Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94915 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Come on, it’s the hospital. I’ll be safe there. You really think Dusan would try something?”
“Maybe not while you’re there, but on the way he might. I don’t want to risk it.”
“I’m not going to stop visiting her.” I sit up and stare at him. “Seriously, I’m not going to abandon her.” The idea is monstrous. She was hit by a car because of me, her pelvis is ruined because of me, she may never walk again and might always be in pain, both because of me, and there’s no way I’m going to let her sit around at that hospital alone.
“You’re not abandoning her. You can call and text whenever you want.” He gestures at my phone. “You’re practically in constant communication already.”
“That’s different from actually visiting and you know that. It’s my fault she’s there, Julien.” My voice trembles and I fight back the tears.
“Not because of you,” he murmurs and taps a knuckle against his chin. “I’m sorry, but you just can’t go right now.”
“Unacceptable.” I curl my hands into fists and move toward him. “I’ve gone along with everything you want. We’re living in the mansion, we slept in the same damn bed, I took you to Ronan’s place, and I haven’t complained. I’m not asking you, Julien. I’m telling you. I’m going to visit Kim.”
He doesn’t like that, but I don’t give a damn. I’d love to see him try to stop me. He comes back toward me, all six-foot-two and covered in muscles, looking like rage and sex and death got into a three-way and gave birth to my French husband. The man’s built from muscles and steel, and he could rip me in half if he wanted, and that still won’t stop me from seeing my friend.
His expression is hard, and he seems like he’s teetering on the edge of something, like he’s struggling to keep control.
“I’m not going to risk losing you, Brianne,” he says, his voice firm, but coming out in a harsh whisper. “When that bomb went off, all I could think about was what my life would be like if you were suddenly gone, and I couldn’t handle it. Something broke in me during that explosion, and now I’m ready to die before I let you get hurt.”
I stare at him, heart beating fast, afraid of him saying too much. I can sense a yawning chasm in front of me, and one wrong step will send me tumbling.
And the problem is, I want to fall.
“I’m okay though. You saved me.”
“Right now, you are, but I can’t be there every second of every day, and I think Dusan’s going to keep coming for you. I took away his cousin, and now he’s going to try to take away my wife, and I won’t let him do that. I fucking won’t.” His fist slams into the table at his hip and he sucks in an angry breath as he tries to gather himself.
I’m not used to seeing Julien this emotional. It hits me hard, right in the guts, hearing him talk like that and seeing him react as though losing me would be the end of his world.
We’re not supposed to be like this—our relationship isn’t even real—and yet he’s acting like I’m the only important person in his life.
He’s protective and possessive, and the sick part is, I like it.
I want him to act like he’d rather die than let me get hurt.
It scares the hell out of me, but it also makes my heart race with a crazy excitement.
“I’m not your responsibility,” I say weakly. “Seriously Julien, you’ve done enough already.”
He advances toward me. I stare at him as he comes closer. He’s like a lion on the hunt, a predator, a monster, a beast. My mouth waters and I lick my lips as he puts a hand on the small of my back and tilts my chin up toward him with the other.
“You’re my wife, Brianne,” he says with more force and emotion than I can handle. “That means something to me. That means everything, and I won’t let anyone touch you. Not ever, not while I’m still breathing.”
“You can’t lock me up,” I whisper as he stares into my eyes.
A gorgeous, dark god of death and ruin. An angry, vengeful monster. A beautiful beast prepared to rip the world to pieces if it means keeping me safe.
“It won’t be forever. But for now, I need you to do what I’m asking. I need you, Brianne.”
Those words. I need you. They make a whimper rise to my lips, and I struggle to swallow it back.
“No,” I say, but there’s no force behind it.
And I crumble the second he presses his lips to mine.
It’s like my brain goes blank. All thoughts, feelings, memories, they’re all wiped clean as Julien kisses me and I throw myself into kissing him back. I’ve been wanting this so badly but I’ve been struggling against myself this whole time.