Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76572 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
I eye his out-of-date, ill-fitting suit. “Arthur, I presume?”
He dips his head and gives my mostly naked body the same perusal. “Since we are going by first names already, I’ll call you Ivan.”
I swallow the bile climbing up the back of my throat and keep staring into his cold, dull eyes. “You can call me your murderer if that sounds better to you.”
“Cute. But we aren’t here to discuss my evisceration. I have a very specific task in mind for you.”
He’s doing the villain monologue thing, so I sit back and wait for him to describe his dastardly plans.
“You see, Ivan, you’ve been somewhat of a nuisance to me lately. On the one hand, you and your little friends are doing a wonderful job weeding the world of some of my less savory family members. On the other hand, you are interfering with my business. That is something I do not tolerate.”
The silence stretches, and I sigh. “Oh, you’re done. Cool. Is this the part where you threaten to kill me, or the part where you actually try to kill me? At least your other family member got close enough to make her attempt. Much much closer than you are right now. Are you afraid of me, Arthur?”
His eyes are cold and flat as he continues to look at me. “Does a horse need to fear an ant? No, Ivan, I have no fear of you or your kind. I’ll be rid of you all soon enough anyway.”
“Great, then do it already. What are you waiting for?”
His eyes narrow, and he leans forward to brace his elbows on his wrinkled slacks. “You don’t fear death? What about pain? Do you fear that?”
I give him my most unhinged smile. I let him see how far the darkness has permeated me. “Do I look like I fear death? Pain is only another word for living, and I’ve dealt with more of it than you will ever know.”
Arthur waves his hand and sits back in his chair again. “Oh, well then, I suppose this experiment will be extra interesting. I look forward to breaking you, Ivan. The strongest ones are usually the quickest to fall.”
I let his words roll around in my head. He plans to torture me, or he’s given me more of his perverse drugs. Hell, he could do both at the same time if he managed to get the dosage right.
Now that we’ve sat back to silently contemplate each other, I can see Priscilla in his features. Maybe she’s his niece or his sister. Much much younger sister.
Arthur cuts through my thoughts with a huff. “Oh, please forgive me. I forgot to introduce you.”
The door behind him opens slowly, and someone stumbles into the room on bare feet. She turns, and I catch sight of her creamy thighs and delicate hands. Her face is still flushed, and her eyes go wide as she finally turns to look at me. I stare her down as she keeps as much distance as possible from the man in the chair and me. He reaches out and jerks her toward him by her bicep. “Priscilla, dear, don’t be rude to our guest.”
She clears her throat, clearly recoiling from his hold. “We’ve already met, as you well know.”
Arthur cuts a fake laugh. “Oh, of course, how silly of me. You two haven’t just met. By the reports my men gave me, they found you both quite cozy.”
I shift my gaze to him and let him see the contempt I feel. “Well, your drugs were effective, I suppose. But if you are asking if I fucked her? No. I didn’t. She’s nothing but your little plaything, and I don’t want anything to do with Capri's sloppy seconds.”
For the first time since I don’t know when, I feel a sharp spike of guilt in my chest. It’s not true. I still want to drag her onto my lap and fuck all the rage out of me. I want to rip my arms from the socket to cross the room and keep her safe. Even if she doesn’t deserve it.
Arthur chuckles softly and drags the girl closer. Her soft pink sweater and black sweatpants aren’t enough to disguise how much she hates his touch. “Oh, well, if she doesn’t, please you, I have many more girls you might try out. I guess you won’t be calling me Papa anytime soon, then.”
I narrow my eyes. Keeping the rest of my face blank as I consider his words. Papa?
But the asshole doesn’t miss anything. Not one damn thing. Interesting. A member of the Capri family who might actually be worth going head-to-head with. All the rest of them are whimpering fools. Would this one cry when I showed him his own intestines? For once, I was more curious than anything else. I gave in to the feeling. “Papa? Is that your twist on Daddy because I assure you there’s not a man alive who could get me to call him Daddy and live to survive afterward.”