Reign of Freedom (Corium University Trilogy #5) Read Online J.L. Beck, Cassandra Hallman

Categories Genre: Contemporary, Dark, Mafia, Romance, Taboo Tags Authors: , Series: Corium University Trilogy Series by J.L. Beck
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Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104239 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
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The memory evaporates into the air, and I notice steam rising from the surface of the water and bubbles floating on top in the bathtub. I get in without hardly feeling the temperature and only shrug when Lucas asks if it’s comfortable. I must still be in shock, or at least numb. If this is how bad I feel when I’m numb, how much worse is it going to get when the feeling wears off?

“Just sit back and let me take care of you.”

I hardly recognize him, kneeling beside the tub, dipping a washcloth into the water before dragging it over my shoulder. There’s nothing sexual about the way he touches me, but he’s not rough about it either. He takes his time, and my muscles eventually start to relax between his gentle touches and the heat of the water.

“I really didn’t mean to do it.” I wait until he looks at me. His blue eyes pierce the deepest depths of my soul. I couldn’t lie to him at this moment, even if I wanted to. “I didn’t. It just happened. He was going to—”

“I know what he was going to do. Remember, I visited that brothel. I spoke to him. I have a very good idea of what he had in mind.” He dips the cloth into the water before easing me forward to wash my back.

“You don’t blame me?” It matters so much. He can’t blame me. I don’t think I could handle it if he did.

“Not in the slightest.” His voice is tight, flat, and serious. “So get that idea out of your head.”

It’s like magic, the way his words unlock the tightness in my chest. I let out a long sigh that ends in a strangled sob. It feels good. Cleansing. Like I’m letting go of all the pain held inside.

The water’s a little cooler by the time he decides I’m clean. I stand, and he wraps me in a towel before helping me out of the tub. I don’t even have to dry myself off. He takes care of it for me, rubbing me down in long, gentle strokes without saying a word or looking me in the eye.

His expression is of a man focused on his task. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but at least I know he’s not blaming me for killing an important man.

The weight of what happened hits me hard, and all of a sudden, I’m tired. I guess now that the adrenaline has stopped pumping, my body’s decided it’s had enough. Like he can read my mind, Lucas leads me through a door into an adjoining bedroom. It’s big and nicely furnished with a king-sized bed. The bed looks like the answer to a prayer, the sheets softer than anything I’ve ever felt though I haven’t touched them yet.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get any sleep,” I fret, eyeing the pajamas at the foot of the bed.

“Celia must’ve left them here for you while you were in the bath,” he explains. “My sister.”

“That’s nice of her. I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“She’s my brother’s wife.”

“Oh. Okay.” At least now I know who I heard downstairs.

I slip into the nightshirt and shorts she left for me. They’re comfortable and the right size, or close enough. The sheets are cool and soft, just as I suspected, and they smell of lilacs. I suck in a deep breath and soak in as much of it as I can before touching my head to the pillow. Lucas brings the covers up to my chest before stepping away from the bed. Panic clings to me at the thought of him leaving.

“Wait.” I lift my head and reach for him. “You’re not leaving me, are you?”

“Of course I’m not.” He pulls his shirt over his head, and my pulse slows again. “I’m getting undressed and crawling into bed with you.”

It’s not ten seconds before he’s sliding in beside me, one arm under my shoulders so he can turn my body toward his, and I’m so glad. He’s my life raft in the middle of an endless, stormy ocean. He’s all I have to hold, the only way I can keep my head above water.

“Thank you,” I whisper into the darkness, my cheek against his bare chest.

He holds me close, stroking my hair, and his heart’s steady beating begins to lull me to sleep before he murmurs his answer. “I didn’t do anything but bring you here. You saved yourself.”

I guess I did. But who’s going to save me from what comes next?

7

LUCAS

The first thing I do upon waking is feel around on the bed to make sure Delilah is with me. That I didn’t dream what happened. I need to know she’s still safe with me, where no one can hurt her.


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