Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“You think my father is being… unfair?” I asked, ignoring the comment about the words he had used. It was true that I did not curse. But I wasn’t shocked by the way he spoke. The content of his words and his actions were far more surprising.
“That’s right,” he said, blowing on his coffee. Mine of course, had already cooled slightly from the cream. I took a sip. “And I wanted to keep you safe from any… other parties.”
“Other… parties?”
“Other families,” he said plainly. “Other people. Strange men who break into young women’s hotel rooms for nefarious purposes for example.”
“How did you know what his purpose was?”
“That was a hunch, actually. Drink your coffee.”
I did as he said, my mind busy turning over the contradiction that was Vice. He looked like a bad guy… but he was the one keeping me safe. He was surprisingly well spoken and clearly intelligent. And somehow, this handsome, but rough around the edges stranger had decided to be my champion.
Perhaps there were modern day knights, after all.
“Did he touch you?”
“What?” I asked, my mind snapping back to the present. Vice was watching me carefully, the intensity of his gaze belying the softness of his words.
“Did he touch you?” He repeated, his words somehow even more menacing because of the softness of his tone.
“Who?”
“The man who sent you scurrying down that fire escape.”
“Oh,” I said. Then swiftly shook my head. “No.”
I could have sworn that the tension left his body.
“What did he look like? Did you recognize him?”
“He was wearing a mask. He had… a bag. I could see rope sticking out of it. That’s all I know.”
Vice closed his eyes, looking like he might be sick. I watched him, realizing that this was not an act. He was extremely upset that someone had tried to harm me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find him.”
“How?”
He just smiled. But for the first time, I was afraid of him. There was something about that smile that sent a chill right to my core. Not afraid for myself. But afraid of what he might do to that faceless man.
“Okay, Princess,” he said, straightening up and dumping the dregs of his coffee. “If you can wait to eat, I think we should got outside and start talking about worst case scenarios.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Vice
Huge beautiful dark eyes stared up at me in shock.
“If you are what?”
“If someone gets to me. Your father, for example. If I am dead.”
“My father hired you.”
“Yes, but I quit. I am not accepting any money from him. I am not doing what he wants. In fact, I am doing the opposite.”
She let out a soft ‘oh’ and I knew she got it.
We were standing outside, behind the house. I was showing her exits and location of the only set of keys to get in and out of the house. I didn’t want to give her the means to run, but it was more important that she knew how to survive.
Not to mention the one set of keys was on my body. I wouldn’t mind so much if she was trying to find them. My muscles tightened at the thought of those pretty little hands wandering all over me… hopefully I would still be breathing if that ever happened.
But if not… well, there was a good chance her touch might actually bring me back from the dead.
Zombie bikers from beyond, I thought with an internal chuckle. That would make a great fucking movie.
“That is your worst case scenario?” She asked, looking at me like I was out of my mind.
“No. That’s your worst case scenario. Death doesn’t scare me. Failing to protect you does.”
She blinked and something shifted behind her eyes. I could tell she didn’t fully believe me. Yet. In time, she would come to understand my devotion to her wellbeing and happiness. In time, she would know what she truly was.
Mine.
Just as I was hers.
“I don’t want to touch it.”
I grimaced at the way those words played into the filthy fantasy playing in my head.
“Why not?”
She hesitated, staring at the gun in my hand.
“It scares me. I saw… never mind,” she said, shaking that beautiful head of hers.
Her eyes met mine and I could tell she had seen something awful. I could also tell she wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“It’s just a tool. If you have control of yourself, it is harmless as a stapler.”
She frowned.
“I’m sure you could do a lot of damage with a stapler.”
“Fair point. I’m highly trained. My hands could be considered a deadly weapon,” I said, not mentioning how many times I had actually killed or maimed someone with just my own body. “But you are not me. And you are not strong enough to fight off even a small man without some skills and this is the great equalizer,” I said, lifting the gun.