Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
He stiffened within his hold on me. “I. . .”
“Chase, you can’t keep me out.”
“But I’m just—”
“Trying to protect me I know, but that won’t work.” I leaned away from him and stared into his eyes. “I don’t like being in the dark when my life is on the line. You need to tell me everything and it starts tonight.”
He released me and edged away. “Some things may not be relative to this sicko who’s out to get you. I need you to respect that and not push me to tell you.”
“Like what?”
“Those two rooms.”
“What if they are related to why this person is trying to come after me and your girlfriends that were murdered.”
“They’re not. Trust me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. If the person who is doing this is Dawn, Wendy, Lucy, or even Benny, then they’re not relative to those rooms. They know nothing about what’s in there or why they even exist.”
“Who does?”
“Only my father and the staff who goes in there to clean them a few times a year.”
“But—”
“And I would like you to not ask your brother to break into any more places on my property.”
I crossed my arms around my chest. “Well, if anybody will get in trouble for that it’s me.”
“No one is in trouble, just don’t have him do it again. . .please. I’ll tell you everything else, but when it comes to those rooms, we leave it alone.” He offered his hand. I didn’t shake it.
“Will you tell me about this buried body and gun that you think was used by the person to shoot me?”
“Yes.”
“Now?”
He groaned. “Must it be now? Let’s see if they find the gun first.”
“They’re looking for it now?”
“In a few hours, yes.”
“Then tell me this story now.”
“Take off your robe.” He directed his gaze to my tie. “If I’m going to be dragged back to one of many days that I wish I could forget, I’ll do it with you half-naked and close to me.”
“Half-naked?”
“Take off that robe. I’ll take anything else off if I need to.” He remained a few inches or so away from me, yet the heat radiating from him told me that he would do what he promised. Plus, he was in a telling mood. I didn’t want to get him off track.
“Okay. Go ahead.” I took it off. The robe fell to the floor.
I only wore a white cotton gown that fell down to my knees. It was one of those thin numbers, nothing to shield me from the breeze that brushed against my nipples and made me shiver. Although it wasn’t the sexiest thing I could sleep in, it formed around my body with ease and gave Chase just enough to look at and drool over. He’d attempted to rip it off when I first came out of the bathroom. I’d had to remind him that he was still cut off from that part of me due to the kidnapping.
“Take off the gown.”
“Nice try. Maybe I’ll take it off if I believe you’re really being straight with me.”
He headed over to the table, pulled a chair out, sat down, and gestured for me to come over. I obliged. All around us the small Italian town slept. Only the rustling of things that crept in the night could be heard. When I sat down, Chase kissed me on my cheek. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
“Quit stalling.”
He frowned. “Lucy’s parents were pretty sick people.”
Tension built in my shoulders as I prepared myself for the rest of his story.
“They did things to Lucy that other people couldn’t see, but hurt her just the same. They touched her the way parents should never touch a kid, and they did it with the thinking that it was love.” He sighed. “Her mother was a distant cousin of my father. They were all into kinky things, which is how they all ended up spending a lot of time around each other.”
“I don’t understand.”
“There was a secret club in Atrani that allowed sexual activities for the wealthy in need of their privacy. Dawn’s father sort of was the founder of this. They didn’t have a set location. They more planned to meet each summer and bring in whatever they needed. When I was putting Lucy’s binder together, my people didn’t dig as deep as they could have due to all of the various people involved. My father hung out with powerful men, ones who would realize I was poking around and deal with me accordingly.”
I swallowed down a bit of fear.
“My father also collected guns. I don’t believe he was ever as kinky as his friends. He just enjoyed not having any limits when it came to his pleasure. His guns are a great example. He bought many types, from antiques to modern assault rifles, celebrity-owned weapons to illegal hand guns. Most were loaded, but he never shot them. He just liked being surrounded by danger, I think. He loved the rush of death right there hanging on the walls. He stopped keeping guns in the house after that summer.”