Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Her hand slowly rises to my face, and I fight the urge to inch back as she touches that part of me I’ve hated for so long.
“This scar …” she murmurs as the tips of her fingers softly peruse my face.
It feels so strange, having a touch so soft on something so heinous and violent in nature.
“Felix gave it to you?”
“Dylan Caruso.”
She pauses and leans back to look at me. “That’s …”
“Your brother’s best friend,” I fill in for her.
She swallows. “Can you still see?”
I grab her hand and press a kiss to her gentle fingertips. “Not through that eye. But I can see enough to know all I want is in front of me.”
The left side of her lips briefly quirks up, but then she licks them to make it disappear.
But I definitely saw the smile.
Her hand slips out from underneath mine, and it trails around the tattoo underneath my heart.
“It looked red when I first saw it at the Shack. Was it new?”
I nod.
“It’s a date …isn’t it?” she murmurs.
I nod again, wondering when she’ll realize.
“Wait a second, this was the day I went to that house and—”
Her breathing stops. I look down at her at the same time her eyes widen and her lips part, and it’s the most beautiful, bewildered face I’ve ever seen on her.
“The day I met you.”
I cup her chin and pull her to me, pressing a gentle kiss onto her lips to melt that last inch of resistance in her heart. “I told you, our hearts were already chained to each other from the day we first met.”
She smiles against my lips, her body zinging with heat, the magnetism between us undeniable. She rolls around again just as a blush spreads on her cheeks, and I pull her closer.
“Enough talking. It’s late, let’s sleep.”
“But—”
“Shh …” I whisper into her ear. “Sleep.”
“You’re still here,” she murmurs, tucking in her hair.
“Yes … and I told you I’m not going anywhere.”
“Even if I—”
I wrap my arm around her belly and pull her even tighter toward me. “Hate me. Love me. Kill me. I don’t care. I won’t leave you.”
I’m not like him.
I’ve seen her at her worst. At her most evil.
And it only made me fall that much harder.
I will never be like him. I will never abandon her.
She breathes a gentle sigh. “Good night.”
So many hidden emotions behind that one word.
But we’ll get there someday …
I have all the time in the world.
Nathan
I stumble down the steps in my red robe, rubbing the salt from my eyes from a good night’s rest as I make my way to Milo’s room to check on Rory. She hasn’t wanted to sleep anywhere else since she came to the house, so Milo’s been bunking with me while she took his room.
“Ro! You awake yet?” I open the door, only to find it empty.
Except for that giant unicorn Milo bought her.
Weird.
She’d normally be up and running about around this time.
Where could she be?
I make my way across the house to the kitchen. Maybe he’s making breakfast for her there.
But Milo’s not there either. Nor is Rory.
What the fuck?
Another Phantom passes me by, so I grip his neck and make him stop. “Ezra. Where is Milo?”
He flips his long hair around. “Uh … out?”
“Out where?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “He didn’t tell me. He just took that little girl with him.”
My eyes narrow. “Rory.”
“Can I go now?”
I release him from my grip, and he immediately walks to the fridge, taking out a carton of milk while keeping a keen eye on me.
I fish my phone from my sweatpants and check the text messages. There are none.
Why would he just take her?
Me: Where tf r u? Y did u take Rory?
There’s no reply, not even three dots to signal some words incoming, and it pisses me off. My nostrils flare as I sit down behind the counter.
“Want some milk?” Ezra asks.
“No, had enough last night,” I reply.
Ezra’s face is that of pure and utter confusion, but I ignore it and send another text.
Me: MILO! Answer me!
Suddenly, my phone rings. It’s him.
I swiftly pick up. “Where are you?”
“Nathan …”
My pupils dilate.
He sounds distressed.
“I’m sorry.” His voice cracks.
“What’s going on?” I ask, pacing around. “Is Rory with you?”
“I just wanted to take her to the playground down the mountain …” He gurgles and coughs up in hacking ways. “I’m sorry, Nathan, there were too many of them—”
I jump off the stool. “What happened?”
I hear a hard flop as though something … or someone … just fell to the ground.
“Milo? Answer me, please!” I yell through the phone, but there’s no reply.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I run out of the mansion, barefoot, jump into my car, and race off toward the scene.
I frantically dial Kai’s number on the way. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon! Pick up!”
But the phone just keeps ringing, and I end the call.