Chapter 30
We were finally at the sixty-day mark. I guessed it was safe to say that I’d fallen for my husband. Maybe he knew what was best for me in the first place.
For the last few weeks, we’d been staying at the lake house, and I could say I was loving it far more than staying at his home.
Every day, I got to wake up to the sunlight.
I spent most of my mornings out on the back patio or front porch, sipping my coffee and staring out into nature.
The best thing about it was the silence.
I was far from the outdoorsy type, but being out here had been so peaceful.
Today, I had to go back to the city for work.
I was planning an event that was coming up soon, and I had to finalize plans.
Savion didn’t mind whenever I wanted to go back into the city, but he made sure to keep someone on me at all times.
Whenever I left, I’d drive his Range Rover, which was bulletproof.
Savion had been in and out of the city himself, trying to figure out who had left that box at his doorstep.
That had been some of the cruelest shit I’d ever seen in my life.
I knew my brothers could be ruthless or whatever, but Luxe and I never experienced stuff like that.
I’d killed people, but it was more of shooting them and being done with it.
Someone took the time to get someone’s heart and place it in a box.
Just nasty, and we still didn’t know who the heart belonged to.
I exited the room and stopped at the top of the staircase to see the black Tahoe parked out front. It was a couple of Savion’s men, sitting out there, waiting to follow me for the day.
Shaking my head, I strolled down the staircase and exited the house through the garage. Soon as the garage door lifted, I saw the headlights come on, on the Tahoe.
I pulled out the garage, with them directly behind me, and headed for the venue.
* * *
The last thing I expected to leave with tonight was a headache.
I stood in the middle of the ballroom with my iPad tucked against my chest, staring at the rows of empty tables.
In a few weeks, the room would be transformed into something beautiful.
Crystal chandeliers, white roses, and gold accents covered the entire room.
The kind of event people spent months talking about afterward.
In my case, it was one of the biggest events I’d ever planned.
I headed for the exit, and the evening air greeted me the second I stepped outside. My heels clacked against the pavement as I made my way across the parking lot. The Range Rover waited near the curb, its glossy exterior reflecting the city lights.
The heavy door shut behind me with a solid thud.
Silence wrestled around me. I tossed my iPad onto the passenger seat and leaned back.
For the first time all day, there were no vendors calling my phone.
No voices chattering around me and people asking me fifty million questions.
Just me and silence, one of the things I was beginning to value since being with Savion.
I started the engine, and the truck purred to life. The parking lot emptied behind me as I pulled onto the street. My fingers drummed against the steering wheel while soft music played through the speakers. A smile tugged at my lips.
The event was coming together perfectly. Maybe for once, life would stop trying to—
Headlights shone brightly, blinding me. My eyes snapped toward the intersection. A pickup truck moved too fast. My stomach dropped.
“No—”
The impact came before I could finish my sentence and really process what was going on.
Metal scrubbed. Everything around me exploded.
A deafening boom ripped through the vehicle as something slammed into the driver’s side.
The steering wheel jerked from my hands, and everything spun.
Glass cracked, forming a spiderweb. Airbags detonated.
Pain exploded through my chest as the seat belt locked.
The SUV rolled multiple times. I couldn’t even count how many. The world became nothing but noise. The ringing in my ear killed me. Finally, the truck stopped rolling and ended up upside down. My body hung suspended by the seat belt.
For several seconds, I couldn’t move. My breath had escaped my lungs.
My mind was scrambled. Warm liquid slid down the side of my face.
I blinked. The interior lights flickered.
The windshield looked like a giant spiderweb.
My vision blurred, going in and out. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
“Shit . . .”
My ribs screamed every time I inhaled. Pain shot through my shoulder. My head throbbed. I reached for the buckle with shaking fingers. The moment it released, I dropped onto the ceiling with a painful grunt.
Stars burst behind my eyes. For a second, everything went black. I forced myself awake. Forced myself to move. “You got this.” I coached myself as I reached out for my phone. “Where’s my phone?”
Panic clawed its way into my throat. I pushed the driver’s door, but it wouldn’t budge. I shoved harder. Still nothing.
“Oh my God . . .” My breathing accelerated.
Outside, people were yelling and running. Somebody pounded against the glass.
“Ma’am! Can you hear me!” a voice yelled, but it wasn’t a familiar sounding one.
My lips parted for me to speak, but nothing came out of them. The ringing in my ears grew louder. My vision doubled. The last thing I saw was a figure running toward the wreckage.