Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 37885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“What hurt you?” he asked.
“I’m not ready to tell you that.”
“You’re not?”
“No. Please, give me time. I’ll be ready soon. I promise, but not today. Not after what we shared.”
“You were blackmailed just like me.”
“Yes. They wanted me to marry you. I didn’t want to.”
He cupped her cheek, running his thumb across her lip. “I believe you, Abby.” He leaned forward, and his lips brushed across hers. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”
“Can I help you with what they have on you?”
“Don’t even worry about it. I’ll find some way to handle your parents.”
“Have you spoken to them?” she asked. She couldn’t help but wince as she spoke.
“Yes, I’ve spoken to them. No, you don’t want to know what was said.”
She covered her face with her hands. “I can’t believe this.”
He held her hands, pulling them away from her face. “Stop worrying about what they said. I know you’re nothing like them.”
“I’m not. I’m really not.”
“I’m seeing that now, so clear. Now, eat your breakfast. We need your strength up.”
“Fine. Fine.” She picked her fork back up.
He kept an eye on her, and she had no choice but to eat the entire tray of food.
She hadn’t told James about Maggie. Her sister. Her only sister, who’d been eight years older than she was. She’d had the voice of an angel. She’d been beautiful. A true blessing to the Bryant family.
Only they had worked Maggie for as long as they could, trying to get her in the spotlight. To make her earn them money. She’d seen the sadness in Maggie’s eyes all the time. Singing was once her true passion, and because their parents thought she could make it big, they used her.
Her sister had died.
She remembered the arguing one night. Maggie threatening to quit. To refuse to sing. Once she was on stage they couldn’t control her. They couldn’t make her sing. She didn’t know what happened next, but Maggie ended up in the hospital and never made it out.
This was why she’d never enter a hospital, nor would she ever allow her parents to see her as anything other than a waste.
“You’re nothing like your sister. A waste of air. A waste of space. A waste of everything.”
She’d rather be a waste than unhappy.
Even still, they had needed her to get to James.
Now though, she was curious as to what they had on James. There’s no way he’d allow himself to be blackmailed unless it was something really important.
****
For the rest of the day James stayed by Abby’s side with Drake. They stayed around the house, playing a few board games at Drake’s request and finished off swimming at Abby’s request.
He saw the need in Drake’s eyes.
Seeing his woman and his man so happy filled James with satisfaction.
He adored her.
This morning’s revelation had been quite surprising to him. He couldn’t continue with the plan. There’s no way he’d hurt her. He couldn’t do that.
He didn’t have the whole truth, but after he told Drake what she’d revealed to him, he promised to find out the rest.
Her parents didn’t deserve to live a life of luxury, and now that he had a clear head, he intended to get to the bottom of everything.
Standing in the corner of the pool, he watched as Drake moved to lift Abby on his shoulders.
“No, you can’t do that,” she said, laughing. “Stop. Stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
Drake just wanted to touch her.
She’d be perfect for us.
He and Drake had been wanting a woman for a long time. Their relationship was perfect, but they had admitted to each other in the early stages of being together that they both loved the feel of a soft woman.
They’d wanted to explore having a woman, but they had to be careful.
Abby was the first person he could really see as giving them both a chance.
“I’ve got you, Abby,” Drake said, laughing.
He watched as Drake lifted her up, his hands holding her steady. As quickly as he lifted her in the air, Drake dropped down into the water, and Abby let out a cry.
Drake wasn’t happy with his plan in the first place. Would it be so hard to give her a chance? She wasn’t like her parents, and he didn’t want to push her aside because of his hatred at having to cower to the blackmailers.
James swam toward them, and as Abby broke the surface with a laugh, he pulled her into his arms and took possession of her mouth.
At first, she tensed up in his arms. Drake made to move away, but James wouldn’t let him. He didn’t wish to wait for Abby to grow comfortable with them. They’d both waited for a long time to have a woman. Abby was his wife. She belonged to him, and now he was going to take care of her.