Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 117505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
He was coming precariously close to pleading. And he’d choke before ever begging for anything. But at the moment, if getting on his knees and making himself utterly vulnerable in front of her would convince her to give him another chance, he’d do it without any hesitation.
What was pride if he lost the one thing that mattered most to him?
A tear slithered down her cheek and she huffed in a shuddering breath as she tried valiantly not to break down into sobs. He gathered her in his arms and held her tightly, rocking back and forth as he pressed kisses to her damp hair.
“Give me—us—another chance, Angel,” he whispered. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”
Slowly she lifted her head, pushing back until she was able to look him in the eye. Fear shone brightly in her gaze, and her forehead was furrowed with worry.
“But if you didn’t want anyone to know about me before . . .” She shook her head as if trying to clear her confusion. “What’s changed?” she whispered. “If I could be used against you before, won’t it be even more probable now? I don’t want to be used to destroy you, Drake.”
He inhaled sharply and it wasn’t until her face began to fade in front of him that he realized he’d been holding his breath. He let it out in a long exhale and gathered her in his arms once more, unable to stand even the slight distance she’d put between them.
“Let’s just say that a message will be delivered loud and clear,” Drake said grimly. “That if anyone so much as looks at you wrong, they’re dead. I have enemies. I told you that. But I am feared greatly. I don’t have a reputation for mercy. My men will make it known that only someone with a death wish would try to get to me through you. But at the same time, security will be tightened around you and someone will escort you at all times when you aren’t with me.”
A peculiar pain settled into his chest and something that resembled panic scuttled around his insides. Maybe she wouldn’t like the kind of life he offered. Not many would. She’d be living in a veritable prison.
Oh, she’d have every imaginable luxury and convenience. She’d be spoiled and pampered, her needs put before all others. But the one thing she wouldn’t have was . . . freedom. If she remained with him, she would be consigned to a life of high security. No one would have unfettered access to her.
How long would she be able to live in such suffocating circumstances? How long before she’d rebel and lash out over the extreme protective measures Drake put into place? Not many people would willingly consign themselves to a veritable prison no matter how luxurious that prison might be.
“Can you forgive me, Angel?” he asked softly. “Can you forgive me in time? Will you give me the chance to make it up to you? To prove to you that I would never again subject you to what I did that night? I know it’s a lot to ask. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted nothing further to do with me, but I don’t want to live without you. You are all that’s good in my life. The only good. The very best part of me, and I damn near destroyed that in my panic and fear that you would be used to strike at me. I could never live with myself were something to happen to you because of me. And I’m going to do everything in my power to protect you from the bastards who would think nothing of abusing a woman in order to achieve their goal. Every single one of my men is devoted to your safety and protection. They will protect you with their lives. I need you to believe that. And I need you to believe that you are the most important thing to me and I will never let you go without one hell of a fight.”
Her expression was dazed, and the internal war she was waging with herself was evident in her stormy eyes. She looked . . . afraid. He wanted to let loose a string of curses that would singe the hide off the most hardened man, but the last thing he needed to do was push her in the opposite direction.
“So we just get back . . . together?” she asked in a choked voice. “Pick up where we left off?”
“No,” he said, completely serious. “We, or rather I, start over. New beginning. Better this time. I have a lot to make up to you, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. You, however, don’t need to change a damn thing. You did nothing wrong. You gave me a gift most men can only dream of receiving, and I didn’t nurture and protect that gift as I should have. That changes right now and going forward. If you’ll say yes and agree to stay with me.”