Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Lawrence smiles a smug “I am God” kind of smile. Then, despite her struggles against him, he kisses Jocelyn. I grind my teeth as she finally gives in to the kiss and wraps her arms around Lawrence’s neck.
When Lawrence’s lips finally release hers, she’s fucking panting. “Why must you tease him so?”
“I was simply proving to you how ready he is for action,” he replies. “You are his weakness, and still he prevailed.” He brushes his lips over hers again, and I cringe at the wild noises filling the room—the grunts and growls that I cannot control.
***
“Brock.” The voice, soft and sweet, pulls me back into the light. I blink, opening my eyes, to realize I’m on the hard floor of the cell. Jocelyn kneels at my level outside the bars.
I pull myself upward and soak in the blue of her beautiful eyes, but realization of the head games the general plays with me has my gaze jerking around the room.
“He’s gone,” she says. “He’s been gone for hours.” She pushes to her feet and sticks the key in the lock. “I made you dinner. You have to eat.”
“No!” I shout, feeling the violence rage inside me, not sure what I’ve become. An animal, I think. “Do not open that door.”
She freezes, her attention seeking me out. “You have to eat.”
“Slide it through the bars,” I order. “I cannot be trusted with you, Jocelyn. I won’t be able to control myself.” She steps back as if burned, and for that I’m thankful, but it’s not enough. “Is this what you want to be a part of? Making more animals like me?”
“Dr. Chin is doing lab work,” she says, her voice trembling. “He’s going to figure out how to fix whatever is happening to you.”
I laugh, bitter and furious with her. “You bitch. You did this. Every time he jolts me, I get a little crazier. You can’t blame Chin. You want to, but you can’t. You fucking…” I open my mouth to speak again, but my mind goes black, words lodging in my throat. With a forced breath, I willed myself to calm. “I’m…sorry. I…don’t help him. You have to destroy Red Dart,” I grunt. “Stop Lawrence before he—”
My eyes widen as Lawrence appears behind Jocelyn, the damn remote in his hand. Pain shoots through my body. Everything goes black.
Chapter Forty-Six
Creed
Slowly, I turn to face her, and damn it, she is beauty incarnate, everything I have ever wanted in a woman and more, and that’s not the mark. I felt this before it happened, before I doomed her to X2 chromosome hell. And as if she’s read my mind, she says, “You know what, Creed. I don’t give a damn about your chromosomes, X2 or otherwise, because yes, I know about your bloodwork. They don’t scare me, but what does is the way you seem to excel at hurting me.”
Torment rakes over her features—torment I’ve created—but I remind myself I’m trying to do right by her. I’m protecting her. “I’m trying to do what’s right.”
She is not pleased with that answer. “As I’ve said before, if it’s that easy for you to shut me out, the lifebond connection isn’t that powerful. And that’s fine.” She holds her belly as if pain stabs at her. “I need another place to stay tonight.”
The idea of her leaving guts me. “You can stay here.”
“No,” she says firmly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “No, I can’t. I won’t. This is your space. I don’t want to be here. The fact that you can’t be when I am makes me nothing but an intruder.”
“Addie—”
“No,” she says again. “And we need to be far away from each other when I return to ensure we’re not in contact. Then we can both move on with our lives. Please call whoever you need to call to get me another room. I’ll gather what few things I have.” She starts to turn and hesitates to drive a knife into my gut. “The good news in this is how we protect each other, Creed. No one else can end up with your mark, or so we think. You can find someone else and do what you want with her. I guess… I guess I can, too.”
Oh, hell no. Another man touching her, holding her, making her moan…It boils my blood. I shackle her wrist and drag her to me, the thick ridge of my cock pressing to her stomach. “You will not let another man touch you.”
Her chin lifts. “You cannot have it both ways, Creed. Either you are with me or you are not. There is no in-between. Not anymore. I won’t live like that.”
For a moment, I squeeze my eyes shut, reaching for control where there seemed none to be found. And when I look at her, I tell her as much. “Intentionally pushing me is dangerous, Addie. Didn’t you listen to those women at that table today?”