Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“Nobody.”
“Don’t lie to us,” Liam warned in a dark voice. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“Liam, shit.” He was going to completely terrify her.
“No,” Liam said to him. “No lies. That’s something we won’t have between us. Ever. She needs to know that.”
“Why?” she asked. Confused, she glanced between them both. “Why do you care if I hit someone? If they tried to hurt me? What is it to do with either of you?”
Nico shot Liam a look. Should they tell her that they wanted her?
“You just need to know that we’re not going to let anyone harm you.”
She shook her head. “This is . . . this doesn’t make any sense. I’m no one to you. Is this because I dated your brother? But I thought the two of you didn’t get along and that was . . . that was years ago. I haven’t spoken to him since.”
Good.
“It has nothing to do with that jerk,” Liam reassured her. “This is about you. Tell me.”
Her gaze dropped, shoulders slumping.
With what? Fear? No, that didn’t seem right.
Shame.
She’s ashamed of what happened.
“There was no one,” she whispered.
“Then why do your knuckles look like that?” Liam asked in his low, raspy voice. “What did you hit?”
“The wall.”
Why would she hit the wall?
“And this mess in here?” Liam’s voice was calm. Collected. But if she raised her gaze and looked into his eyes, she might see the wildness that Nico could see.
He was close to the edge. Nico knew he didn’t like not knowing what was going on. Liam didn’t like secrets when it came to those close to him. He’d had enough bullshit and subterfuge growing up with his bitch of a stepmother.
“Were you searching for something to clean them with?” Nico asked her gently, picking up the first aid kit. They weren’t that bad. Painful, but not bleeding a lot.
“No,” she told them.
“Then what were you looking for? Pills?” Liam asked sharply. “Were you looking for drugs?”
She shook her head. “No. I just . . . the pain . . . it helps. It makes me feel better.”
Oh. Fuck.
This was it. The last part of the puzzle they were missing.
Lottie couldn’t believe she’d just admitted that.
To Liam and Nico. Two of the most gorgeous, sexy, together men she’d ever met. She didn’t know what they were doing here. Wasn’t sure why they’d sought her out.
Maybe Nico had insisted on coming to see her. He’d been worried about her today. Even though he’d tried to keep things light, she’d still seen the way he watched her closely.
Funny, she’d have thought he would be glad to be rid of her. To have the burden of her care lifted from his shoulders. She knew it was no fun dragging around her dead weight.
Stop it, Lottie.
She couldn’t keep doing this. If Regent saw her hands, he would be so upset. So disappointed in her. That was worse than him being angry. But then, Regent rarely got angry. And never at her.
But she didn’t want him to worry over her. She didn’t want to be under watch again. To have all of them follow her with their eyes, wondering when she would break.
Thing was, she was already broken. It was putting herself back together that was the problem.
“You were trying to hurt yourself,” Liam said slowly. His gaze had moved so he was no longer looking at her.
Probably because he was disgusted by her. Horrified. Maybe he just wanted to figure out a way to get out of the room without having to say anything else.
She attempted to remove her hands from his, certain it was what he would want. But he tightened his hold on her, not letting her go. She gasped. He was so warm. His hands were calloused and rough, but they didn’t hurt. They just held hers in their huge grasp, and all she felt was . . . safety.
Lottie risked a glimpse over at Nico. His face was an open book. He wasn’t as good at hiding what he was thinking as Liam. Few people were as good as Liam. Regent was. But he’d had years of practice. She thought it might be the same for Liam.
Nico looked so sad, so devastated that she instantly wanted to make things better for him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Liam’s gaze shot to hers. Those blue eyes seemed to shine. They were electrified. “Why are you sorry?”
Wasn’t that obvious?
“For upsetting Nico.”
“You’re sorry because I’m upset?” Nico whispered.
“Yes. And I’m sorry for being like this. For disappointing people. I wasn’t supposed to do this anymore.”
“This has happened before?” Liam asked sharply.
“Not for a while . . . but after I was kidnapped, it happened a few times.”
Liam started swearing and she curved in on herself. She tried to draw her legs up, but he was still holding her hands.
“Liam’s not upset with you,” Nico soothed, moving so he was sitting next to her. “You’re shivering? Are you cold? We should get her off this floor.”