Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 80055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“What the fuck about her? She doesn’t matter.”
“She’s innocent.”
It was a lame excuse, but I couldn’t run away, not now. I stepped toward him. “Take me back. We’ve got to see how this plays out.”
“Emily, this is fucking stupid,” Gael said. “I’m not going to take you back. I’m not going to allow you to risk your life like this. It’s fucking suicide!”
“Isn’t that what you want?” River asked.
I looked toward him and shook my head. “No, it’s not.”
“Then why would you go back? You and I both know that you’ve spoken about the control before. This isn’t control. This is fucking messed up.”
I moved toward him and put my hand against his chest. “Stop.”
“No, you stop. We’re not going to take you back so you can fucking die.”
“I don’t want to fucking die.” It was the truth. “What I don’t want to do is keep on running and looking behind us. It’s no different than how I live now. I don’t want this for the rest of my life.”
“We’d protect you,” River said.
“I get it. I do. I believe all of you, but we’re not going to run. I had nothing to do with my dad’s betrayal, but I know my house and I could perhaps find something that means your dads won’t kill me.”
River laughed. “You’re fucking crazy. They won’t let you live.”
“I’m not running.” It would be easier to run, now at least. Of course, it would be easy, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. Running now would give us a head start but it wouldn’t last. All of us would die when their parents caught up. I didn’t want that to happen. Not now. Not ever. “There has to be a way to make this work.” Even as I said the words and the guys shared a look, we all knew I was lying. I was merely putting off the inevitable. Their parents would kill me, but at least I wouldn’t have to keep on living in fear.
****
River
Against my better judgment, we took Emily back home, only we didn’t let her go home. Instead, I took her to my home. We also agreed to keep Ashley safe. So Ashley was also staying in one of my spare bedrooms while Emily hung out with me.
I don’t know why she’d attached herself to this girl, but I wasn’t going to argue with her.
After taking a quick shower, the fastest on human record, I made my way back into the bedroom to see Emily standing at my bedroom window. My room always overlooked the yard and the party was still going.
“What is it?” I asked, moving up behind her.
The tears had stopped.
I put my hands on her arms and she leaned back against me. Breathing her in, I couldn’t get enough. She was so fucking beautiful. Even now, after a shower, with all the flowers removed from her hair, no makeup, she still was the most precious thing in the world to me.
“I’m just looking down there. Seeing everyone. Drake’s just been dragged off and his dad is actually here. I didn’t think he came to Crude Hill all that often.”
“He doesn’t, but Drake’s pretty much sent his mother packing.”
“I’m not surprised. He thinks he’s a gift or something.” She sighed. “Look at all of them. Do you think they even realize someone didn’t make it home from the party?”
“I don’t think any of them care, Em.” It would be rare to find some people who were not completely self-absorbed. This party wasn’t one of those occasions. Everyone here had an agenda, some of it was just worse than others.
She stepped back from the window.
The robe she wore had loosened at the waist and I couldn’t help but admire the curve of her breast I saw.
Emily watched me.
I untied the rope holding the curtains together and let them fall, giving us both some privacy.
She pushed her hair off her face, and I watched. Entranced by her beauty.
“Do you like what you see?” she asked.
“Yeah, I do.”
Her hands went to the belt that gave her a little modesty. My cock twitched and in the next second, I felt myself hardening even more as she opened the robe and let it drop to the floor.
“What about now?”
I saw the scars. They had long since faded now. They shouldn’t have been on her flesh, but I didn’t care. To me, she was perfect. The scars, the pain, all of it made her feel more real to me.
As I let go of my towel, it fell to the floor so she could see all of me. I’d been taken and scarred. I knew what it felt like to be at the mercy of others, which was probably what she felt like most days.
At everyone else’s mercy.
Fucking Vadik was probably the only decision she’d ever really made for herself.