Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
I drop onto the bed, my body a battlefield of sensations after what he did.
My mind is a more turbulent war zone, crashing and tearing and scorching with the truth I revealed.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Luke
I go outside into the forest. The stars gaze down at me as I rush down the steps.
I don’t even know what I’m doing, except that there’s too much rage in me to contain. Just thinking of Violet alone and afraid, at the mercy of some pervert who thinks he can take anything he wants, thinks there will be no repercussions to his actions.
I end up at a tree, panting heavily as I throw heavy strikes against it. I’m smashing my fists into it over and over, crushing my knuckles into the cold, unyielding tree bark, the winter air biting at my fists. Finally, I stop, stumbling back, my knuckles covered in blood and stinging where little pieces of wood have stabbed into me.
Nobody gets to hurt her. Nobody gets to scare her. Ever.
I told her she came into my life and changed everything. Her eyes widened in that just-Violet way, a beautiful mixture of shock and excitement, but she couldn’t hide the pain.
Turning back to the house, I drop onto the porch seat, staring into the dark, almost wishing for the mafia to attack so I’d have some outlet for this fury.
I know I won’t be able to sleep tonight.
The next morning, Andrew and I sit across the table from each other.
He scratches at his birthmark, his chest rising and falling in a sigh. “Have you thought about what I said?”
“The laptop?”
I ignore the sleeplessness tugging at me.
Violet’s still upstairs. I hope she was able to disappear into dreams after what we shared. I hope she wasn’t tortured by nightmares of what that piece of filth did. Just thinking about it threatens to send me into another rage.
Andrew nods.
“I’ve got a contact in a nearby town who can get me a laptop with military-grade encryption,” I tell him, “but I need to know you two aren’t going to run. I won’t be able to help you if you do. We both know how vicious the mob will be if they catch you.”
My heart ices over thinking about Violet with mafia heavies surrounding her, doing all sorts of evil things… just like that counselor did evil things to her.
Fuck. I’m burning up inside, melting the ice over my heart.
“We won’t run,” Andrew says.
“Violet did run,” I point out. “You need to keep an eye on her. We can’t let anything happen to her.”
I’ve put too much passion into my voice. Andrew flinches.
“You know why I saved you,” I snap, reading the silent question in his expression. He’s wondering why I give a damn. “I get it. We’re playing a game. Clearly, you don’t want to talk about that stuff, and I’ve respected that.”
“That doesn’t explain why you sound like this when you talk about her,” he says, watching me closely.
“Like what?”
“Like a man who’d do anything to keep her safe.”
I look away. Part of me is tempted to tell him the truth, explain about the heat and the closeness and the urge I feel to protect his daughter. Not just protect her now, but protect her for the rest of our lives, give her the space she needs to grow into her passion for marketing, to earn her place with a charity, and do some good in this world.
“She’s an incredible person,” I say. “She’s clever and funny and she doesn’t take any crap. She’s got a fire in her for her college work. I know she’s going to do incredibly well in her career. She’s got her whole life ahead of her—family, kids, everything. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”
When I turn back to him, Andrew raises his eyebrows, leaning back, as if the force of my words is too much.
“I know all that,” he says after a pause. “I just didn’t expect you to see it all so soon.”
“I see it,” I snap gruffly. “Can you keep her here or not? I shouldn’t be long, but you can’t let her run. I won’t be able to protect her.”
That’s my biggest fear, I realize, and it’s oddly comforting. I’m not thinking about myself, about future jobs, about going through the motions of my hit man life because it’s what I’ve always done.
No, I’m thinking about her. It’s liberating to have somebody to focus on, somebody I truly care about. Deep in my bones. I feel like she’s already a part of me.
Andrew stares at me. I think he’s going to probe deeper, perhaps sensing the passion in me. Instead, he nods. “I’ll keep her here. Don’t worry. I want this to have a happy ending as much as you do. We won’t get that by running. All we’ll get is a life of constantly looking over our shoulders.”