Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
He’s shaking me with every word like I’m a bad puppy that chewed up his favorite shoes. His grip on me is a vise I have no hope of slipping out of on my own. I have to calm him down.
“Hey,” I say softly. “I’ll talk to him. Tell him he needs to relax. He wants you and Kaitlyn to be happy, though. He told me that.”
For a second, I think he’ll buy it, but then he sneers again. “What’s his secret, Ro? Fucking tell me? I’m going to expose him to Dad and kick him the hell out of our family. Tell me!”
This is getting out of control.
I have to bring the temperature down a thousand degrees here.
“Please,” I beg. “Calm down. Let’s make a plan together. We’re on the same side.”
He shoves me away from him and I land on the floor, my tailbone smarting in pain. I see movement outside—Ava and more girls heading toward the yacht. It’s too late. We’re too late.
By taking my attention off Gareth, I’m caught by surprise when he grabs hold of my hair. I grip his wrist with both hands, hoping to pry him off. It’s impossible to force him to let go.
“Gareth,” I cry out, wriggling in his hold. “You’re hurting me.”
Violence gleams in his eyes. “That’s the point. You will talk. I’ll make you talk.”
I’m tossed again, this time landing on the soft bed. I hold both palms up in surrender, but it’s not enough to stop him. He pounces on me much like a grizzly would on a small fox. Too easily, he subdues me with his massive frame. Trying to reason with him is failing miserably. I have to do something else.
“Get off me,” I grit out, flailing my fists and knocking them against any available part of him.
With a feral grunt, he grabs both my hands, easily binding them with one of his meaty ones. His now free hand clamps down on my throat, squeezing enough to make my eyes water. I squirm under his weight but can’t move an inch.
“Tell me his big secret,” Gareth demands. “Tell me and this will all be over. I won’t hurt you.”
No, but Caius will.
There’s no winning this war.
“No,” I whimper. “There is no secret. I swear.”
He applies pressure to my throat and the edges of my vision turn black. His face dips close to mine until his breath—that I realize stinks of alcohol—cloys what little breathable air I have left.
“Tell me. Now.”
I can’t. I don’t want to die.
But Gareth won’t kill me, right? Caius wouldn’t like that.
He starts muttering more angry demands, but I’m losing consciousness. We’re moving and at first, I think it’s because he’s picked me up. His hand releases my throat, allowing air inside my lungs, and I realize it’s the yacht, not us.
“You can’t kill me,” I rasp out. “Caius will really kick you out of the family then.”
This knocks some sense into him because he scowls at me. Then, as if a wonderful thought comes to him, his lips curl into a maniacal grin.
“Who said kill?” He forces my mouth open with his fingers and then spits on me. “There are far more enjoyable ways to make you talk.”
The demonic gleam in his eyes sends full-bodied shudders through me. I shake my head in vehemence.
“Don’t,” I plead.
“Spill and all this will stop.”
I like Mr. Bunny the best because his fur is silky and cool. When I’m buried under my stuffed animals and baby dolls, hiding from the monster, I can press my nose against Mr. Bunny and breathe cool air. In my head, I tell Mr. Bunny funny stories to pass the time. Sometimes, I make myself giggle but then have to quiet down quickly so I’m not found.
“Isn’t this pretty?” Gareth sneers, tugging at my necklace. He yanks heard, snapping the chain. “Oops. It’s broken now. Your lover will be disappointed.”
I blink away my hazy memories and focus on the beast in front of me. Running away mentally won’t save me from the man trying to harm me.
“Please,” I beg, voice raspy from being choked. “Let me go.”
“I could never get to Caius,” Gareth says, ignoring me. “He never cared about anything. But you? He cares about you.”
Is he insane?
Caius uses me. He doesn’t care about me.
“He confides in you. He loves you.”
“No,” I argue. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
His hand clamps down on my throat again but instead of squeezing, he drags it down over my tank top. I cry out in pain when he squeezes my breast.
“Shh, Mr. Bunny. I hear the tap, tap, tap of shoes coming closer.”
Mr. Bunny is quiet. All the bears and frogs and tigers and American Dolls around me and on me and beneath me are quiet.
The tap, tap, tap of shoes disappears.
That means the monster is gone.