Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Within minutes, he left the warehouse, and already arranged to have details of Anthony Thistle sent to him within twenty-four hours. He wanted this vermin removed from his streets. He made sure to put the word out that anyone caught stealing children or women would be dealt with. There was also a reward for anyone with information to come forward.
With business dealt with, he got in his car and drove home. Thoughts of Eve were a welcome distraction. She was the only good thing in his life.
The journey back home was not long enough and at the same time, too damn long. He didn’t know how to fix things with his wife. He loved her more than anything, would never harm her. He only wanted the best for her, and he didn’t know how to dress it up or say the right words.
Climbing out of his car, he made his way inside, and he didn’t like how calm and still his home was. Every other time he returned home, Eve had music playing, or he caught her dancing. There was always excitement with his wife close by. The kitchen was bare, no baking or cooking to be seen. The dining room and his study were also empty.
His wife was in the library, curled up on the small sofa, a book had fallen into her lap. She looked so … troubled in her sleep, and he didn’t like that. His wife usually looked peaceful in sleep. She wore a dress, one with long billowy sleeves, and a skirt that came to her ankles. Her hair wasn’t bound but fell around her face. He wanted to reach out, to stroke the curls out of her face, but he didn’t want to disturb her. Even though she didn’t appear to be peaceful, Eve sleeping through the day never happened, even when she was tired. She always kept working.
Grim sat down on the coffee table and watched her sleep. He wanted to make sure she was okay, better than okay. She didn’t move.
Grim didn’t have a clue what to do to win her back. He hated this battle. He was the same person she had fallen in love with, just with a few minor differences. His feelings for her hadn’t changed.
****
Eve let out a little moan. Her dreams were not peaceful and as she opened her eyes, she saw Grim. At first, she expected to feel disappointment, but she didn’t.
“You’re awake,” he said.
“And you’re back.” She had missed him while he’d been gone. She hated this strangeness between them.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Tired. Exhausted. You?”
“I don’t like sleeping without you.”
She wanted to agree with him. In the six months they’d been married, having his arms around her, protecting her, had felt wonderful. The last few nights, she barely got any sleep. That was clearly affecting the rest of her day, because she never slept through the day, but did feel absolutely drained.
Coming into the library, grabbing a book and just sitting down, she had felt how quickly sleep wanted to claim her. Like Grim, she didn’t like sleeping without him either. Staring at him now, all she wanted to do was open her arms. When he reached out to stroke her hair behind her ear, she didn’t flinch. She didn’t make a move. All those feelings she had for him were still there and were not going away.
“What did you do today?” Eve asked.
“You don’t want to know.”
This made her suddenly jerk up and as she did, she pulled away from his touch. She heard his sigh of frustration.
“You hurt someone today?” she asked. Did she want to know?
Grim stared at her and his look told her he had hurt someone and the other little factor was he didn’t care.
“Grim?”
“Don’t.”
It was the first time in their life together he’d taken that tone with her. She wasn’t used to that sound and Eve frowned.
“I accept that you’re pissed at me and you don’t like what I do. You can even hate me, but don’t try and be disappointed or even upset about the scum I killed today.” He didn’t move but his elbow now rested on his knee. He looked so deflated. “You want the truth, then here it is. The man I killed today tried to steal a child. A young girl. That is the man I killed, and the reason I did it is because today he failed in his attempt to kidnap her. Yesterday, he didn’t. He took one, and if I didn’t take matters into my own hands, there’s no telling what he would have done.”
Eve was taken aback. “What?”
“Yeah, you’re so judgmental about what I do, what I’m capable of, that you’ve not even considered the fact that I might be a fucking savior. I know I’m not a good guy, but trust me, the people I’ve removed from this earth were fucking scum.”