Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
“Don’t even think about moving,” Remy said.
She turned to see that Shawn was trying to get up.
“I’m c-calling the police. R-Remy?” she stuttered.
“I’ll keep an eye on him, baby. Loki, go with her.”
Loki moved his gaze from Shawn to her.
“Keep Isabelle safe,” Remy ordered.
Loki shook off his fury and walked over to her. He wrapped her up in his arms. She let out a sob, then pulled herself free.
“I can’t . . . I can’t fall apart yet.”
Nodding, he led her out into the hallway. Just as Fred ambled up it.
“What’s going on? You can’t all be here.”
“What’s going on is that Isabelle was just assaulted and you were nowhere to be found,” Loki sneered at the older man.
“Loki,” she said as Fred gaped at her.
She didn’t have time to reassure him. Or the energy.
Several hours later, they left the police station at Stepford. Loki was fuming. If they’d been in Wishingbone, she’d never have been interrogated for hours like that.
Remy was fussing over her, hovering in a way he never had before. And she was soaking that up.
At least Loki hadn’t been arrested for attacking Shawn. The police had to look at the feed in more depth, but they’d told them it seemed to be a clear case of him defending her.
Still . . . she was on edge.
It didn’t help that her heart was racing and she felt light-headed. She was kind of struggling for breath too, the world around her hazy.
“We need to get Isabelle home,” Remy said as they headed down the street to his truck.
Another wave of dizziness hit her.
The world around her started to grow black.
“Baby girl? You all right?”
“Tink? Fuck! She’s about to—”
The world went black.
50
Isabelle opened her eyes, staring around in confusion.
Why was she being carried? In . . . Loki’s arms?
She squinted up at him as he paused.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Why did her voice sound so faint? Why did she feel so weird? Kind of like she was floating away . . .
“Baby, thank fuck.” Remy’s face appeared. He looked so pale and worried. She wanted to tell him it was all right, but it seemed like so much energy. “You fainted. We’re taking you to the hospital.”
No!
Nope. Not happening.
“No!” she cried out, using the last of her energy to try and wriggle out of Loki’s arms.
But she should have known he’d have a tight hold on her.
“Tink, calm down.”
“No!”
“Isabelle,” Loki growled. “Calm. Down.”
She froze at the sound of his dark, commanding tone.
“I know you’re scared of going to the hospital, but you have to,” Loki told her. His voice was kind but firm.
But her feelings weren’t rational. She knew she was being silly, but she couldn’t stop.
“Why is she so scared?” Remy asked as he opened the back door of his truck. He took hold of her as Loki climbed in, then handed her to the other man. Loki got a seatbelt around her, then drew her against him.
She shivered. Why was she so cold?
“Because of her mom,” Loki replied. “Have you got a blanket or jacket?”
“Yeah.” Remy shut the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. He passed Loki the same blanket she’d used the other day.
Loki wrapped it around her.
“I d-don’t want to go.”
“I know, Tink. But nothing is going to happen to you. We won’t let it. I know what happened to your mom was scary, but this isn’t the same.” Loki looked up at Remy who was driving. They seemed to be moving quicker than they should be. “When Tink was four, her mom went to the hospital and never came home.”
“She . . . she had a heart attack and died. I know I’m not being rational, but I just . . . I can’t stand hospitals. I can barely manage going to the doctor.”
“Baby girl,” Remy said with a mix of affection and worry. “I get it. I do. But you cannot neglect your health.”
“You ate lunch, right?” Loki said, taking hold of her wrist and putting two fingers on her pulse.
“Yep.”
“Promise?” he pressed.
“I did,” she replied. “Really.”
“She hasn’t had dinner, though,” Remy said. “And it’s late.”
“I don’t know what happened,” she said. “Maybe I’m just tired . . . I started to feel dizzy. I, um . . . you know how I said I had something to tell you?”
Something she’d been putting off because she knew that they’d both insist on her going to the doctor.
Well, she guessed she was going now.
“Yes?” Loki said, his gaze narrowing. “Is it to do with your boss?”
“Oh. Him. God, what a creep.”
“Did he touch you before today?” Remy snapped.
They hadn’t been allowed in with her when the detective was questioning her.
“No, no,” she said hastily. “I would have told you if he had. He just . . . I don’t know. Stared at me a lot. But he had a wife and I thought maybe I was just being too sensitive or something.”