Page 100 of Saving His Heart

The cheeky grin she gives me does not settle my nerves in the least. Lexi and Lanie laughing behind us worries me even more.

“You’re a little scary, you know that, Jules?”

“Haha, Preston says the same thing. Come on, looks like the car is waiting.”

Taking a generous breath, I follow the girls out of the cabin to the tarmac and the waiting car. Anxiety overtakes my body, and I don’t know if it’s the fear of having Preston or losing him forever that has my body trembling.

Almost an hour later, the car slows to a stop. Ducking down to see out the driver-side window, I see a ten-foot iron gate with an intricately placed W in its center is slowly opening.

“Wh-Where are we?”

“Not the hospital,” Jules says as the car pulls to a stop in front of a palatial home. The front doors have the same ironwork W in their centers. While I’m staring at the doors, the girls all jump from the car and take off running.

Seriously?

Watching them run out of sight on my left, I’m startled by a knock on the window I’m sitting near. I feel like I’m stuck in molasses as I turn to see Ashton standing at my side. All the Westbrook boys have the same dark hair and eyes. They really are all carbon copies of each other, but Ashton stands there with his wire-rimmed glasses, reminding me of a handsome Harry Potter.

“Ash, what’s going on? Did you know that the girls kidnapped me?”

He nods and smiles but says nothing. Instead, he opens the door fully and offers me a hand. Sighing, I take it, because really? What else am I supposed to do?

He leads me down a path that runs the side of the house. As soon as we reach the back, I’m hit with the sounds and scents of the ocean. I’m too busy gawking at the gardens, so I don’t notice Ashton is standing before me with a blindfold.

“Are you kidding me?”

Chapter 42

Emory

Ashton smiles but shakes his head.

“Great.”

Moving behind me, he places the silk over my eyes, tying it at the back. When he’s finished, he gives my shoulders a squeeze. I swear I hear him walk away, and I start to panic until I hear Sylvie beside me.

“Don’t be nervous, Ems. No one here would ever do anything but love you. I promise. I’m going to take your hand and lead you to our first destination. The boys have made sure it’s a clear shot, but you should kick off your shoes just to be safe since we’ll be walking in the sand for a bit.”

“Sylvie?”

“I’m here, dear. Don’t worry.”

“How’s Preston?”When has my voice ever sounded so meek?

“He’s good now that you’re back in the same zip code.” I can hear the smile in her voice, and it soothes my frayed nerves. “Come on, it’ll take a few minutes, so we should get moving.”

We don’t say much once we begin walking. I twist the ring I haven’t taken off of my right hand since Preston put it on. It’s become my go-to nervous habit in a short amount of time. Sylvie notices and gives my fingers a gentle squeeze, but otherwise, we walk in companionable silence. It feels like we’re moving for hours, not minutes. It’s crazy how the body compensates when one of your senses is taken away.

“Okay, hun. I’m going to leave you here for a bit. I’ll be back to get you when you’re ready. Count to ten, then take your blindfold off. You’ll know what to do.”

“Is this—”

I’m cut off by the sound of Sylvie. I swear to God, I think she is running away.What am I supposed to do now?Maybe they’re going to kill me off so I can’t get Preston’s money? I can’t even finish the thought without laughing, though. Figuring it has been at least ten seconds, I remove the blind from my eyes.

What the hell?

I turn to look behind me.Nothing. I don’t see or hear anyone, anywhere. In front of me, sitting on the beach, is a Pepto Bismol pink house that I would bet anything isn’t a permanent fixture. Examining it closer, it appears to be a façade, but the door creeks open, so I take a step back. When no one exits, I open it farther and poke my head in.

There are no floors, but there are four walls, and there’s even furniture inside. When something catches my eye, I glance to my left and am shocked to see all three of my sisters charging me.