Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Octavio stomps toward me, grabbing me firmly by the shoulders to stop me from pacing. "No one is going to kill you, Faith." He shakes me gently, his expression fierce. "Do you hear me? No one."
I take a deep breath, trying to find a little of the certainty blazing in his eyes. He's so confident, so sure, like he genuinely believes he can take on one of the most dangerous cartels in Los Angeles and win.
When have I ever been that certain about anything?
You're that certain of him, my mind whispers.
Most of my life, I've lived by someone else's rules, on someone else's whim, at someone else's mercy. Until Octavio. He's the only thing in my life that I've ever been certain of…not because he's a cop or because he's the first person to ever show me consistent kindness or because he keeps me safe, but because I know all the way down to my bones that I'll never feel this way about anyone else.
Nikolai and the Bratva have taken enough from me. I'm not going to let them take Octavio from me too. If they want my mother so badly, they can have her. If keeping Octavio and keeping him safe means making a choice between him and her, there is no choice.
"I'll tell them where she is," I blurt out, a pang of sorrow twisting through me. It's smaller than expected, like a sad sigh instead of the overwhelming gale it used to be. I think I spent so long trying to protect her at the expense of myself and so many others that part of me stopped loving her. Maybe I had to stop in order to survive, or maybe being with Octavio has shown me that love doesn't have to hurt like it did with her. I don't know. All I know is that if it comes down to him or her, my choice is him.
It will always be him.
His brows wing together, his shock obvious.
"If they agree to let me go, I'll tell them where my mom and Alexei went." I stop pacing, clutching the towel to my chest. My lip wobbles like I'm going to cry, but I'm done crying for Nikolai and what he's done to me. I'm done crying for my mom. "I've spent long enough protecting her. I don't want to do it anymore. I don't want to pay for her mistakes anymore. I'm not going to let them take you from me. I just found you."
He studies me for a long moment, his expression inscrutable. I can't tell what he's thinking.
"Octavio, I…I…" I want to tell him that I'm in love with him, but the words stick in my throat. I've never said them to anyone before. I've never been loved, never been wanted. What if he doesn't feel the same way I do? The fear is irrational because I see the way he looks at me, feel the way he touches me…but the fear is still there and it's massive, pressing on my chest until it's hard to breathe through it. My shoulders slump, my head bowing.
He stalks toward me, dragging me into his arms. His lips come down on mine in a hard kiss. "I know," he whispers against my lips. And I know he does. Even if I can't say the words yet, he knows I feel them. "It's okay, little bunny. I know."
I slump against him, pressing my face to his throat. He wraps his strong arms around me, completely surrounding me in him again. I draw strength from him, breathing it into my lungs with each inhale of his intoxicating smell. He's peace and safety and home.
I shiver, my skin chilled.
"Come on, conejita," he says, swinging me up into his arms and then carrying me into the bedroom.
I expect him to put me on my feet so I can get dressed since it's barely after six, but he yanks the towel off and lays me in the bed before crawling in beside me. Once he's comfortable, he pulls me on top of him and then pulls the blankets up over us, shutting out the rest of the world.
I snuggle up against his chest, listening to his heart beat beneath my ear.
"I know you're scared, but you aren't going to lose me," he murmurs, running his fingers through my hair to gently untangle the damp strands. "And I don't think they're after your mom, Faith. I think Tarasova is after something else."
"What?" I mumble into his chest. He's said that before, but I still don't understand what else Nikolai could possibly hope to gain from me. With the exception of Octavio, I have nothing and no one. I'm completely insignificant and invisible to most of the world. "What could he possibly be after?"
"I don't know," Octavio admits after a moment, his voice full of reluctance. I don't think he likes not knowing everything. Being a step behind is intolerable to him. "But I am going to find out. I just need you to give me time. Can you do that for me?"