Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
I try to stand again, but my legs feel like jelly.
His gaze lands on me, and without so much as being told, he lowers his crowbars.
“She has nothing to do with this,” he growls. “Take me and let her go.”
She laughs, swinging her legs joyfully. “On the contrary. You took something precious from me, so I’m going to do the same to you.”
His eyebrows furrow in confusion, and she throws her hands in the air. “Isn’t it funny how no one ever notices you when you’re a woman? You went after my brother but never considered me, huh?”
Understanding dawns in Ford’s eyes. “You’re Emily Fall. Henry Fall’s sister.”
“Bingo!” she shouts, pretending to shoot him. “Now, get in the cage with your beloved.”
Although the cell door isn’t locked, I’m incapable of standing, no matter how hard I try, so I couldn’t have escaped even if I’d had an opportunity.
He doesn’t hesitate slipping into the cell with me. She’s smug as she crosses the room and padlocks the door.
Ford rushes over to me, desperately scooping me into his arms. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” he repeats, and my eyebrows knit together.
I weakly place my hand on his cheek. “This isn’t your fault. It was bound to happen one day, considering what our families do.”
He presses his forehead to mine, and I’m overwhelmed by the knowledge that this man will find me no matter what. I’m terrified of what’s going to happen to us, but right now, I have all the confidence of a grim reaper, even if I can’t physically stand up. It seems less scary by his side. Though I wish he wasn’t in here with me like some sacrificial lamb.
“Aww, how cute!” the deranged woman gushes, and Ford snaps on her.
“You’ll let her out, or so help me, others will come after you. You can do whatever you want with me, but she goes free.”
Emily looks shocked for a moment and then smiles, clearly out of her fucking mind. “I’ll be long gone before anyone comes here. But I can’t say for sure how many days or weeks you’ll be here for.” She taps the edge of the gun against her chin. “But let me tell you how this little game works. I’ve been working on my concoctions, you see.” She motions to the small bottle on the stool. “This one should be stronger. The other ones took too long for me to get instant gratification.” An evil glint flashes in her eyes before she says, “One of you is going to drink that before I let the other one go.”
“What?” I blurt, trying to stand again. Ford blocks my view of the crazy woman. I understand he’s protecting me, but every hair on my body rises in terror at how things are shifting.
“And if I drink this, you’ll let her go?” he asks without hesitation.
“No,” I growl, pushing myself as hard as possible to stand on my wobbly legs.
“Of course,” Emily says, looking into the barrel of the gun, like she might shoot herself.
I wish she would. I hate that the thought crosses my mind, but I’m willing to put that gun to her head myself if it means we’ll make it out of this alive.
We have to make it out alive.
I’m infuriated by my own inability to stand. All those years I took self-defense classes. Honing skills to use if I ever found myself in a worst-case scenario. Yet I’d somehow so easily fallen for a trick like that. I wasn’t thinking clearly, and my brother’s words of not taking my safety seriously come back to me. Had I been more cautious in the first place, Ford and I wouldn’t be here right now.
“You’re lying. You’ll just kill us both,” I sneer. Emily tilts her head, leaning to the side so she can see me. My silk dress from the previous day is all dirty now, and I imagine I look like a fucking mess. But her eyes sparkle like I’m the most magnificent thing in the room. I shudder at her crazed fixation.
Ford once again moves to block me from her line of sight.
“Motivation is key, I see.” She pulls the trigger, and I scream, the jolt of adrenaline and fear forcing me to close my eyes. But when I don’t feel pain, they burst open, and a dread fills me.
Ford grunts but doesn’t move as his hand goes to his leg. “My, my. Even a demon bleeds red. Just like my boyfriend and just like my brother,” Emily seethes. “Drink what’s in the bottle, or the next one goes into your head, and then I’ll shoot her.”
“Ford, don’t do it. We can figure this out,” I squeak, trying to drag myself to him.
He turns then, those dark-brown eyes the lightest I’ve ever seen them, which is ridiculous considering the dim lighting in here. Blood runs down his leg, and he smiles, beautiful and stoic, unfiltered from all the things that once weighed us down as if he always knew it might come to this.