Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
I stand, gripping the edge of my desk and letting everything sink in. There is a deeper reason for Joe wanting to kill me than I could have ever known. I epitomize everything he fucking hated. I am a physical reminder, a surviving piece of the two people who betrayed him.
I happen to look into the hallway and see Tor standing just outside the doorway, staring into the room, but I don’t think she realizes that I see her. Honestly, I don’t give a flying fuck if she does.
“She doesn’t belong with me.”
Marney nods. “If you see that, then you do love her.”
I hear one of the lines ring, but ignore it. I can still see her out the corner of my eye. “Love is a luxury I can’t afford, and you know it,” I say.
Marney’s lips press together before he raises the glass to his lips.
The answering machine finally picks up. “They say you have your mother’s eyes,” a deep, thick Yankee accent snarls into the line, and I know it must be Joe. “And I swear to God I will take pleasure in cutting those damned things from their socket, you bastard. I know where you are now, and I will kill you.”
The line goes dead. I grab the phone and hurl it across the room. Marney rises and shakes his head. “Now what you gonna do?”
Marney moves past me, leaving Jude’s office. His eyes lock with mine and narrow as he shakes his head. He doesn’t want me here.
My mind reels over what I just heard. Everything is becoming so twisted; it feels like the odds are permanently stacked against us, and I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop and it all come violently crashing down around us.
What we’re living, it’s a lie, and it will end, one way or the other. I just need to get out before he breaks me, because loving him will break me.
I take a deep breath and knock on the office door.
“Come in,” he answers gruffly.
I step through the open doorway and close the door behind me. Jude glances up as I walk in, his dark green eyes locking with mine. Something passes between us, this familiarity that feels as easy as breathing. He has this power over me that I can’t fight. He’s still the scary guy I met when I got dragged in here months ago, but there’s a softer edge to him, a vulnerability that I can now see, and that scares me even more.
“I want to leave,” I blurt.
His eyes narrow on me before he pulls a pack of cigarettes from his inside pocket. He places one against his lips and lights it, taking a slow drag. “No,” he says, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
I tilt my head forward, trying to escape his intense stare. “Jude…”
“I said no, Tor. No!” he growls. His tone leaves no room for argument, but I can’t back down.
“I need to leave, Jude. I can’t stay here forever.” I sound frantic, even to my own ears.
He stands and stalks around the desk toward me. “Need, or want?” His voice is a low timbre that rumbles over my senses.
“Need,” I whisper as he comes to a halt inches away from me. His proximity makes me shiver, and my heart skitters against my rib cage. Every fiber of me wants him, and I hate that I do.
His hand reaches out, stroking over my jaw and down my throat. My breath hitches, and I clamp my thighs together, trying to fight my natural reaction to him. He leans in until his lips are almost touching my neck.
“I know what you need, Tor.”
“You don’t know me, Jude.” My voice hitches.
His lips kick up in a smirk, his thumb grazing under my chin. “Oh, I fucking know you.” I need to step away from him, his closeness clouds my judgement. I take a shaky step backward and he cocks an eyebrow in response.
“Jude...” I try to warn him.
He laughs as he takes another drag from his cigarette. “This isn’t up for discussion,” he says, exhaling a long stream of smoke.
“This is my fucking life, Jude, and this isn’t a life!” I shout at him. I know it’s stupid, and I know it’ll piss him off, but I just need out.
I hear his teeth grind against each other. “And neither is being six feet under in a grave!”
“The only reason that I’m under threat is because I’m associated with you!” I watch the anger roll over his features. I should back off at this point, but my temper surges, pressing me to make him see, whatever that takes. Staying here will only destroy me in the end. He will destroy me.
He drops the cigarette onto the floor and stamps it out before closing the space between us, placing his chest against mine. His eyes narrow as his breathing becomes ragged. I instinctively back away from him, and he follows me. Step by step, he stalks me, pressing me until my shoulder blades touch the cool wall. He pushes his body against mine, and all the oxygen seems to get sucked out of the room. He overwhelms me simply with his presence.