Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 123212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
“Excuse me?” Cora demands. “Dad would be rolling over in his grave if he heard you speak to me like that.”
“Well then it’s a good thing dad isn’t in his fucking grave yet,” he tells her. “Now get the fuck out. Ocean and her mom aren’t going anywhere. Dad hired them for a reason and you’ll fucking respect that.”
“Like he ever respected me,” she spits.
“Maybe if you weren’t such a fucking bitch, he might have tolerated you just a little.”
My jaw drops as my eyes bounce between them like a tennis match. “Oh, shit. Shots fired,” I laugh, though naturally, I'm ignored.
Cora sucks in a sharp breath and her eyes go wide before her hand slaps out hard, heading straight for Colton’s face. His reflexes are like lightning and he catches her wrists with the speed of a God, clenching it hard.
There’s silence between the two, a mental fight for dominance, and the longer it goes on the clearer Colton’s victory becomes. Cora begins to cower under his stare and although he looks terrifying, he'll never physically hurt her.
“Out. Now.” His voice is low and it sends shivers sailing down my spine. He sounds just like his father. It’s a tone he’s never quite used on me and to be honest, I think I'd probably shit my pants if he did.
Cora swallows but they remain staring until he finally releases her wrist. As she scrambles toward the door, she grabs the forgotten dress and turns to meet Colton's hard stare.
"I'm telling mom you're fucking the help!" She lets out an obnoxious squeal as she turns to leave again, disappearing with a sharp slam of the door.
We’re left in awkward silence and I look up at him, desperately wanting to diffuse the situation and somehow get the big fucker in bed to sleep off his bad mood. “You didn’t need to stand up for me like that. I can handle bitches like Cora and Casey.”
He slowly turns his stare back to mine and I feel that same terror that Cora had felt, but unlike her, I'm not so much of a bitch. I was born with a backbone and I’m damn sure that he will never hurt me … physically. Emotionally, that’s a different story.
Whatever he’s about to say, it’s going to be lethal and I know deep in my heart that it’s going to destroy me.
I hold my ground as he steps into me, desperately needing to prove myself. He takes two more steps until my back is pressed against the wall and I find myself staring up into his eyes with the need to reach out and hold him pulsing heavily through my veins.
“Get this straight, Oceania,” he says, using my full name, knowing it’s reserved only for my father. “I didn’t stand up for you. I can hardly stand you. My father wanted your mother working here and out of respect for him, that’s why I’ve allowed you to stay. You mean nothing to me. You were a fucking game that’s come to an end, a fucking joke, and now I’m done with you.”
I shake my head, refusing to believe it. I know what I felt and it was real, so freaking real that it hurt. “You don’t mean that.”
Colton’s lips pull up into a twisted grin, and just like that, he stabs the dagger deep into my back. “Don’t I?”
I’m left staring as his low chuckle bounces off the walls and my heart silently shatters inside my chest. They’re just words. He doesn’t really mean that. I know he doesn’t. It was only one night together, but I know it had to mean something. I felt it.
Colton walks away from me and I watch as he pulls open a drawer and reaches in. The lump in my throat tightens and I struggle to breathe around it as another bottle of scotch is pulled out. The lid is opened and as he lifts the bottle to his lips, I feel the tears welling in my eyes.
Do not cry. Do not fucking cry in front of him, Oceania Munroe.
“Get the fuck out, Jade,” he says with finality, dismissing me as he swallows another mouthful of scotch. “I’m done with you. So fucking done.”
Struggling to catch a breath, I silently walk to the door and push my way out into the hallway, leaving him behind as I slam the door between us. The second the heavy thud of the door vibrates through my ears, I crash against it, feeling the emotions completely overwhelm me.
I slide down to the ground, slamming a hand over my mouth to mask the sound of my sobs as the tears fall free from my eyes, leaving me a complete, broken mess on the marble floor.
Chapter 7
Milo’s arm loops through mine as he leads me inside the church. I don't know what I was thinking coming here today. Maybe I just needed to see Colton, maybe I had an overwhelming need to say goodbye to the man who used to hit his children and wife, or maybe I just wanted to be supportive of the people around me. I don’t know. Anyway I look at it, it’s fucked up.