Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 46(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 46(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Everything hurts.
My body. My skull. And there’s a burning pain in my abdomen.
I don’t look down at it; I know I’m bleeding. I see the knife in Harrison’s hand. It’s my blood on that knife.
As long it’s my blood and not Riley’s.
Harrison pounces toward her with his bloody knife, but this time I’m faster. A loud gunshot rings out through the silent darkness. He screams and through blurred vision, I see him slump to the ground.
My knees weaken, and everything goes black.
“Grayson!”
My name…
Her voice.
“Grayson, oh God! Please wake up. Please, please.”
“Ri—” Fuck, I can’t even speak. My throat is parched and my tongue feels heavy in my mouth.
“Yes! It’s me, Riley. C’mon, baby. I found a car. Harrison had a car. I got you in it. Do you remember? We drove… but— b-but a deer, I didn’t see it. It happened so fast.”
I don’t understand what she’s talking about. Car? What car? Harrison? What happened?
I can’t…remember.
“Oh God, I tried to avoid hitting it, but I think I was going too fast. Our c-car—we flipped…Grayson…Grayson?!”
I can’t make any sense of her words.
Everything hurts.
I blink my eyes open and I see Riley, standing over me. She has a gun in her hands, and she’s pointing it at someone. “You take one more step, Harrison, and I will shoot you. I swear, I will fucking shoot you.”
There’s a dark, masculine laughter.
“You shouldn’t have escaped, pet.”
That cold, sadistic voice.
My gaze lands on my father. I see him limping toward us. A completely deranged look on his face. “I warned you, Son. I warned you if you betrayed me—”
“Don’t you dare,” Riley threatens, choking on the words.
I need to protect her.
He chuckles darkly. “You don’t have it in you to shoot me, little girl.”
I try to move, to reach for Riley, but my limbs are numb. My whole body feels paralyzed. Fear ricochets through me, sheer terror coursing through my icy veins. My helplessness chokes me.
Time slows down.
It happens in almost slow motion.
Harrison takes another step toward us.
And I watch as Riley pulls the trigger.
I don’t hear the gunshot, except for the distant buzzing in my ears. Harrison roars, slumping to his knees, and she shoots him again.
Two bullets.
And my father falls to the ground. He lies there listlessly.
My chest rattles with a harsh exhale. After a long minute, when Harrison doesn’t get up again, Riley drops the gun and kneels by my side.
I’m seeing two of her.
“I need you to work with me,” she begs. “We’re going to be okay.”
I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.
“Grayson! Don’t pass out on me again. Goddamn it, Grayson! Stay with me,” Riley cries out, her desperation breaking my heart.
I see her. Blonde hair, soft gray eyes, tearstained cheeks.
I miss her.
“Hey,” I rasp, my voice barely even recognizable to my own ears. “I’m here.”
She grabs my hand, lacing our fingers together. A choked sob erupts from her throat. “You left me, Grayson.”
I grip her hand tighter, tugging her toward me. Riley buries her face into my chest, sniffling. “Leaving you is my deepest regret.”
I think I said those words.
I don’t know.
Maybe I’m dreaming.
“Promise you won’t ever leave me again.”
I smile, even through the pain. “Never again.”
Riley lets out a choked sob as she presses her hand against the stab wound in my abdomen. I try not to wince because she’s already scared enough.
“Grayson, please.” The tremors in her voice break me. “Don’t you dare die on me.”
I cup her cheek with my bloody hand.
God, she’s so beautiful.
Shit, my head feels like it’s about to explode.
I’m going to die. Probably.
But not Riley.
No, she’s safe. She’s strong and a fighter.
Riley will live. She’s going to get out of here, and she’s going to live happily. Maybe with Colton Bennett.
My only consolation is that…
She came to me.
And maybe, just maybe—
I am her choice.
That’s the last thought I have as the world goes dark.
CHAPTER TWO
Colton
“What?” I growl, fury dripping in that single word. I wait for her to speak, but there’s only silence on the other line.
I’m pissed at Riley.
But it’s not really her fault that I am so weak in my goddamn knees for her.
Fuck, I should have made her mine when I had the chance.
Riley Johnson is indebted to me. The day I saved her life, she became mine. Too bad, she never realized that. I should have collected my debt a long time ago.
But I waited for her to come to me because I was trying to be the good guy. The one who waits patiently for the girl to finally notice him. The friend she never wanted, but got anyway.
But I don’t want to be a friend.
I want her in my bed. In my fucking arms.
I need her lips on mine.
I want to bury myself inside her.
And now she’s with him. For almost three years he was gone, and I was right here. Picking up the broken pieces of her soul while waiting for her to trust me with her heart.