Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Oh, well, now that’s strange.
“Do you think that’s what Dax did?” Briella asks, leaning forward.
“Of course he did,” Cova mutters. “That’s what he does.”
Cova is still broken, so damned broken. Briella told me she can’t stop loving the man who paid for her. Briella’s worried Cova’s going to do a runner to get back to him. She’s come down from her drug haze, but she’s still not happy about being here. Briella is trying hard to make her see that life here isn’t so bad, but she doesn’t want to be part of it.
I understand that.
Her mind is a very fragile place and for years, she’s been used.
She was favored by the man who took her, and he tricked her into believing he was the best thing for her.
I haven’t spent near as much time with Dax as she did with her captor, and yet I ended up kissing him and then feeling the same confusion. Imagine that happening for years.
My heart aches for her. It really does. I hope we can convince her to stay and be with us in this better world.
“I don’t actually think he did,” I say. “I think it was one of the other girls.”
“That’s what he told me, too,” Cova mutters. “It wasn’t the other girls; it was him. It’s what he does. He makes you trust him. He makes you think you’re special. Then he sells you and walks away without even blinking.”
My heart twists.
“Did he . . . did he ever try to kiss any of you?”
They both look at me, and judging by the shocked looks on their faces, that would be a no. Which means I’m right in sensing that the way Dax is with me is not how he was with them.
“No,” Merleigh says. “No, he was never affectionate. He made us trust him, took care of us, but he never touched us . . .”
“No, never,” Cova agrees.
“Did he kiss you?” Merleigh asks.
I swallow and suddenly, I’m terribly embarrassed. I don’t want to tell them that I let him kiss me, that I was weak. I don’t want them to look at me like I’m pathetic. Because that’s how I feel right now—pathetic. I let a man who has ruined their lives kiss me. The worst part is, I kissed him back. For a moment, I fell for his charm and caved. I feel incredibly stupid for that.
“He did,” I finally tell them. “It was quite shocking.”
Merleigh frowns. “That is strange. Maybe you are different . . .”
“Maybe,” I murmur, needing a swift change of subject.
“Did you kiss him back?” Cova asks, her voice tight.
“No,” I lie, and it feels like it lodges in my throat it’s that foreign.
I hate lying.
I hate it.
Cova studies me as if she knows I’m fibbing, then she stands and says, “I’m bored of this party already. I’m going home.”
“You should stay,” Briella pouts. I can feel her disappointment. She’s trying so hard to have Cova fit in, but she’s just not. She’s got her mind elsewhere, and it’s going to take some time to correct that.
“No, I’m tired. See you later.”
With that Cova turns and walks out the door. Merleigh stands and smiles down at Briella. “I’ll take her home, then come back. I’ll make sure she gets there safe.”
Briella gives Merleigh and grateful smile, and then the two of them leave. When they’re gone, I glance over at Kendric and say, “Where’s that weed? Let’s do this.”
With a grin, he pulls the little bag from his jacket and announces, “Let’s get this party started.”
Yes.
Let’s.
MY MIND SPINS IN HEAVENLY delight as all the weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders. There is nothing better than feeling like you can just fly when you’ve been trudging along for weeks. Things finally seem a bit light and airy, like nothing in the world could hold me down. It’s incredible. If it weren’t for the fact that I’d risk addiction, I’d probably do this every single day.
We’re all sitting in a circle in the living area, the room a little hazy even though we have all the windows and doors open. The air that’s trickling in is cool, and the music we’re playing is at a perfect volume in the background. Briella is sitting in between Alarick’s legs, and Merleigh has come back and is sitting beside Bohdi, the two of them deep in conversation.
I’m beside Mykel, and Kendric is on my other side with Samson and Cohen sitting next to him. We’re all chatting, and laughing, and passing the smoke around. We’re about to run out, and Kendric hands the smoke to Mykel, who takes a long inhale before realizing that there isn’t enough left to keep passing it. His eyes swing to mine, all glassy and gorgeous, and then, without warning or question, he leans in and crooks his finger, indicating I should lean in closer.