Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
His future wife, too. Fuck. I forgot about that for a minute. Was he kidding about getting married? Just when I thought I had faced every possible horror, he had to go and spring that on me.
The idea of being married to somebody like him turns my stomach. I think I’m trapped now? How much worse would it be with a marriage license involved? What’s the play here? Why would he want to do this? Something tells me it’s not his idea—he didn’t look too happy about it when he announced it. More like it was something he has to do, something somebody is pushing him into.
Terrific. Because forced marriage never resulted in resentment, which I know would only make my life infinitely worse.
I should have told him the truth from the beginning. Why was I so stupid? I can’t even remember the thought process that went on in my head when I decided not to come clean with who I really am. What was I so afraid of? I guess I can be forgiven for not being able to predict how much worse things would get.
Now here I am, unable to free myself, naked except for my panties. Humiliation makes me shudder. I could scrub my body raw, and I wouldn’t be able to clean away the dirtiness I feel. The shame. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. I was desperate, was all. And now I’m going to spend the rest of my life paying for it.
My heart lurches at the sound of approaching footsteps, and the soft squeal of the door hinges when Enzo opens it. “Oh, you’re awake,” Enzo mutters like I’m an afterthought. He looks more rested, not to mention showered and shaved. Lucky him, having the option of doing those things for himself.
It’s enough to make my blood boil. “You just left me like this? How could you do that?”
He tips his head to the side, eyes narrowing. I don’t even care anymore if he’s pissed. I’m pissed, too. I did nothing to hurt him, but all he’s done is abuse me from the start.
“Forgive me.” Sarcasm practically drips from every word as he puts a hand to his chest. “I was unaware that scheming, traitorous little bitches who try to sneak out of my house while I’m asleep deserve special treatment.”
“I’m not a traitorous little bitch.”
“But you are a schemer.”
“Would you stick around without at least trying to get away if you knew somebody was going to kill you?”
He has the nerve to scoff at this, approaching the bed. “Oh, spare me,” he mutters when I tense up and even whimper in fear. “First, you complain that I tied you up, then you act like this when I come over to untie you. Make up your mind.”
He’s telling the truth, too, untying the shirt from the headboard, then removing it from my wrists. Right away, I have to bite back the pained groans that come immediately now that the blood is starting to rush back to my arms. My shoulders ache like hell, too, and soon the rush of pins and needles leaves me wincing and gritting my teeth.
He’s still standing next to the bed, looking down at me with hunger in his eyes. No fucking way am I going to lie here and let him do what he’s thinking of. “Excuse me,” I mutter, sitting up, ignoring the soreness in my back. It’s amazing I slept at all, being in such an awkward position the entire time.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He comes closer to me, blocking my way.
“I was going to check on Prince,” I explain, though that’s more of an excuse to get away from him than anything else. “I haven’t been in to see him since I stitched him up, remember?”
“Oh?” He folds his arms, smirking like the smug, sick bastard he is. “So all of a sudden, you give a shit about Prince? You were about to run away and leave him earlier tonight.”
“Considering I’m still here, I figured it makes sense. Unless you don’t care whether he’s okay or not.”
He snorts. “You don’t have to worry about that. He’s gone.”
“Gone?”
“The doctor came while you were asleep,” he explains. “He’s getting that actual medical care you were talking about.”
“Oh. Okay. That’s good.”
“I’m glad you approve,” he snorts. He also doesn’t back away even when I move like I’m trying to get up.
“What are you doing?” I finally have to ask with a sigh. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Did I say you were allowed?”
Oh, for God’s sake. He’s going to make sure to punish me in every way he can think of. I could have gotten myself out of this if I had only been a little faster.
It’s obvious what he’s looking for. I hate giving it to him, but I can’t sit here like this all night. “Can I please get up and go to the bathroom?”