Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
I want to hate him. This place has broken me, unleashing horrors that I could only dream of in my worst nightmares. But in the aftermath of those horrors, at a time when I would have broken, when I wanted to give up, he made me fight. He made me take back my power. I may have become tainted in the process, but better to be a tainted survivor than a victim.
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and sometimes life doesn’t play fair. You have to evolve to survive, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’ve evolved. I’ve become who I need to be in order to survive this, and this girl wants vengeance, she wants blood, and Jude is the very embodiment of both.
“Joe needs to pay for what he did.” I hear myself say quietly.
“He will.” He nods, brushing a finger across my cheek. A small smile pulls at his lips. “I promise.” I nod, because if Jude makes a promise, especially when it involves killing
someone, I know he’ll do it. “Did you kill Euan?” I whisper.
“Would you prefer me to be a murderer, or a liar?”
“He wasn’t dead when I left.” He shrugs casually as he glances at his watch. “Pretty sure he’s fucking dead now.” His voice is utterly cold.
“Good.” I hate Euan for what he did to me. I find it ironic that the man who was supposed to love me gave me over to criminals without a second thought. It’s warped because at this stage, I think Jude might actually be the only person who gives a fuck about me.
Life is so twisted. Everything’s not always as it seems.
My heart is pounding against my ribs as adrenaline courses through my veins. A strong hand wraps around my throat, pinning me to the hard, unforgiving ground.
Hands grope at my naked body, violating me in every way. Tears roll down my temples as a ragged cry slips from my lips.
I can’t make out the face of my attacker. I turn my head to the side, instinctively seeking him out. Knowing exactly where he will be, because it’s the same place he always is. He stands watching me, but makes no move to help me.
He looks so beautiful, like an angel of death, without mercy or a touch of kindness. His green eyes lock with mine.
“Jude!” I scream at him, begging him to help me.
His lips pull into a cruel smile just as I feel the stabbing pain in my chest. I scream as the pain increases, spreading down my chest and across my stomach. All I can hear is the deep rumble of his laughter, a vicious backing to my agonised screams.
Screaming, I jump awake, sitting bolt upright and dragging air into my lungs frantically. My hands are trembling as I drag them through my hair and hunch forward, pulling my knees up to my chest. I focus on my breathing, deep breath in and out.
I hear footsteps outside the room. The door creaks, and a sliver of light from the hallway breaks the darkness. I see Jude standing in the doorway.
I wordlessly slide out of the bed and make my way to the bathroom. I pull the door closed behind me and rush to the toilet as bile rises up my throat. I swear I can feel Bob’s hands on me, his rancid breath on my face. Tears stream down my face as I wretch uncontrollably. I press my hand over my mouth and try to quiet my loud cries. I hate that I’ve become this pathetic. I stop heaving and slump back against the bathroom wall.
I hear the door click open and glance up to find Jude lingering in the doorway.
“I’m fine.” I wave him off.
He sighs and crosses his arms over his bare chest. “Screaming in your sleep sure seems fine,” he grumbles.
I glance at him. A loose pair of trackies hang from his narrow hips, and his hair is messy as though he just rolled out of bed. I don’t even know where he’s been sleeping. He just started sleeping elsewhere...after. He steps into the room and drops to a crouch beside me. “Come on. Up.”
A frown marrs his features as he grabs my arm, helping me up. He places his hand on the small of my back and guides me to the bed. I pull the duvet up to my neck as Jude perches on the edge of the bed. “You okay?” he asks without looking at me.
I can tell this entire thing makes him uncomfortable. He’s not used to asking about anyone else, because he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care now, but I guess he must feel obligated. His face turns toward me, his eyes studying me in the dim light from the bathroom.
I roll onto my back, staring at the ceiling. I can feel his gaze burning into the side of my face. “Yeah,” I croak. “It’s just a bad dream.”