Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“Yeah, but this was different. He was trying to protect me.”
“It’s what he signed up for.” He motioned his head towards the door. “Besides, he’s a tough kid. He’ll be fine.”
“I really hope so.” I let out a deep breath, then said, “I’m going to head down to my room. If something changes with him, please let me know.”
“Sure thing.”
With a heavy heart, I started down the hall and went straight to my room. I didn’t bother turning on the lights or the TV. I simply crawled into bed and curled into my pillow, and tried to settle the onslaught of emotions that had taken their hold on me.
I wanted desperately to fall asleep and put this awful night behind me, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop tossing and turning. Each time I closed my eyes, I would hear Riley’s warning, see the horrified look on his face as Cody dropped to his knees, and it would send shivers down my spine. Then, my mind drifted to Riley and the blood soaking his clothes.
It was all so awful. I had no doubt that Wrath was upset with me. He had every right to be. Because of me, one prospect was dead and the other was terribly wounded. It was a thought that filled me with dread. It made my mind race even more, and the silence in that room didn’t help matters. It was suffocating, amplifying the racing thoughts in my head.
The weight of exhaustion settled heavily on my eyelids, yet the anxious knot in my stomach kept me wide awake, staring into the darkness. As the night wore on, my fatigue transformed into frustration, and it wasn’t long before tears welled up in my eyes. Once the dam had broken, there was nothing I could do to stop the tears from falling.
I cried and cried, and I was still sobbing when my door opened and Wrath walked in. I shot out of bed and rushed into his arms. He pulled me even closer, hugging me tightly as he whispered, “Are you really okay?”
“I am now.”
“You scared the hell out of me... I don’t know what I would’ve done if something happened to you.”
I let his words sink in, and slowly my anxiousness started to subside. I expected him to release his hold on me, but he didn’t. Instead, he just stood there with his gorgeous eyes locked on mine. He leaned forward, his mouth just inches from mine, and our breaths mingled as he hovered over me. “I’m okay... You saved me. You didn’t let them hurt me.”
The words had barely left my mouth when he was on me, his lips pressed against mine, and he kissed me with the most intense kiss we’d ever shared. After several moment, I eased back and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.”
“None of this is on you.”
“Everyone keeps saying that, but ...”
“Because it’s true. You have no idea how true.”
“What does that mean?”
“I can’t get into it, but there are things at play here that are bigger than any of us realized.”
“So, the pictures...”
“Were just the beginning...”
CHAPTER 19
Wrath
As I looked down at Mia, I felt a rush of emotions that I’d never felt before. When Mia’s call dropped, I immediately called Riley. It had taken three tries before he’d actually answered, and when he finally did, he was quick to tell me they were under fire. It absolutely wrecked me.
I’d feared for her safety and theirs, imagined the worst possible outcomes, and agonized over the what-ifs. But now, she was in my arms, unharmed and safe, and the relief was absolutely overwhelming.
It was at that moment I realized just how much she meant to me. It was an unexpected realization—one that I wasn’t sure I was ready for, but it was there nonetheless. I would do anything for her, including—and not limited to—ending her fucking boss and anyone else who tried to hurt her.
I thought back to my earlier conversation with the man I captured during the attack. I’d taken him to the playroom, and it didn’t take long to figure out that the dude was a real sonofabitch. He was on the slimmer side, about five-ten and a buck sixty, so it didn’t take much to restrain him. I bound his hands above his head, then pulled the restraints taunt, forcing him to stand on his tiptoes.
Once I had him secured, I looked behind me, expecting to find Stitch, but he wasn’t there. It was just me. I knew then that I alone was the Satan’s Fury enforcer, and I wouldn’t let anything stand in my way, especially not some asshole struggling to stand on his tiptoes.
It was a painful stance, but he seemed unfazed as he warned, “You’re so fucking screwed. The whole fucking lot of you.”