Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
A light nod gave him the answer he already knew.
Lucca kept his eyes pierced into hers as he flicked his ashes into the snow, not wanting to miss her expression when he spoke his next words. “You were in that car wreck a few years back. I remember reading about it in the papers. Is that how you tell everyone you got those scars?”
“That i-is how I got them.” She swallowed, quickly looking back down at her hands.
Do people actually believe this bullshit?
“No, it’s not. I know a knife cut when I see one.”
Glimpsing back up at him, he could see she had no idea how he knew. “I-I d-don’t know what you’re t-talking about.”
Because you’re the worst fucking liar I’ve ever seen, darlin’.
Flicking his whole cigarette into the yard, he stared deeply into her gray depths, letting her know she wasn’t fooling him, nor was she ever going to fool him. “Yeah, you do.”
She quickly stood and took a step forward, clearly stating she wanted to leave and end this conversation.
You’re gonna have to come closer than that, darlin’, and boy, did he hope she would. He wanted to see her up close, so close that he could reach out and claim her already.
When Lucca didn’t move from the exit, she ever so slightly inched closer to give him another hint.
A little bit closer … His body was taut; every muscle frozen.
Another small step forward.
I could claim you right now if I wanted, darlin’. The deep, dark part in his mind whispered, Do it.
Chloe’s eyes sparked a bit in fear at the small distance between them now. “W-Will you let me through?”
The break in her throat showed him how frightened she was. He could also hear her heels clicking against the wood from her shaking legs.
Fuck. Lucca reached into his pocket again, going for his pack of cigarettes. His darkness was making him lose control, and he needed to keep himself busy.
His eyes didn’t move from hers as he flicked the lighter open again before lighting his cigarette. He then expertly exhaled, wanting the smoke to caress her body and face like he couldn’t.
Chloe didn’t seem to mind, still staring at his silver Zippo that he had already flicked closed.
Taking notice of her interest in his lighter, he flicked it open again, letting the flame shine a bright red. He saw it then—the shine in her own eyes from staring into the flame. He’d had that same look when his father used this same lighter to light his cigars when he was a kid.
“I will if you tell me how old you are.” He kept his voice melodic, hoping he could hypnotize her with it and the flame as he slowly began to weave the Zippo between his fingers, watching her eyes dance along with the movements. Lucca needed her to willingly engage with him before he let her go.
“Seventeen. You?” The words seemed to slip through her mouth.
You? Shockingly, she had asked him to reciprocate, letting him know she cared enough to ask. The look on her face told him she was just as shocked.
“Twenty-six.” With that, Lucca moved to the side, giving her barely enough room to pass.
Watching her gingerly turn her body to the side, he held his breath as she did, both their eyes not moving from one another’s, both seeming slightly afraid he might move even just an inch.
This was the closest he was probably going to see her beautifully cracked porcelain face for a long time, and he wanted nothing more than to freeze time at the exact moment she stood perfectly in front of him. He could practically hear the screams from her light gray eyes, pleading for him to save her. They took his breath away and almost brought him to his knees.
When Chloe finally passed, she began to walk as fast as she could back to the safety of the house, and every movement she made away from him felt like torture. He was letting the most beautiful creature slip through his fingers, and even though the dark part inside of him begged him not to let her go, knowing she belonged to him, he knew he had to, even if it killed him. He couldn’t cage her in, at least not yet.
“You can’t run from the truth forever, darlin’,” Lucca warned, making her only run faster and farther away from him.
That single moment, when he had looked down at her, hadn’t been long enough for him to savor, but it was all he was going to get.
Save me, Lucca … Those gray eyes haunted him.
I’m going to save you, darlin’. You just have to wait for me. You’re not ready for me yet.
Eight
The Nightmares That Reaped Her Soul
Taking a deep breath, he stood, putting the phone back in his pocket. That single crack on the screen reminded him of the scars that graced Chloe’s face.