Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103356 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
With whom? With the person he was going to marry her off to?
“Couldn’t you let me go, Stefan? Just let me be free? Isn’t there some small part of you that loves me?” she whispered.
He grabbed hold of her arm. Tight. “That’s just it. I do love you. I already told you that you’re mine.”
“That’s not love. That’s possession.”
“Same thing.”
Right. Which just proved that he had no idea what love was. Lilac wasn’t sure why she’d thought he would understand.
“Come on, come meet your fiancée. We’re going to fly home and get you married.”
Fear held her immobile. But Stefan just dragged her out of the car and toward the plane. She tried to fight him, to break his hold, but he turned and slapped her across the face. She let out a cry, her face stinging.
“I’m going to have to ask that you don’t harm my fiancée,” a cold voice said from above them.
She looked up, but her eyesight was blurry, and she couldn’t be certain about what she was seeing.
That voice . . . though . . .
“She’s still my sister and I’ll treat her how I want.”
Stefan dragged her up the stairs as tears dripped down her cheeks. But she held her shoulders back, facing the person who’d spoken. They’d moved back, letting them have room.
“Here she is. Your new wife.” Stefan shoved her down and she fell onto her knees in front of the man.
The man who’d betrayed her.
How could he?
He glanced down at her. His face was icy cold, and she trembled. She wanted to put on a brave front, but it was nearly impossible.
All she wanted was Tanner.
God, she wanted him here so much.
“Yes, well, I’ve decided not to do that,” the other man said.
His words took a moment to filter through the terror surrounding her.
“What do you mean?” Stefan asked. “We’re going to form a partnership.”
“I’m afraid not. You don’t think I know you plan to have her marry me, then kill me? Take everything I own? That’s not happening, Stefan. At least, it won’t be you taking what I own. It will be the other way around.”
“I don’t think so,” Stefan sneered. “I’m not going down like this.”
Before she even knew what was happening, the man in front of her raised a gun.
“Yes, you are.”
This wasn’t happening. Lilac stared from one to the other. She saw Stefan tremble. He wasn’t used to not having the upper hand, to not being fully in control.
And now . . . oh, God, she was going to be sick.
“I’m a bad person, Stefan. But you’re the Devil himself. And you belong in hell.”
The gun fired and she screamed, her arms going over the back of her head as she huddled down to protect herself. Her entire body shook, and she knew she was going to be sick.
But she couldn’t stop herself from turning to look.
She saw Stefan lying on the floor. He was so still.
So dead.
“Oh God. Oh God.”
“Get up, Lilac.”
His voice wasn’t unkind, but she was too scared to reply as she forced herself to stand.
“Is he . . . is he . . .” she stumbled over her words, her hand over her tummy.
“Oh, he’s quite dead.” There was almost a cheerful note to Donatello Rossi’s voice as he spoke.
Turning back to him, she saw that he’d put the gun away and was pouring himself a drink. How had this even happened?
“You killed him.”
“Yes,” he replied calmly.
“I thought he was your friend,” she said. Well, as much of a friend as Stefan had.
“Stefan doesn’t have friends, you know that. And he was no friend of mine. It was only a matter of time until he betrayed me.”
“You keep helping me.”
He eyed her for a long moment, then he sighed. “I once had a sister who I loved. I couldn’t save her. But I could save you.”
She swallowed heavily. “It seems too easy. He’s been the boogeyman under my bed for so many years and now he’s just…”
“As monstrous as I’m sure he seemed, he was just a man, Lilac. A man who got what was coming to him.”
Still . . . she felt all mixed up. He was a terrible person. He would have taken her back to his house and hurt her for defying him.
But he was still her brother.
Who was now gone. And she was free . . . wasn’t she? Or had she swapped one monster for another?
“Where are his men?” she asked worriedly. They’d been just outside the plane. Why weren’t they here?
“My men have taken care of them. The idiot thought I wasn’t a threat to him because I agreed to be his ally. Don’t worry, no one will find out what happened here.”
Right. Uh-huh. Yep.
“What . . . what happens now?”
“Now, my dear, you have a choice. You can come back with me, of course. I’ll provide you with a safe place to live. Time and money to do whatever you desire.”