Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
All he does is blink, and to my shock he doesn’t respond with anger. If anything, he seems surprised. "Hold on.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, and I know that movement. He’s frustrated. “Am I piecing this together correctly? You made a deal with your father to protect me?”
"This is all my fault," I wave at my phone. "If you had never met me…if I had never come here, you'd have never been on my father's radar. Tanya wouldn't have felt the need to assert her dominance. None of the terrible things that have happened since I appeared on your doorstep would have happened.”
Moving, he kneels down beside me, and I can't help but notice the way his pants stretch over his muscular thighs. "Little Prey, I say this as kindly as I possibly can, but that is the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."
I flinch and withdraw into myself, but he refuses to allow the retreat and reaches out lightning fast, scooping me up in his arms. "Stop. I'm not saying you're stupid. I'm just saying what you've concluded is stupid. None of this is your fault. Your father is money hungry and gets off on power. Him seeing me as a threat has nothing to do with you. Even if you weren’t a part of my life, he would still see me as a threat and find a way to come for me. He thinks I'm less of a threat than Drew, or he'd go after him, too.”
I try to listen to what he’s saying, but I can’t make myself believe it. This is my fault. All of it. Cradling me in his arms, he stalks towards the bed, kicking the money and clothes out of his way. He sits on the edge of the mattress and turns me in his arms to face him.
"Elyse, look at me."
When all I do is shake my head, he maneuvers me so I'm straddling him, my knees resting on either side of his hips. Our positioning is intimate.The warmth of his touch makes me shiver when he cups me by the cheeks and swipes his thumbs under my eyes to clear away the tears.
"Listen to me, please. There is nothing and no one on this Earth I wouldn't murder, or fucking destroy to keep you safe and happy. If I haven't made that very clear by now then I'm going to have to work on it, because I mean it. You belong to me, and I belong to you, and so the second you left I'd have hunted you down and dragged you back here kicking and screaming. There is nothing I won’t sacrifice or do for you. Not even hell itself will stand in the way of us being together.”
There's so much conviction in his growling tone all I can do is swallow around the knot of emotions developing in my throat. I stare into his green eyes, and I see it. What he's been trying to tell me for awhile now. "You...I've always just felt like an obligation."
I watch as the muscles of his jaw flex and tighten before he releases a sigh, catching a whiff of the minty gum on his breath. "And that’s on me. I don't exactly have a lot of experience with all of this, but I’m trying. I will always try, for you, for our marriage. I want you Elyse, and that will never change.”
“I want you too.” I sniffle.
“Good. Now, tell me about this deal with your father. What did you promise him?”
I tip my chin toward my phone. "He's been texting me. Using the same tactic he always has, reminding me how everything bad in my life is my fault, and how worthless I am.” I hate the slight tremble of my voice, and Seb gently rubs his thumbs down my cheeks, almost like he knows it too. "I’m really sorry. I wanted to fix this. Make things right so you can move on without him trying to hurt you. I promised to bring him money, the money I saw hidden in the closet, and myself. In turn he promised to leave you alone for good."
"Anything else?"
I hold up my hand between us. "He wanted my ring, too."
Another jaw clench, but this time his gaze darkens. "Little Prey, you’re so fucking pure and perfect, I can’t even be angry with you right now.”
“What? What do you mean? Didn’t you just hear what I said?”
Sebastian lets out a small laugh, “Oh I heard you, but I also know your father would’ve taken everything you promised him and still sent someone to kill me. He used your kindness, and naivete against you. I understand you thought you were doing the right thing, but a man like him can’t be trusted. He’s out for one thing, for one person and that’s himself.”