Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
At some point during the day, my new car was left in my driveway.
I’d thought about his party invitation last night and even considered accepting it. But then I thought better of it. And since he knew where I worked and lived and could easily find me, I found the closest bar and got drunk thinking he couldn’t track me there.
How wrong was I?
“Avani, get dressed in something nice,” he orders, and I know from the look on his face that he won’t let me be on this one.
“Arghhh,” I whine, then turn around to head to my room. Of course he follows me. “How did you find me last night?” I grab a dress I bought the other day, lay it on the bed, and then pull off the shirt I’m wearing. When I discard the shirt and realize Grayson hasn’t said anything, I turn to him. His eyes are laser-focused on my tits. “My eyes are up here,” I tell him, snapping my fingers and pointing to my face.
“Can’t help myself. How I have missed looking at those great tits.” He makes me blush, but I slip the dress on and ignore him. Once I have it on, I turn around to ask him to zip it up, but he’s already there, pulling the metal tab up along my back. He doesn’t touch my scars and is careful with my zipper. I don’t feel him stare in disgust at the physical reminders of my past—I feel him look at me with nothing but lust.
“Red is your color,” he whispers as I pull away.
“Thank you. Now, please tell me where we are going.”
“To a house.”
“Am I invited to this house?” I ask, confused.
“Semantics.” He waves me off.
“Do I need to do my hair and makeup?”
“No, you look beautiful the way you are.”
I smile at his compliment, grab the brush, run it through my hair anyway, and then pin it up just in case. When I step into the living room, he’s standing there waiting for me. Grayson offers me his hand, but I don’t take it as we walk out.
“You can follow me,” he says.
“You aren’t driving?” I ask.
“I am, but we need to arrive separately.” I bite my bottom lip, but he reaches up and pulls it free with his thumb. “You’ll be fine. And tonight, you’ll have answers, I promise.”
I do the only thing I can—nod, get in my car, and then follow him.
Grayson drives for a good twenty minutes out of town to a more secluded area where houses are expensive and are gated communities. He says something to the guard, who simply waves me in after him as I follow. When he stops at the front of the house, he gets out and walks to the door.
I sit in the car, unsure about what I’m supposed to do.
Do I wait?
Or get out?
Someone knocks on my door, and I jump. When I turn to the window, I see the three men I met over a year ago standing there.
The Hunters.
One opens my door and offers me his hand. I take it as I climb out, and his eyes soak me in. They’re appraising me, but not in a dirty way. It’s more appreciative.
“We should wait,” one of them says.
“He said five minutes,” another says.
I should probably learn their names. Did Grayson introduce me last time? I’m having difficulty remembering, but I recall their faces. They are hard to forget. I can tell they are related somehow as they all look alike.
“Do any of you know why we’re here?” I ask.
The one who helped me out of the car smiles and replies, “For a celebration.”
Well, okay, that is not the answer I was after. But I guess that will do.
We stand there silently, the men looking toward the door, waiting.
“This is taking forever,” I mutter.
The one closest to me laughs under his breath as someone’s phone beeps.
“Showtime. “Stay real close, princess,” one says over his shoulder.
“I’m not a princess,” I say back to him.
“Come on, princess.”
“What’s your name?” I ask, and he smiles.
“The name’s Kyson, princess.”
I grumble as he heads to the door. The other two don’t say a word as they walk to the entrance. Putting one foot in front of the other, I follow them until we reach the front door, where I hear screaming and yelling from the other side. But as we enter, it goes quiet, and all eyes fall on us.
Charlotte is standing next to Grayson, who smiles when he sees me while she stares at me in confusion.
It’s in that moment, when I look past her that my world stops.
Drops.
Falls out from under my feet.
The world disappears for me to never see it again.
I can’t move.
Even though every inch of me wants to run as fast as I can the other way.