Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
The door to the shower opened behind me, and I turned to see Fawn step inside.
She smiled, lifting her face to the water. “I love this shower. It feels like you’re standing outside in a warm downpour.”
My eyes devoured her wet body. “I love you in this shower,” I replied.
She blinked as she looked at me. Her lashes had droplets of water clinging to them. “Hmm,” she purred, then closed the space between us. “That’s good. I was hurt when you decided to take one without me.”
I wrapped my arms around her and gazed into her eyes. I couldn’t tell her I had come in here to calm my rage over seeing the place where she’d been forced to live. Looking into the eyes of the bastard who had abused her. Some things I would never be able to tell her, and this was one of them. I hated keeping secrets from her, but it was to shelter her. Another form of protection.
Soon, I would be handing this title over to Blaise. He was ready. He had become exactly what I had known he could be. Perhaps he’d even be a better boss of the family. He had a center that I hadn’t. Madeline kept him focused, whereas I’d never had that—until now.
“You were at the pool with Gypsi,” I said, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
“Are you sure that’s the reason? Nothing is wrong, is it? You were gone before I woke up. Did business get … difficult?”
I brushed back the hair stuck to her forehead from the steady downpour of the shower. There was nothing about this woman that I didn’t worship. “It wasn’t pleasant, but it had to be done.”
She didn’t push for more. Instead, she laid her head on my chest and let me hold her. It had become so easy for her to read my emotions. Right now, this was exactly what I needed. To have her here, knowing she was safe—and I would keep her that way. Always.
“Christmas Day,” I said.
She tilted her head back and looked up at me. “What about Christmas Day?” The curious expression on her face was adorable.
“Marry me. Here, at this house, on Christmas Day.”
A smile spread across her lips. “Really?”
I nodded. “The moment you become Mrs. Garrett Hughes, Blaise will take over as head of the family. I want more time to spend with you. I want to travel the world and show you every beautiful sight there is to see.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’re serious?”
I grinned and bent my head to kiss her lips softly. “Completely.”
She reached up and grabbed my face with both her hands. “Yes!” she exclaimed with sheer joy shining in her golden eyes.
When her mouth claimed mine, I pulled her up into my arms and soaked in the taste of the woman I would love until I took my last breath.
I could hear talking and maniacal laughter as I stepped down into the underground cellars. Gage was in full psycho mode, it seemed. I was almost to the door that they had hung up Billy on when I heard Blaise’s voice. It was low and deadly. He knew how to command power. His mother had been a mistake, but not Blaise. He was the one thing I cherished that had come from that horrid marriage. I was proud of him. The man he’d become from the reckless youth he had once been.
When I stepped into the room, my eyes went to Billy. Blood was already dripping from his nose and looked like his ear too. He’d said something to piss off Blaise. If it had been Gage, a piece of his body would be lying at his feet, along with a pool of blood.
“I didn’t do anything!” Billy cried as I walked over to stand in front of him.
I glanced back at Blaise. “Seems he’s annoyed you in some way.”
Blaise lit a cigarette and inhaled, then nodded. “He said something about Fawn.”
My spine stiffened, and I felt the violence surge through my body as my pulse quickened. I swung my attention back to the man I was going to slowly torture.
“You don’t know her. She was a foster kid. Messed up. She stole from us. She was wild, acted out. Whatever lies she told you aren’t true. We did our best by her!”
Billy’s desperate words only ignited the depth of my hatred for him.
I backhanded him so hard that blood shot out of his mouth, and he began to cry and gurgle on blood.
“Ma ton’,” he moaned. “I bit oot ma ton’.”
Gage let out an unhinged cackle behind me.
“I’ll cut the rest of it out soon,” I assured him.
“Pwea! Baweve me,” he pleaded.
The terror in his eyes wasn’t enough. I needed more. He had to suffer.
“Bring me the belt,” I told Gage, my eyes not leaving the man I ached to see wail in pain.