Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Is this where you’ve been living?” There are dirty clothes in one corner, and faint food smells come through the open bedroom door, giving me my answer.
“I’ve been here a few days.”
“But why?”
“I needed somewhere to go.”
“Don’t you have a place?”
“I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to talk about you.” When he leans in, I have to force myself not to recoil in disgust. This is not the Lucas I used to know, who would spend longer in the bathroom getting ready to go out than I would. Even though he only worked at a gym, there was never a hair out of place and no stubble on his cheeks. He was clean and mostly respectful. This version of him looks like he just crawled out of a sewer and smells about as good, too.
“Okay, let’s talk about me then.” I have to get out of here. At least I know where we are, but that doesn’t do me any good if I can’t get the keys to his car.
Through the frantic thoughts bouncing around my head, I try to zero in on the layout of the cabin in my memory. Down the stairs, front door straight ahead. Maybe he left the keys by the door if they’re not on him right now. Can I get him to take me down to the kitchen so I can get a look?
“I got you away from him. Finally. You’re safe now. He’ll never find you here.”
Gentle. Be careful. “Who told you I was in danger?”
His eyes darken, and his voice slides into a growl. “Somebody who would know.”
What does that mean? “Lucas, I’m fine.”
He grits his teeth. “You were groomed, you mean.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know about everything,” he growls. “I know it was Callum who called me that night at the club. Did he force you? Just to make a fool out of me?”
“No. He never forced me.”
“Right, because he got in your head. He didn’t have to.” He snickers in the way that says he thinks he knows better. “I used to think you were smart.”
Even if I want to laugh, I need to be gentle. “I’m sorry, but whoever you got your information from, they’re wrong. Whatever is between us is between us, and it’s what I want. I really am sorry if it hurts you—”
“Hurts me?” I cringe at the way he jumps out of his chair, his fists balled up tight. His expression is crazed. “How could you let somebody like him touch you? How could you let him fuck you? Do you know what he does? Do you know how he made all that money he has? Do you even know the type of person he is? The monster you’ve been sleeping with?”
It takes all my determination to not back down from his temper. One of us has to stay calm. “Yes. I do.”
“Are you sure of that? Or do you only know what he wants you to know?”
“I know plenty.” It isn’t easy keeping my voice neutral. Just like it’s not easy to keep from shaking when I see that look in his eye. The one that tells me he’s capable of doing anything that will keep me where he wants me.
“Do you know he’s a fucking murderer, Bianca?” He sneers. “I can’t believe you let a filthy fucking murderer inside you? I know I wasn’t the best boyfriend and made mistakes, but I never killed anyone.”
“It’s okay, Lucas. Everything is going to be okay.”
His head snaps back from the shock of my words, his eyes bulging so much it looks like they’re going to fall out of his head. “It’s not okay. Nothing is okay. How can you sit there and act like anything about him is sane? Do you think the things he’s doing are okay? What the fuck did he do to you?”
My defenses are up. I can’t bite my tongue on this one.
“I can tell you one thing he never did to me,” I blurt out because I’m sick of his sanctimonious attitude. It’s probably a bad move, but something has to snap him back to reality. “He’s never tried to run me down in the street. He’s never tried to kill me.”
“How do you know about that?”
“Why would I have brought it up today, outside the store? I know exactly what you did. You’re alive right now because I told Callum not to kill you because I didn’t want you to die for making a mistake.”
Immediately, I regret what I’ve said. I know it the second his features soften, and he releases a long sigh, with his head tipping to the side. “I knew it.”
His reaction sends fear skittering up my spine. “What did you know?”
“We’re not over. We will never be over.” A flash of lightning illuminates his face. The circles under his wide, crazy eyes look darker. “You covered for me. You protected me.”