Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 136048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
I unlock my Honda, and just as I tear the driver’s door open, the masked stalker appears in the doorway, only he stops right there, not prepared to chase me outside and show the world that I’m not fucking crazy. Then, as he stares at me from the doorway of the home I share with Knight, I clamber into my car and take off, knowing that without a doubt, I can’t keep this from Knight anymore.
The moment he gets home, I have to tell him, no matter what I risk losing.
14
KNIGHT
Fuck, it’s been a long shift. It’s almost seven in the evening by the time I’m pulling into my driveway, and I can’t wait to get inside and wrap my arms around my girl. Only problem is, she’s probably getting ready to leave for her night shift.
This fucking sucks. I love that she loves her work, and I know that my shifts aren’t always the easiest to get down with either, but it seems that we’re missing each other more than when we actually get to be together. That’s life, I guess.
Bringing my truck to a stop at the top of my driveway, I go to cut the engine when Harper’s little blue Honda pulls into the driveway behind me, and I pause for a moment, watching her through my rearview mirror.
What the fuck is she doing? I thought she was home.
She sits in her car, not moving an inch, and I get out of my truck and make my way down to her driver’s door, watching her through the window. She stares ahead, looking shaken, and I can’t help but notice that she’s wearing an old hoodie, one that’s been living in her car for who knows how long, and there’s nothing on her legs.
Her hair is a mess and her eyes . . . They’re red.
Has she been crying?
I open her door and crouch down, staring in at my girl. “Morticia, baby,” I murmur, reaching in and brushing my fingers down the side of her cheek, wiping a tear away with my thumb. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Harper visibly swallows before finally turning to take me in, and the agony behind her eyes fucking kills me. “He’s back,” she tells me, her voice shaking as she clutches my hand. “The man who stabbed me. He came back.”
“The fuck?”
I fly to my full height, immediately whipping around to survey the surrounding areas, searching every fucking shadow as I keep my hand in hers, terrified to let go. “Where?”
“In the house,” she tells me. “I came home from work and showered, and when I got out, he was waiting for me. He . . .”
“He touched you?”
Her face breaks, and my heart sinks, devastation pulsing through my veins at what she had to endure at the hands of this bastard. “I’m sorry,” she cries, her face falling as more tears spring from her eyes. “I tried to run, but he was too fast. He pinned me down. I—”
“Fuck, doll,” I say, reaching into her car. I put it in park and pull the hand brake before pulling her right out of the car and straight into my arms as a wave of guilt crashes over me. This is on me. I didn’t find him fast enough. I didn’t do my job. I didn’t protect her like I vowed. I let her down. “You don’t need to be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I did,” she cries. “I did so much wrong. I should have been honest with you. I should have told you everything, but I was too scared, and now . . . I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to make it stop.”
“Shhhhhh,” I say, my hands rubbing up and down her arms, desperately trying to soothe her. “It’s okay. Let’s get you inside, then you can tell me exactly what happened. You don’t need to be scared, doll. I’ve got you now, and I’m never letting you out of my sight.”
My hand falls down to hers, and she clutches it like her only lifeline, but as I go to pull her toward the house, she hesitates, frantically shaking her head. “No,” she says, panicking. “I never saw him come out. He’s still in there.”
My eyes widen, and I look toward my house, my hand already reaching for my gun. “Are you sure?”
She nods, the fear in her eyes like nothing I’ve ever seen before. “Okay, stay here,” I tell her. “Get back in your car and lock the door. Don’t unlock it until I come back for you. Understood?”
Harper nods again, and I open her car door, watching as she silently climbs back in before looking up at me through the window. She locks the car, and I hold her stare for a moment longer before finally turning away and heading straight for the door.