Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
“She’s been here too,” I mutter. I don’t need him to answer to know it’s the truth.
“Dylan’s family occasionally invites over their inner circle for dinner. Even friends.”
So I’m a part of the inner circle now?
He grabs my hand and tugs me into a bathroom behind me, shutting the door.
“It’s not safe to talk,” he growls. “You don’t know who the fuck our families are and what they’re capable of.”
“None of them seemed scared by violence,” I reply. “I think I can take a good guess.”
“Then don’t fucking talk,” he growls. “Not to anyone unless they ask.”
I frown. “Why? You scared I’m gonna tell them about our deal?”
His grip on my wrist tightens to the point it almost starts to hurt. “Think very carefully about what you’re gonna say, Pen.”
“They know about …” I mutter, wondering if I should finish my sentence. “They think I’m Dylan’s girlfriend, right? Are they trying to see if I’m a good fit?”
He nods.
“They don’t know you guys … share.” I swallow. “What else don’t they know?”
“Lots, and I want to keep it that way,” he replies.
I jerk free from his grip. “If you want me to act like I enjoy it here, you can at least talk to me.”
“About what?” His eyes narrow.
“I don’t know … pretend we’re normal or something. Tell me about your family before you take me to them.”
He closes his eyes and sighs. “You don’t want to know, trust me.”
“I do, actually,” I reply, as he rubs his forehead. “What about your sister, for example? You two seem to hate each other. Why?”
“It’s complicated. She’s my li’l sis, and I need to protect her. She hates it. But at the same time, she acts like a fucking floozy with the wrong guys.” He groans. “Never mind.”
He’s still rubbing himself like he hates even talking about them, but I’m glad I’m getting at least some information. If these guys are fucking around with me, I might as well get to know them. Who knows, maybe the information will be useful someday.
“God, I need a fucking drink,” he mumbles.
I bet he does. “You looked like you were about ready to kill when I mentioned your mother.”
His fingers part, revealing a half-mast, widened eye, almost like he’s homed in on me, ready to strike, and it makes goose bumps scatter on my skin.
“My mother …” He lowers his hand and gets up close and personal. “Is dead.”
“Oh.” I avert my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He plants his hand on the wall beside him. “My father killed her.”
I look into his murderous-looking eyes that don’t even bear a hint of fear or anguish, and my lungs stop sucking in the oxygen they so desperately need.
His mother … killed by his own father?
Why?
And how would Felix be okay with that?
Suddenly, the door opens, and Dylan leans against the doorpost. “Hey there, girlfriend.”
He invites himself in and shuts the door behind him.
Felix turns around, incensed. “Why the fuck are you here?”
“Checking up on y’all,” he muses, folding his hands behind his head. “What are y’all doing?”
Felix raises his brow. “What does it look like?”
Dylan shrugs. “I don’t know. Seemed to me like you just want some alone time with my girlfriend.” He grabs my hand like he owns me. “Best keep up the charade, right?”
Felix slaps his hand away and stands between us. “Don’t even fucking try.”
The door opens again, and this time, Alistair’s peeking in. “Whoa, what’s going on in here?”
“Jesus Christ, why are you following us?” Felix growls and tries to shut the door, but Ali pushes his way inside first. “Goddammit. When I said I had enough, I meant all of you.”
“Fine,” I reply and push past him. “I’ll leave then.”
He grabs my wrist before I can even lift a finger at the door handle. “You. Stay.”
He turns to face me, the look in his eyes madly possessive.
“Why? You wanted some time alone.” I swallow just from the way he looks at me—like he could almost eat me alive even though we all just ate. “You don’t need me.”
He’s so up in my face that I’m forced to step back, but when I bump into the toilet, there’s nowhere for me to go but down.
His grip moves from my wrist to my chin. “You are everything I need right now.”
His thumb brushes along my lips, and when he parts them, I don’t even protest.
A need to satiate an unquenchable thirst fills his darkened, stained eyes. And when he pushes me back, my body instinctively walks along, unable to look away. I hit the wall in the back of the bathroom, and suddenly, the air is too thick to even breathe.
“On your knees,” he growls.
PENELOPE
My pussy thumps when it shouldn’t, but something about his voice drives me to obey.
And I sink down and squat in front of him as he unzips his pants.