Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Fuck. If only Blaine hadn’t been a goddamn weak link.
I slam my hands onto the steering wheel in anger. The image of him lying there in his own cum is really seared into my mind.
What the fuck did he do with her?
Did she mess with his head and then chain him to his bed?
And why was he the one who was tied up?
I swallow away the lump in my throat, pushing the thoughts away. There’s no answer to them anyway, not until I find her, and I fucking will.
When I finally get to the street her mother’s house is on, the rage takes hold of my heart. Crystal’s right there, a mere two houses away.
I push the pedal and race until I finally catch up with her, swerving across the lawn until the car comes to a full stop in a sideways position, blocking her path.
“What the f—” She jumps back and gawks at the car. “Caleb?”
I push open the passenger’s door and bark, “Get in.”
Her face contorts, and she clutches the same little bag she brought to the party. “No.”
“Do I look like I’m up for bargaining?” I growl. “You took our fucking deal. You do what we say.”
“I don’t fucking care.”
She tries to pass by my car, so I open my door and jump out to block her way. “No. You’re not going to her house. You’re not going to talk to her. You’re not going to do anything except sit your ass down in my car, or so help me God … I will fucking end it all myself.”
Her pupils dilate. “What?”
I point at the passenger seat, allowing her one last chance to make the right choice. “Get in the car. Now.”
She shudders in place, glancing briefly at her mother’s door before lowering her gaze.
“I needed to know she was okay,” she says, tears welling up in her eyes. “That she could be safe regardless of my choices.”
I bite my tongue, but the strain to control my emotions is too much even for me as she unravels in front of me.
Even after escaping from hell, she first chooses to save the one person she wants to save at all costs, even if she has to risk her life doing so.
And something about that breaks the resolve inside my heart.
As the tears begin to flow down her cheeks, I let out a sigh before I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my embrace.
Crystal
Caleb’s hug comes so out of the blue, I don’t know what to do as his arms envelop me. I just stand there with eyes wide open and tears rolling down my face.
Why would he hug me? I thought he didn’t care?
His embrace feels so warm that I sink into it, not giving a shit that it’s the guy who’s been on my ass since day one.
“You have to forget about her. Forget she exists, for both your sake and hers.”
For a moment there, I almost believed something other than resentment could exist.
My brain finally finds its sanity again, and I push him away from me. “No. You’re insane. She’s my mother. I love her.”
“If you love her enough, you’ll leave with me. Right now.”
I frown, glaring at him and the Aston Martin he recklessly drove across her lawn just to stop me. “You came all this way to stop me from talking to her. Are you scared I’ll reveal your dirty secret?” I look up at him with disdain. “Don’t want your dad to know all about the filthy shit you’ve been up to with his step—”
He shoves his hand against my mouth, calloused, tattooed fingers pinching my cheeks.
“Don’t. Don’t say that fucking word out loud.”
I bite his finger, and he swiftly retracts, shaking his hand. “Goddammit, woman.”
“I’m not your fucking woman. And I can say whatever the hell I want to whoever the hell I want.”
“You’re not the shy girl I once pegged you as, are you?” he rebukes.
“I never said I was,” I retort.
“You just make people believe you are.”
I slam my lips shut while his tip up into a lukewarm smile. “Guess I’m not the only one keeping secrets.”
“Listen here, asshole.” I point my finger at his chest. “I didn’t go through all that effort to escape just to have you casually pick me up at my mom’s front door and put me back in that prison you call a room.”
“And when the fuck did I say I was going to do that?” he says, tilting his head before gripping my finger, his warm hand making me all too aware of just how comforting that hug he just gave me felt. And how badly I want to crush his skull underneath the tires of his own car for making me feel like I needed it.
“Then why did you come?”
“Because I can’t let you do this. I can’t let you blow it all up. Your life is not the only one at stake here.”