Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 109976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)
“No matter what’s written in here, it doesn’t change a thing. I won’t believe that you have anything to be ashamed of. And if you’re afraid you don’t need to be. I’ll protect you always.” He kissed my forehead and let me go.
I turned at the door and looked back to find him watching me still. “Can I go sit in the garden?” I needed to be surrounded by that tranquil beauty while he read the ugliness of my life. It leaves me feeling dirty just thinking about it, so I can’t imagine what he’d think, or how he’ll feel after reading what I have written there.
GAVIN
I studied her for the longest time before giving her an answer. The journal felt like a heavy weight in my hand and the look of desperation on her face made my heart ache. Just what in the hell had that twisted fuck family done to her?
“You can go anywhere on the property, you’re safe here remember?” I have men stationed all around outside to make sure of it. She won’t see them but they’re there all the same. Not that I expect anyone to find us here but I’m not about to take chances with her safety. I did that shit once and that was one time too many.
I waited until she left and closed the door behind her before looking around the room. I smiled to myself, not surprised in the least that she’d chosen this room to hide out in. It was just a large formal sitting room overlooking the gardens below with a view of the entire hillside behind the property.
I’d designed this room especially for her, even when I didn’t know that she’d ever be here. It was an absolute replica of the hall of mirrors in the palace of Versailles, complete with gold filigree and angelic murals on the walls and ceilings. Even the turquoise drapery was an exact copy from another room in one of the lesser palaces.
I instinctively knew that this wasn’t the place to read what she’d given me. I couldn’t taint her private space with what I imagined was the darkness I was about to uncover. So I left, closing the door behind me and headed down the hall to the study.
The sun was starting its descent in the sky by the time I finished reading. I sat in cold silence for a little while longer trying to get myself under control. As a man there haven’t been many occasions for tears in my life, in fact there were none that I can recall.
But this… it was hard to hold them back now. I was only able to keep them in check due to the murderous rage that now burned in my chest. Rage and self-recrimination because I couldn’t help feeling responsible for leaving her there.
I wanted to go to her, to wrap my arms around her, hold her close to me and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But I didn’t want her to see my anger and misunderstand its source. So I sat there until I felt ready to see her. My poor girl.
I knew she’d left the garden and was somewhere in the house and had been for the last couple of hours. Either Kevin or Dave has been giving me running updates on her every move since she left me earlier.
I locked the journal away in my desk and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where the men who weren’t on duty were busy eating. “Where is she?” I asked Kev when he looked up from stuffing his face. He pointed with his fork back towards the hallway.
“Theater room.” I left them and went in search of her, finding her sitting alone in the dark room with the screen off. She didn’t turn when I walked in and I could only imagine what she was feeling. I walked over and helped her up gently from the chair, and pulled her into my arms.
“Let’s get married.” She tried pulling back to look at me but I held her even closer. It’s the decision I’d made while sitting alone after reading the horror that she’d been through. It’s the one sure way to protect her from the senator and anything he may think of doing in the future.
“Did you read all of it?”
“Yes I did. Did you think that would change the way I feel about you? Why would it? The fault is theirs not yours.” I could kill them, both father and son, for the hell they’d put her through.
And when she burst into tears I was damn near tempted to send Kev and his team out into the night to take care of it. But no, that’s for me to do. Whatever it is, I’ll be the one to do it. “Hush, don’t cry over them ever again, they’re not worth it. No one else is worth your tears but me and I’ll never make you cry. ”