Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
“You have clothes here.”
“You mean all the expensive designer stuff you bought that I told you to take back?”
“They’re just clothes, Harper.” Before she could rant, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. “Hear me now, because this is important. I know you feel uncomfortable about this and I understand why, but I am going to buy you things. I am going to spoil you. I am going to take care of you when you need me to. Because I want to. Because you deserve it. Because that’s what mates do. Rejecting the things I do or give you is much like pushing me away.”
“You know that’s not what I’m trying to do.”
“I do know that, which is why I’m not mad. You wouldn’t like it if anything I did made you feel that I was holding you at a distance.”
“You do hold me at a distance. You’re very tight-lipped about your past and what you are. I get it,” she quickly assured him. “I really do. It’s nothing personal to me, it’s just that you’re so used to keeping secrets it’s uncomfortable for you to share, and it’s not like your secrets are small. But you can’t call someone your mate and keep important things from them. I’m not saying you have to spill your guts here and now. I wouldn’t ask that of you. But if we’re really going to build something, you’re gonna have to do a little sharing.”
It sounded so simple, yet Knox knew it would be far from it. His past was as dark as the truth of what he was. She was strong enough to handle both, but he didn’t want her to have to – and he didn’t want to run the risk that she’d leave. Still, she was right; there had to be honesty between them. “I’ll try sharing if you try accepting things from me.”
“Compromise,” she drawled. “All right, I’ll try.”
“Good girl.”
Knox, began Keenan, we’re here.
I’ll meet you in the boathouse.
“Levi again?” she asked, sensing a telepathic exchange. “Has the incantor arrived to undo the spell?”
“No, it was Keenan.” With one last kiss, Knox released her. “Enjoy your bath, I’ll be back soon.”
“Remember that little conversation we just had about secrets and compromises?”
His demon chuckled, oddly delighted by her astuteness as opposed to irritated by the fact that they’d never get anything past her. Knox sighed. “I asked him to bring Kendra here. They’re in the boathouse.”
“You’re going to question her.”
“Of course.”
“But you don’t want me to be there.”
“Once Jolene pointed out that Kendra was probably your half-sister, did you feel bad that you’d caused her soul-deep pain?” He already knew the answer. Harper had a tough exterior, but she was soft on the inside.
“A little,” she admitted. “We’re not emotionally sisters, we don’t have a bond. But…”
“I might have to hurt her, Harper. I don’t want you to see that.”
Harper ran a hand through her hair. “I really don’t think she’s behind all this.”
“You might be right.” But he wasn’t willing to risk it.
“Okay, I’ll stay.” She was too damn tired emotionally to deal with Kendra in the same day she’d dealt with Carla and yet more dark magick bullshit.
Knox kissed her. “I won’t be long.”
Strolling into the boathouse, he found Keenan leaning against the wall as he stared at the she-demon squirming in a chair. She haughtily lifted her chin as Knox moved to stand in front of her. Despite her efforts to appear cool and collected, her nervousness was easy to sense. But…was she nervous because she was the culprit they were looking for? Or was she nervous because being brought in front of her Prime was never a good thing?
“What’s this about?” she finally asked.
“I’d start with the question, ‘Where were you tonight?’ But I already know the answer to that. And I find it confusing.”
The squirming stopped, but she didn’t speak.
“You knew people were watching you, didn’t you, Kendra? You slipped away so they wouldn’t know where you were going. Why would you do that? More to the point, what reason could you have for being in North Las Vegas?”
“There’s no law against going there.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” He took a single step forward, letting his rage show in his expression. She blanched. “My patience has been tested too many times tonight, Kendra.” The words came out a dark rumble. “You don’t want to push me. Or did you enjoy your last punishment so much that you want a repeat?”
Fear glimmered in her eyes; she was no doubt recalling being forced to swallow a ball of hellfire for confronting Harper in the restrooms – it had burned her mouth, throat, windpipe, lungs, stomach, and intestines before fizzling away. Merciless, sure, but he’d been through worse at five years old.
“I was meeting someone at a bar there,” she admitted.