Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
He turned away, moving toward the table where he’d left his gun.
The guys against the wall behind Bolton watched Theo, all of them holding handguns so they could shoot him if he tried to do anything.
I didn’t know the man I married when I’d married him. But I knew him now. I knew exactly what he was about to do when he turned away. Grab that gun and shoot Theo right between the eyes for me to watch. “I missed you.” It took all my strength to say the words like I meant them, to ignore the way they made me physically sick, but I did it because I had to.
Bolton paused before he turned back to me, like he expected me to say those words to Theo instead of him.
But I only stared at Bolton, and I had no idea what Theo’s reaction was.
“I wish none of this had happened,” I said. “I wish we could go back in time and just…redo everything.”
Bolton stared into my eyes with a hard gaze, his thoughts difficult to decipher.
“I want to try again.” The bile rose from my stomach up my throat. I already felt trapped. Already felt suffocated.
“You do?” he asked, his voice sharp like he didn’t quite believe me.
“I do. But only if you let Theo go.”
His mouth hardened at my request, the disappointment hot like flames in his eyes. “If I let him go—”
“If you don’t let him go, then I’ll just be your prisoner like last time. And we both remember how that went. If you want me to actually try to make this marriage work, then Theo needs to live. Because if he dies, then I’ll die too. You’ll have to watch me every second of the day, because the moment I see an opportunity to end it forever, I’ll take it. But if you let him live…I’ll try. I’ll really try. We can move and start over somewhere new. You can leave the Brotherhood, and we can start a new life. Have a family. But I can’t do that if you kill him.”
Bolton continued his steady stare. Slowly, it softened, like he was tempted. The silence trickled by, growing heavier by the second.
I didn’t mean a word I said, but I needed to make it so genuine that even Theo believed it. Because that was the only way he would walk out of here alive.
Bolton gave a quiet sigh. “You’ll try?”
“Yes—”
“Then prove it.”
The hope I felt immediately dwindled.
“Prove it right now.”
“How?”
“Kiss me. And kiss me like you fucking mean it.”
Disgust filled my insides, along with betrayal. The only man I wanted for the rest of my life was Theo. He knew I loved him…because I’d said it more times than I should have, said it even though I knew he wouldn’t say it back. This was all a façade and he knew that, but I still felt like shit for doing it.
I sucked it up.
I stepped up to Bolton, closed my eyes, and the second my mouth was on his, I pretended that he was Theo. That we were at home in his bedroom, that we’d just walked in after a nice dinner at his restaurant. His big arms held me to his chest, and he smothered me with his warmth. My mind made it feel real because it had to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to give the performance of a lifetime.
I pulled away first, and when my eyes opened, I saw the man I hated. All the heat I’d felt for the man behind me was gone at the sight of Bolton. But I knew I’d done my job because he looked at me the way he had before…like he loved me.
“Wait two hours, then drop him off,” Bolton said to his men.
Oh my god, I did it.
Bolton turned to look at Theo.
Theo had turned the other way so he didn’t have to watch the horror show. He kept his eyes averted.
“I took Scarlett as a sign of mercy.”
Theo’s eyes flicked back to him.
“But if you try to come after Astrid again, I’ll take the kids.” He stepped toward me and grabbed my hand.
I let him. And it was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.
My eyes met Theo’s.
His met mine.
The look only lasted a second, but it was the most painful second of my life. I hoped he would forgive me for what I’d done, would understand it was a sacrifice I had to make to keep him alive. This situation was always going to end this way, with me stuck with Bolton. So I’d rather it end with Theo alive…instead of dead.
Chapter 16
Theo
The van pulled up to a random street, and they threw the door open.
I was shoved outside, my handcuffs were removed, and then they pushed me to the ground before they got back into the van and took off.