Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“I . . . I . . . Colm,” she whispered in a heartbroken voice. She’d hoped he wouldn’t find out.
But she should have realized that couldn’t happen.
“Why, baby?”
“He had a video. Of Aleksandr shooting someone. Or I thought he did. Turns out it was fake, but I didn’t know that.”
“He blackmailed you?”
Suddenly, he stood and she squeaked without meaning to, taking a stumbling step back.
“Fuck. Shit. God. Baby, wait . . .” He reached a hand out to her before letting it drop. There was a look of horror on his face.
Why did he look so horrified? By her? Did he not want to touch her anymore?
She shuddered.
Dirty.
She was dirty. And worthless. Stupid.
And now he could see it. The one thing she hadn’t wanted was for him to see how worthless she was.
“I want you to get out.”
A pained look filled his face. “Baby.”
She shook her head. They both knew that she wasn’t his baby.
Because she was nothing.
“I want to get showered. Alone.”
“All right,” he said.
More proof that he now saw her for who she was. Before, he would have fought with her.
Actually, no, he would have just told her what was happening. Which wouldn’t involve him leaving.
But he’s going now because he knows.
When he was out in the bedroom, she shut the bathroom door, locking it. He knocked on the door, yelling her name.
She ignored him.
Right now, she needed to concentrate on shoring her defenses back up again.
Find the numb.
You’re an Anisimov.
You cannot fall apart.
Climbing into the shower, she turned the heat up as high as she dared, needing the scalding water to wash away this feeling of shame that was crawling all over her.
Grabbing the loofah that had already been in the shower, she scrubbed at her skin.
Clean.
She needed to get clean.
Oh, God.
She was never going to be clean!
Scrub. Scrub.
Her vision blurred. Her skin grew sensitive and irritated.
Wash away the filth.
A sob broke free and soon she dropped the loofah, curling in on herself as she cried.
She was an Anisimov.
She couldn’t fall apart.
20
Colm stared at the bathroom door.
Every instinct he had was screaming at him to go back in there. That he made sure Sofia was all right.
But she’d locked him out. So, other than breaking down the door, there was no way he could get in there.
And he wasn’t going to scare her like that.
Fuck. She was scared of him!
What kind of arrogant fuckwit was he? He’d told her to trust him. He’d told her he would take care of her and that she could let go with him. Give him control.
And then he went and fucking scared her.
He hadn’t even taken the time to learn about what was going on between her and Oleg.
That fucker had been abusing her! Right under his nose and he hadn’t even known.
A noise like a wounded animal escaped him and he didn’t notice the door to the bedroom opening as he turned and let his temper explode out of him.
He smashed his hand into the wall as someone let out a cry.
“Colm! What are you doing?”
Turning, his knuckles throbbing, he saw Miller standing in the room. A pile of clothes lay on the floor where she’d obviously dropped them.
He just stared at her, trying to catch his breath.
“Colm?” Miller’s voice grew more cautious. “Are you all right?”
“I need to see Oleg.” He walked toward her. He couldn’t help Sofia. She didn’t need him around, terrifying her.
But he could make that bastard pay.
He could make him suffer.
For every bruise he’d left on Colm’s girl, Colm would repay that pain tenfold.
“Whoa, I don’t think you should go anywhere.” Miller daringly got between him and the open doorway. “Where is Sofia?”
“Showering.”
“All right. Good. Rogan wants to take her to the hospital in forty minutes. Do you think she’ll be ready, then?”
Why was she asking him?
“Go and ask her.”
“Did you fight with her?” Miller asked. “The two of you need to figure all of this out. Any idiot can see that you guys are meant to be together. So pull your head out of your ass and start doing something about that.”
“Doing something about that?” he rumbled.
She put her hands on her hips. “Yes. I mean . . . the whole bossy routine might be sexy in some circumstances, but you might want to be a bit less commanding and a little more romantic. Flowers wouldn’t hurt. Maybe ask her for dinner. Woo her, damn it.”
Colm could only shake his head at her. She had no idea what was going on.
“Sofia doesn’t need wooing.”
What she needed was for him to avenge her. For him to take Oleg apart, bit by bit.
“Every girl wants a bit of wooing, Colm. Even if it’s just a soft look, some kind words.”
“Miller . . .” he growled. “You need to stop now.”
“What’s going on? Why are the two of you in here?” Rogan stepped inside, his gaze curious.