Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
My tongue feels thick, so I don’t attempt to answer him, I just nod my head. He looks at me strangely and then ushers his brothers out of the room but not before each of them shake my hand, thanking me on the way out.
Aria hugs Sky. “You need anything, you call me, okay?”
She nods, hugging her sister-in-law tightly. Aria gives me a warning look as she walks by, and I’m not sure what to make of it. I still can’t believe neither she nor the brothers have kicked my ass yet.
Sky says my name softly. “Zach.”
I don’t let her finish. I point toward the door. “I’m going to get the officer.”
I don’t wait for her to say anything. I bring in the cop, and he goes over to the bed.
“I guess you had a wild morning.”
Ever patient and friendly Sky nods her head, smiling, even though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yes, Officer.”
He pulls out his pad of paper. “Okay, can you tell me about it?”
Skyler starts talking about how she went down to the kitchen and unlocked the back door because her assistant would be arriving soon. She says she was gathering items out of the fridge to make breakfast and the man come up behind her. She tells him everything: the knife to her neck, the ways he touched her, and then how I came into the room.
She’s looking at me like I’m some kind of hero, and I can’t stomach it. She talks about how scared she was and tells the police officer that when she said she loved me, the man hit her.
It guts me. Literally, she was beaten for loving me. I’m no good for her. Everything inside of me is telling me to run, but my feet are like lead glued to the ground.
The police officer looks at me. “Are you her boyfriend? Husband?”
I lift my chin. “I was hired to protect her.”
His eyebrows skyrocket, and he gives me a dirty look. He can't make me feel any worse than I already do. “Right. Uh, okay. Then what?”
Skyler is staring at me as if she’s trying to figure me out. Well, good luck with that because I can’t even begin to explain everything I’m feeling right now. Skyler’s soft smile disappears. “After I was hit, I blacked out, I guess. I don’t know what happened after that.”
The policeman looks at me. “Mr. Campbell?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “He uh, dropped the knife and hit her. I shot him, but it was too late. I ziptied his hands. Terry was at the back door. I guess the assailant locked the door behind him, so I let Terry in, told him to call 911, and then I tended to Skyler until the ambulance got there.”
He’s writing it all down. “And this guy, Leo Reynolds, has been stalking you?”
Before Skyler can answer, I tell him, “Yes, he’s been stalking her. I have everything in his file that I'll send over to you.”
He nods. “Your employee, uh, Alex Colby, gave it to us.” He finishes writing and then closes his pad. “Okay, well, I think I have everything I need.” He looks at Skyler. “Just so you know, Mr. Reynolds has a big rap sheet, and he’s going to be in prison for a long time.”
Skyler brings her knees up and wraps her arms around her legs. “Good. Can I leave now?”
At that moment, the nurse comes in. “Who’s ready to get out of here?”
Skyler smiles. “Me! I am.”
I walk the officer to the door while Skyler and the nurse go over the paperwork. She refuses the wheel chair, and in no time, we are walking out of the hospital. There’s a thousand things I want to say to her, but I don’t know where to start.
CHAPTER 18
SKYLER
He’s not talking. He’s not saying a word.
The Jasper hospital is thirty minutes from my house, and he doesn’t open his mouth the whole way home. Instead of pulling into my garage, he parks in the driveway, and my stomach sinks. He’s not staying.
I get out of his truck and walk up to the door. I don’t have anything. No keys, nothing, but Terry opens my door for us. “Oh my God, you’re okay!” He hugs me and puts an arm around my shoulder as he walks me into the house.
He sits me down on the couch. “Are you okay?”
I nod, peeking a look at Zach. He’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a blank expression on his face.
I mutter to Terry, “Yeah, I’m okay. A little bruised, but it could have been much worse.”
Terry worriedly starts listing things. “I’ve scheduled some of your drafts for social because I figured you’d want to take a few days off.”
“But—” I start.
Terry interrupts me. “Skyler, you need to give it a few days at least. You won’t be able to hide those bruises behind makeup right now.”