Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Locke sighed, his face softening slightly. “You’re different.”
“You aren’t my father, Locke.”
My words seemed as if they were a slap to his face by the way he flinched, but he quickly composed himself and took another sip of wine.
“I know I’m not your father,” he began slowly. “But I took you under my wing when your father died. You’re my responsibility.”
“I’m a grown woman just like every other participant. I consented to this,” I said, trying to sound confident. “I wanted to be part of this.”
Locke shook his head, his expression disappointed. “Gabriel would kill me if he was still alive. No way in hell would he allow this.”
“He’s dead,” I said with more bite in my tone than I’d intended. “And no matter how much you try to shelter and overprotect me, nothing will change that fact.”
Locke’s eyes widened at my words, and I immediately regretted them. But the damage had been done, and the tension between us had reached a boiling point.
For a long moment, Locke simply stared at me, his eyes unreadable. And then, he let out a long sigh and leaned forward.
“You’re right,” Locke finally said. “He is dead. But that doesn’t mean we forget his wishes.”
He took a deep breath and set down his wineglass. I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off.
“And you promised.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so we sat in silence once again. The waiter came by to take our orders, but I couldn’t even decide what to eat. My mind was elsewhere, thinking about what Locke had said. Luckily, Locke ordered steaks for both of us so I didn’t have to.
“You’re right,” I finally said, surprising myself. “I shouldn’t have gone behind your back like that. I’m sorry.”
I glanced around the restaurant, taking in the beauty and charm of the place for the first time. Even though it was elegant, there was something calm and soothing about it as well. It was a small, intimate space with dim lighting that cast a warm glow over everything. The walls were adorned with paintings and photographs, and a jazz trio played softly in the corner. It was the perfect setting for a romantic dinner.
“But I’m not sorry I did The Hunt,” I added. “I’m just sorry I was sneaky about it with you.”
Locke nodded, but I could still see the disappointment in his eyes. He was silent, which was actually worse than if he were screaming and yelling at me. I hated not being able to read him. Not knowing what he was thinking. For someone that I knew so well, I often felt I knew nothing at all.
“Can I ask you something?” I finally said after taking a sip of my own wine. “Why? Why do you feel this need to watch over me the way you do? And don’t just say it’s because you were best friends with my dad.”
Locke leaned back in his chair, his eyes distant as he gathered his thoughts. “Your father and I were more than just best friends. We were brothers. We went through everything together, all the experiences of two boys living on Heathens Hollow. I don’t have memories that don’t involve him. When he died, a part of me died with him.”
I could see the pain etched on his face, and I reached across the table to take his hand.
“You remind me of him,” Locke said quietly. “You have the same fire in your eyes that Gabriel had. The same restlessness. And I see so much of him in you. That same stubborn and impulsive streak, and it scares the fucking life out of me. I don’t want to see you end up where he did.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I took another sip of wine and looked down at the table.
“I know I can’t protect you from everything,” Locke continued. “But I’ll be damned if I don’t try.”
We sat in silence for a few more minutes, sipping our wine, eating our food when it arrived, and enjoying each other’s company.
Suddenly, Locke stopped eating and stared at me, his expression unreadable. “I need to tell you something,” he said, his voice low.
I nodded, unsure of what was coming next.
“I’ve been keeping something from you,” Locke began slowly. “Something that I think you need to know.”
I felt a nervous knot form in my stomach as I waited for him to continue.
“I could have stopped your father from being killed. The guilt of that eats me up every fucking day.”
My heart felt like it stopped beating for a moment as the words sank in. “What do you mean? How could you have stopped it?”
Locke took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. “Your father was getting in bad deals with a lot of people. I knew that. All the owners of The Vault knew. We warned him. We gave him shit. Hell, I even offered him a shitload of money. But we didn’t stop him. We let him be Gabriel because that’s who he was.”