Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 66503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Anne screams when she sees me rush in. “Lex!”
I jab at him before he has a chance to react, thrusting the piece of mirror into his abdomen.
“You bitch!” he roars, swiftly pulling it out before smacking me in the face so hard I fall to the floor.
“Aurora, what the fuck are you doing?!” my father blasts through the room, but I ignore his yelling.
With bloodied lips, I crawl backward while Lex holds the shard like he intends to cut me with it.
“You dare to attack me in my own home?” Lex growls. “After the generous mercy I tried to offer you, one single day of pleasure with my wife and me… and you chose to hurt me instead?”
He clutches the shard so harshly his hand begins to bleed.
“I will make you pay for that,” he hisses.
“No, get away from me.” I crawl toward the window.
“Stop fighting him, Aurora!” my father barks from his chair. “This won’t end well for either of us if you don’t!”
“Listen to your father, girl.”
I glance around to try to find anything else I can use to attack Lex. But all I can find is a clip that was used to tie up the curtains. I snatch it off the floor and hold it out in front of me like a weapon to keep him at bay.
Lex snorts. “What do you think you could do with that, girl?”
He laughs but then immediately groans in pain, clutching his side. The knife did enough damage to give me a sliver of time. And I use the opportunity to jump away from him across the floor, hurrying toward his wife. Without a second thought, I jump on the bed and hold the tiny trinket near her eye. “I don’t want to do this, but you give me no choice.”
Adrenaline courses through my veins, pulsating with violence as I watch Lex turn to seethe.
“Lex, help!” Anne murmurs, so I push the clip into her cheek.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Lex growls at me.
“Leave, or your wife loses her eye!” I yell back.
“What?” he scoffs, winching in pain.
“You heard me,” I say.
“Aurora, stop this, right now!” my father blasts across the room, but he holds no power over me. Not anymore. He gave up that right the second he sold me out to Lex.
Lex laughs at me. “You think you’re capable of violence?”
Maybe I wasn’t before, but I’ve learned so much from my time with Beast. His fearlessness has left its mark on me. And sometimes we have to be our own savior.
“If I have to, I will,” I retort.
“Lex! Please don’t try anything!” Anne shrieks. “I don’t want to lose my eye. It’s not worth it.”
“I don’t fucking care!” Lex growls. “I won’t let you threaten me, girl.”
Oh my God, I can’t believe it.
Is he really casting her safety aside? Just like that, like it means nothing to him?
I shove the metal into the skin right below her eye so deep it begins to bleed. Guilt fills my bones, but I stay put, clutching her tightly against me.
Until Lex storms right at me.
“You won’t hurt her. You can’t even hurt a fly,” Lex growls.
Shit, shit, shit!
The second I attempt to stab her, he grabs ahold of my wrist and lifts it up into the air.
Too late.
“No!” I shriek as he knocks the metal clasp from my hand.
Anne jumps away from me, falling to the floor.
BANG!
Suddenly, the door is knocked in, and smoke erupts, filling the room instantly.
I cough and heave while Lex releases me. “What the—”
Guards burst into the room, shooting left and right at something beyond the door. My father and Anne begin to scream their lungs out.
“Code red, sir!” the guards bark at Lex.
“What?” Lex’s eyes widen.
“BEAST!” I shriek, my body filling with vigor.
I know it’s him. It has to be.
With a quick push, I shove Lex away from me and run for the bathroom door, but Anne grabs ahold of my foot, knocking me to the ground.
Oompf.
I look behind me and see her wretched hand wring around my ankle. “You’re not going anywhere after what you just did,” she says through gritted teeth.
I try to kick her away, but she’s much stronger than I am.
BANG! BANG!
Gunshots fill the room, and I duck for cover underneath my own hands. Even though I know they won’t protect me from the shots, at least they’ll protect me from the cloud of dust.
Bodies drop to the floor. I can hear them smack like a sack of potatoes.
“AURORA!”
His voice makes me lift my head and hear his call.
A huge shadow fills the empty doorway, blocking the light, towering over us all.
And my heart almost jumps out of my chest.
He’s really here.
More guards loom behind him, and my eyes widen. “Beast! Behind you!”
He doesn’t even have to turn around. A quick swoosh with his knife in a sideways fling slices through their bodies with ease, and he knocks them to the floor.