of hours ago.”
“She’s asleep?”
“Don’t know. I haven’t heard anything from her since the shower shut off. The door’s closed.”
Right. Christ. “Thanks for coming and staying with her, man.”
Noah just nodded. Trent had been friends with the reclusive mountain man for years. Noah lived about another hour up the mountain and didn’t come down for much. But he did have a cell phone and thankfully, he’d answered when Trent called him while he was in the airport waiting for his flight.
After he’d received a call from Max, who’d told him what had happened, Trent had fucking lost it. When April had gotten on the phone, she’d been the one reassuring him.
Which wasn’t fucking good enough. He had to be there for her.
After getting out of him what was wrong, Ethan had gone online and booked him a flight while Sammy shoved him into a taxi to the airport. He’d called Noah to see if he could go stay with her, not wanting April to be alone.
“Gotta go,” Noah said.
Trent nodded. He wanted to get upstairs to April, but he walked out with Noah.
“What’s with all the toys on the floor?” Trent asked.
“I have no idea. They’re at the back door too. And on the staircase.”
Weird.
After Noah left, Trent raced up the stairs, jumping over the toys at the bottom and top of the staircase before moving to their bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door carefully.
A terror-filled scream greeted him just before his girl flung herself out of the bed and landed on the floor.
Fuck!
Why hadn’t he called out to her first?
Idiot!
“April, it’s me! It’s Trent, baby.” The light by the bed was on, filling the room with a soft glow.
“T-Trent?” Her face appeared above the mattress. She looked so pale and scared that he had to clench his fists to hold in his anger.
That fucking asshole.
That bastard better fucking hope that he got locked away for a long time because if Trent got hold of him . . .
“Yeah, baby. It’s me. Come here.”
A sob escaped her, and she shook her head.
Fucking hell. He wanted to go to her. To pick her up and hold her tight. But the terror in her eyes told him to go slow. That any sudden movements might just make her more afraid.
Moving on instinct, he got down on his knees. He didn’t want to loom over her. This way he was more at her height and was hopefully less likely to scare her.
Another sob escaped her as he held out his arms. “Come here, baby.”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“Everything is all right now,” he soothed. “I’m home. I’ll take care of you.”
It was so damn hard to hold himself back. To stop from reaching for her and pulling her into his embrace. But it was better if she came to him.
“Come on, baby girl. Come to Daddy. I need to hold you. You know you’re always safe in Daddy’s arms.”
That worked. She shuffled toward him on her hands and knees. Christ. She was killing him. But he forced himself not to let his own fear show.
Right now, she needed him to be calm. April was always so full of laughter and life. She was always smiling and dancing. She lived a life mostly free from worry.