Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 72756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“I’m not your baby,” I argue, which just makes him laugh again.
Maybe it’s better that Devil was the one who came to get me. With Crash, there’s so much baggage, so many more complications, so many memories that I don’t have to worry about with Devil. It makes it easy to talk to him.
That could also be the alcohol, of course.
He takes a sip from his beer as he watches me with those striking green eyes. “Glad you like it. So tell me more about this Grayson asshole.”
“Ugh! He’s such a creep. He’s ten years older than me, and Dad knows I hate him, but he doesn’t care. When Jac—Crash’s mom was around, it was different. Not great, but better. She watched out for me.” It feels sooooo good to actually get to talk to someone outside the Hall of Grace about things. I learned a long time ago that mentioning any of my concerns just leads to being told I need to trust the men. It always gets turned around into me needing to work on myself. And I’ve got a lot of concerns.
“But you don’t have to marry him, right? They can say whatever courting shit they want, but it’s still up to you. Just move out or whatever. Crash left.”
“I’m not that brave,” I whisper, hating that it’s the truth.
“Baby, if you weren’t brave, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
I’ve never been this drunk. Never been drunk at all. Dad would literally tan my hide if he caught me like I am now. I blink a couple of times to steady my vision.
“I guess. Everything feels easier sitting here with you. Tastes good, too. I know I have things to care about, but they’re not here, not now.” I lift my glass. “This is here, right now.”
Devil smiles, and while I’ve never seen so much ink on one person as when he took his jacket off and bared his muscular arms, I’m not scared. Maybe I should be, but I’ve lived all my life with people who look harmless and are sharks under the surface.
“But you’re free now, right? You don’t have to go back if you don’t want. You’re a fucking adult.”
I chew my lip and stare into the blue of my drink. “Dad’s the only family I have. I’m an only child. He’s an only child. If I have any cousins or whatever, I don’t know them. And… I just can’t. It’s complicated.” How do I say that I have no skills, no money, and no college education? I’ve been raised to be what I am, an accessory.
“If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t force her to marry anyone she didn’t want to. Fuck, I wouldn’t even have a say, because that shit would be up to her. I don’t want anyone telling me what the fuck to do, so why should I try to tell her that?” He takes a long drag from his glass. “I’m fucking glad I punched that son of a bitch.”
“He loves me,” I snap defensively. Of course he does. Anything else would be too depressing. But I also felt just a little bit of glee when Devil sent him on his butt. “He’s my father. He just has a lot of responsibilities.”
“Mm-hmm,” he hums, sounding way too skeptical for me to be comfortable with it.
“He does!”
“Cheers,” says Devil and raises his glass.
“Cheers.” The drink goes down smoothly, unlike the conversation.
“Okay, here’s a question.” Devil leans over the little table that separates us, putting those intense green eyes right in front of me like he’s looking right into my soul. “If you could turn your back today and leave, no repercussions, no guilt, no fucking worries, what would you do? Anything at all.”
I blink, trying to even process that as an option. Anything at all? What would I do? “I… I don’t know. Study? I like animals, and kids, I guess. We have some vicious, vicious guard dogs on the estate, but they’re cuddle bugs when you get to know them.” I smile at the thought. “Especially King. He’s my favorite.”
Devil snorts as if something’s funny. “Why can’t you do that now? Daddy dearest too worried you’ll get a taste of freedom and he’ll lose his hold on you? Fuck, I didn’t have any parents growing up, but better that than someone who wants total control over my life.”
“If you don’t have parents, how would you understand at all?” I snap my mouth shut, the alcohol letting the words slide out before I have time to think. “I’m sorry. That was a horrible thing to say.”
He laughs a little bitterly. “It was honest. But you’re right. I can’t understand what it’s like to have everything and just use it to hurt the people you’re supposed to protect. He’s got a gorgeous, sexy daughter and—”