Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
That was enough, for now.
The steward bid me good night and I closed the door.
It wasn’t late—dinner hadn’t even arrived yet—but I made sure to set the alarm clock and prepared for an early sleep so I could be ready for whatever Elder wanted to show me.
Chapter Seven
______________________________
Elder
DAWN.
I loved this time of day. When no one else was around. The world was new. Mistakes hadn’t happened yet. And my mind was quiet.
Pulling into Monaco was almost as appealing as smoking a joint to relax. This was my domain. No one stepped on my turf without me knowing, and I had an entire factory full of workers who would stand by me if anything from my past decided to show up unannounced.
Dressing in light denim jeans and a dark grey t-shirt, I opted for loafers rather than flip-flops because I intended to walk a fair distance around the warehouse and introduce Pim to my way of life.
Once I’d finished work, I’d take her to lunch. Or maybe spoil her rotten by buying whatever ridiculously expensive garment I could from the main street.
Then again, perhaps I’d ignore her entirely so she got the message that I wouldn’t put up with her arguments. That my word was law. That the deal we’d struck meant she owed me absolutely everything that she was.
To agree to those terms and not pay up would wreak the worst kind of havoc on my already strained psyche. She had no choice now.
Stupid girl traded freedom for an unwinnable deal with me.
Thinking of her made her materialize. She moved taller with a glint in her eye that hadn’t been there before. She braced her shoulders as if prepared to argue yet again, and undo all the hard work I’d done at getting myself together.
After dinner, I’d spent most of the night drilling myself with the need to keep myself in check, not raise my voice, and above all, prevent my temper from ruining everything.
Our eyes met as Pim smiled in greeting.
I didn’t smile back as I glanced at the clock above the small coat check where wet weather gear and other outdoor equipment were stored for disembarking. “You’re two minutes late.”
She gathered her dark hair into a twist, placing it over her shoulder. She didn’t reply. My ears twitched to hear her voice, but at the same time, I didn’t expect it. To enjoy conversation with her was still a novelty.
The side of the yacht was already open; the ramp lowered, waiting patiently for us to leave. The subtle scents of sea and sunshine invited us to explore Monte Carlo.
Pim glanced past me to the turquoise bay and the bustling toy-size city on the faraway shore. Her face brightened, filling with eagerness at adventure rather than paling with fear.
I’d given her the choice to join me on land last time. Morocco had been a starting place for many things—including whatever we now felt for each other. This time, she didn’t have a choice because she’d thrown that gift in my goddamn face the moment she demanded I keep her.
I wanted to shake my head in derisive amusement all while I whispered in her ear that she’d made a terrible mistake.
You should’ve left when you had the chance, Pim.
She swayed forward, hypnotised by the view; her weight balanced on delicate toes ready to explore.
I struggled to remember the broken waif I’d rescued. Struggled to recall her bleeding and bruised and too broken to speak to me. To have her evolve so much in such a short amount of time made me proud for having some measure in her progress and pissed that every day she needed me less and less.
I hadn’t acknowledged just how much I needed to be needed. To have someone to care for after being so goddamn alone.
Stop being such a dick and man the fuck up.
She’s not in danger from you because you’ll control it.
And you’re not in danger from her because you’ll do what? Motherfucking control it, that’s what.
“Everything’s all set.” Selix pushed past, heading down the ramp.
Pim startled, her mind already in Monte Carlo before snapping back into her body. The way she jumped then looked immediately at me as if I’d save her from anything harrowing made me grind my teeth.
Goddammit, did she have any idea the agony she caused? The way her tenacity made me want to take what I needed while her hesitation made me want to be the fucking hero and guard her?
“Ready?” Holding out my arm, I waited until she’d looped hers through mine. “Are you comfortable?” I glanced at her too-big-for-her blue dress. Once again, the loose material was somehow sexier on her slim frame than a tight miniskirt. The breeze rippled the material around her shape, revealing she wasn’t wearing underwear beneath.
My jaw clenched as my mind returned to her on my lap and me inside her.