Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“The point is, I love Elliot more than I can even express. I wanted to protect her, but again, my daughter didn’t permit me to once she got what she wanted.” He takes another deep breath. “Elliot is a strong woman, brilliant and beautiful, and I wanted more for her than to get knocked up by a guy who’s on his way out. Once more, I’ll be losing her, and it’s eating me alive.”
His admission almost makes me feel bad for him. However, I can’t help but feel like he thinks I’m not good enough.
“But I trust you,” he says, surprising the fuck out of me. “You’re a hard worker, smart, and fiercely protective of her. So much so that you don’t think of yourself when it comes to her, and I want that for her. After everything she’s gone through, I want her to be safe and cared for.”
“Loved,” I say, my throat closing with emotion. “Safe and loved.” His eyes burn into mine as I clear my throat. “I get the feeling you think I just knocked her up and now I’m staying for the baby, but that’s not the case. I love her, Dan. I’ve loved her for months, and I would take the little crumbs of love that she’d sprinkle my way. For a while, they were enough. But now, I want it all. I want all of her, forever. You’ll never have to worry about her because I’d rather die than allow anything to happen to her.” I shuffle my feet, feeling really exposed. “So yeah, get used to my face because I’m not going anywhere.”
He nods slowly as silence fills the space around us. I don’t look away from his pointed gaze, and I sure as shit don’t cower. I mean what I say. I feel it in my bones. When he holds out his hand, I take it almost immediately. His voice gravelly, he says, “Then welcome to the family, Cr—I mean, Alex.”
I shake his hand. “Thank you, Dan.”
He drops my hand then and nods. “Have any idea how I get her to talk to me?”
“Food,” I say with a grin. “Bring her food. She’s really into grilled cheese right now.”
Dan chuckles. “Thanks. And you’ll protect her?”
“Without question,” I say, with more emotion than I intended.
“And maybe marry her? Soon?”
“When she’s ready.”
“But you’re ready?”
I smirk before rubbing my jaw. “I was ready the moment I came back and saw her trying to run away from me.”
Dan smiles. “Good. Now go win for me.”
I flash him a wide grin. “Sorry, sir, but I only win for Elliot now.”
CHAPTER 27
Elliot
I’m blaming my tears on my pregnancy, as well as on how utterly beautiful my eldest sister is.
Louisa stands on the little platform in an A-line, boho-style, deep-V, chapel-train white gossamer gown as Eliza fusses around her. The sleeves are flowy and give a very pretty fairy vibe, but in a way that’s not just fantasy but regal. She looks like an angel, and I’m speechless at how picturesque she is. While I thought she’d go for glitter and crystals, the dress is just layers of tulle that bring out every single lovely detail of my sister. Gone is the protective lioness, replaced by an eager bride. A girl ready to start her happily-ever-after with her hunky hockey player.
I dab at my eyes as Clara moves around Eliza and Louisa with Austen on FaceTime. She left for Russia for her holiday, but she didn’t want to miss the final dress fitting. I can hear her preening and gushing over our sister as I look at her, love overwhelming me. Just six years ago, we were all set free from the confines of the cult, and now, I’m in awe of us. We fought for ourselves. We wanted better—and, together, we did it. Each one of us is living the life we want, how we want.
It’s incredible.
My hand falls to my stomach where my little dude is, and my heart explodes. I remember waiting for Clara to be born and how terrified I was to find out that when it was time for me to have a baby, I would be alone in a field with just a midwife. I waited for my sister with my sisters, but my dad wasn’t there. No one cared if my mom lived or died. It was necessary to have more babies born into their way of life. And I say theirs because no way in hell was it mine or my sisters’.
We wanted more.
And now, I have that. I run my hand over my swollen belly as my sister grins at herself in the mirror. She chose Ciaran, just as Eliza chose Coleson and Austen chose Dimitri. While it was the guys’ choice too, the girls had a say. We didn’t have that growing up. We were at the mercy of men who didn’t want to love us but, rather, own us. Not now, though. Now my sisters are loved so damn fully it makes my heart ache with happiness.