Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Bastian stares a long moment, his gaze swinging to Enzo’s. “If I’m wrong, it could start a war.”
“And if you’re right?” Enzo asks.
Bastian glares out at the lake before swinging his eyes back our way. “If I’m right, it will start one.”
“And what are the chances you’re wrong?”
Bastian looks my way. “’Bout as good of a chance Philip has marrying you now that you’re already married to him.”
Well…shit.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Boston
I’m on all fours, Katana folded across my back as she begins chopping at my arms and bumping my ass with her knee until I drop flat onto my stomach.
“Good, now get your hooks in.”
Her arm comes around, curling over my neck, and she grunts and groans as she uses all her might in attempt to roll me over. I stiffen up, using nothing but muscle to deter her, but she keeps pushing and manages to flip me.
She heaves herself on top, gripping my wrists and trying to shove them back to pin me beneath her, the point she always gives up. Twenty seconds into the struggle, her hold starts to ease and I know she’s about to sit back and let me go completely.
“Drive your chin into my shoulder, press down hard.”
She does, and the momentary shock to my nerve there has my arm muscles loosening the slightest bit, just enough for her to shove them to the mat. She digs her chin in harder, trying to pin me, but that’s enough.
I bridge my back, lifting her with me and spin, sliding out and slamming her to the mat before hopping up.
She pants up at me, eyes wide as if she can’t figure out how we got here, and I grin down at her, blowing my hair from my face.
“Better.” I nod.
Katana beams, pushing up on her hands. “Did I almost have you?”
“You didn’t give up.”
She deflates at that, falling back all over again and closing her eyes. “I’m useless.”
The word draws a frown, and I turn away, wiping the sweat from my face and taking a drink of water.
Useless is a word I am all too familiar with, and the emotions that come along with it are no joke.
I’ve starved myself. Beat myself into the ground routine after routine. Hour after hour.
Year after year.
I look back at the dark-haired girl on the floor, the air of innocence around her obvious, even when her past is as dark and as tragic as mine, albeit in a completely different way.
The past three weeks have gone pretty much the same as far as my daily routine goes, and every single day I give her four hours of my time. Honestly, I prefer to have no connection to her at all, but I’m beginning to realize that is an unrealistic notion.
At this very moment, she is my sister-in-law, or to-be, according to those who have yet to learn Enzo and I are already married. But after that, she will be Katana Henley, daughter of Salvador Henley, Greyson girl of the east. In some capacity, she will always be in…here.
Right now, though, she’s just a girl who’s been alone all her life, eager to please. Desperate not to be forgotten. Some of her spirit died after Enzo put her in her place, outing all the truths she tried to muddle.
Again, all her snapbacks and word play were born of desperation.
Who was she if not his wife? In her mind, absolutely no one.
Oh, how I can relate.
I don’t…want that for her.
This whole she can’t disgrace us all thing my working with her started with faded at some point. Or maybe it was never fully that, but I only recently realized it.
No, it was definitely that to start but things are different now.
I want to help her the way I wish someone would have helped me, and who better to do that than the girl who knows what it feels like to be the lesser person in a crowd because make no mistake, that is what everyone will see her as. She won’t be as strong or as smart, at least not right away, but in time, who knows. She’s learned a lot already, and she’s more intuitive than I would have given her credit for when it comes to grappling and defensive combat. She could find her niche and excel at it.
But even if she doesn’t, even if she remains inferior in every single way, I’ll be damned if she starts to hate herself for it. I might not know her all that well yet, but I know she’s uncorrupted by the idea of status, and I’d like to try and help her hold on to that.
Nothing will ruin you faster in our world than chasing the path to power.
Turning toward Katana, I pour a half glass of freezing cold water over her head, and she shoots up with a gasp, glaring at me as she spits and swipes at her face.