Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“Barney. Arrested. Safe.”
“Yes, baby. You’re safe. I’m here and I’m not leaving you.”
She tried to lick her lips, but her lip stung where she touched the corner of her mouth.
Ouch.
“You’re here. Not leaving.” She glanced around and coughed before groaning.
He grabbed a glass with a straw and placed the straw in her mouth just as someone walked into the room. She took a sip, choking on it as a surge of fear ran through her.
Shit.
What was with that?
She could see that the person was a nurse. There was no reason to be afraid, yet her heart was racing, and she was struggling to breathe after choking on some water.
“I’m sorry, Opal,” the nurse said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Abby, your nurse.”
Renard leaned her forward carefully so he could rub her back.
Damn.
That was embarrassing.
Choking on water because a nurse walked into the room.
“Are you all right, Gem?” Renard asked.
“Yep. Just . . . you know . . . humiliated.”
He helped her sit back, and she sunk into the pillows. Abby stayed at the end of the bed, watching her with too-knowing eyes. Opal didn’t like the sympathy she could see in the other woman’s eyes. She hated being pitied.
“No need to be embarrassed,” Abby told her.
“Course not,” Renard grumbled. “Wanna try some water again?”
She shook her head. She’d try later, once they were on their own again.
“I’m so glad to see you awake, Opal. How are you feeling?” Abby asked.
“Like I’ve been run over by a truck.”
Abby nodded. “Thought you would. Let me just take your vitals, then I’m going to tell the doctor that you’re awake, okay?”
She nodded, then regretted the movement as pain shot through her skull.
The nurse left after checking her over and she slowly turned to look at Renard. “Guessing I look pretty bad, huh?”
“Baby, you’re in rough shape, but it doesn’t mean you’re still not the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Oh God.
It was worse than she’d thought.
But then what did she expect? She’d been kidnapped, beaten, she hadn’t had a shower in ages or done her hair and makeup.
“I need my makeup.”
“Baby, you don’t. You are gorgeous. God, I thought I had lost you. I didn’t know where you were. Only that he’d taken you. And we didn’t know what his intentions were.”
“Mrs. G?” she asked.
Shit. Why had it taken her so long to ask? She hadn’t been able to leave the older woman behind to go get help. So she’d shaken her awake and dragged her out of the cabin. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d managed to get them to a road and thankfully, some kind strangers had stopped.
Kind, shocked strangers who had taken in their bruised faces and bound hands and looked like they were about to vomit.
“She’s all right,” he reassured her. “She’s in the hospital, too. She was a bit disorientated but she remained conscious for longer than you. She told us what happened and Jake and Duncan went to the cabin to arrest Barney.”
Right.
Barney was behind bars and he wasn’t getting out.
She was safe.
“That bastard had a camera in my bedroom . . . he watched me.” She swallowed heavily. “I’m gonna be sick.”
“Listen to me.” He gently cupped the side of her face, staring intently into her eyes. “Do not think of any of that. You have to concentrate on healing, on getting better. But, trust me, no one is getting close to you. I am going to protect you. I will keep you safe. Hear me?”
“Why do bad things keep happening to me?” she whispered. “Is it something I did? Is it payback?”
Was it karma?
Was this her punishment for what she’d done years ago?
It had to be, right?
“Fuck no. It is not payback. And the time for bad things in your life to stop has come. From now on, there’s only good. Got me?”
He looked so fierce and certain that she nodded.
But she wasn’t certain that was true at all.
34
Opal woke up with a gasp, staring around in fear.
Where was he?
Had he heard her wake up? Was he coming again?
“Opal?”
She screamed and shied back, groaning in pain.
Fucking shit.
“Baby, hell. Are you all right? Did I scare you? Fucking fucking fuck shit.”
To her surprise, she felt like laughing.
“What is it?” Renard asked.
“Nothing. You’re just speaking my language. Ow. Why did that hurt so much?”
“Because you’re battered and bruised,” Renard growled. “You need to stay still. You’re due some more pain relief, though.”
Lucky her.
Only good thing about being in the hospital was the intravenous drugs. Now that she was out of the hospital, she had to swallow them like a big girl.
Not cool.
“I . . . this is your apartment.” She remembered now. She’d been in the hospital, but for some dumb reason, she’d begged to be allowed to leave. Renard had brought her here instead of taking her to her house.