Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Before I could decide which way to go, the dog was moving toward the staircase but stopped to look at me again. This was the craziest situation I’d ever been in, and I was so perplexed and filled with so much anxiety that I found myself following this massive beast like he’d lead me to the exit.
And that's what I wanted, right? The exit to escape the circus that was currently my life? The situation made zero sense and should have scared the shit out of me and frozen my mobility out of terror, yet I felt this strong curiosity to keep digging, to keep exploring.
And so I followed the dog as he led me down the wide staircase. There was a crystal and antler chandelier that hung from the arched ceiling, and as weird as that combination sounded, it was strangely beautiful in a gothic romance sort of way.
At the bottom of the stairs, I stopped and glanced around. The front door was right here, so close. An escape. I took a step toward it but felt this weirdness move through me. This all seemed too easy, right? I could just open the heavy glass-and-iron entrance and step outside. I shook my head at my internal thoughts. Too easy.
I heard the deep rumble of voices coming from down the hall and froze, standing there for a moment, everything around me saying not to go down there, not to follow the voices. Yet what did I do? I turned and started making my way through this massive home that made me feel uncomfortable yet at ease all in the same breath.
I followed them even though instinct told me to go the other way. It was as if I couldn’t listen to reasoning and common sense in this situation and now fully understood the saying “curiosity killed the cat.”
There was a set of massive wooden double doors at the end of the hall partially open, and I kept my footing light as I made my way toward them, stopping just far enough to where I couldn’t touch the door but I could still see through the crack.
I saw Adryan standing in the center of the room, his hand shoved casually into the front pocket of his slacks, a worry line creased between his eyes as if he was concentrating on something—that or something pissed him off. And I was going with the latter.
I changed positions so I could see the other side of the room. My pulse jumped a little bit higher when I saw two large men standing side by side just a few feet from Adryan.
They were just as big and burly as him, just as heavily muscled. The similarities between the three men led me to believe they were possibly related, with the same short dark hair, identical hard, and that unwavering, arrogant expression.
And then the two men's shoulders stiffened, their posture changing. I knew they realized I was watching them, yet I couldn’t move away, couldn’t escape. The two men looked over their shoulders at me, their expressions hard like stone and closed off like an impermeable wall.
Definitely related to Adryan.
I found myself looking back at the man who’d taken me somewhere unknown, who made me feel on edge and unstable with just a look.
A man who made those darker parts rise up and be praised.
Adryan slowly cocked his head to the side, just an inch, just enough that our gazes clashed.
And then he winked.
My body instantly reacted.
Blood racing through my veins. A flush rising up my neck and covering my face. My heart pounding. My body softening.
All from a fucking look. An expression. A knowing glance that he was very aware of the reaction he caused within me.
I stumbled back and turned around, unsure where to go but knowing I was going to have a panic attack if I stayed close to him.
He made me too heightened, too aware of… everything.
At first I didn’t know where I was going, and not because I didn’t know the layout of the home. My mind was a muddled mess, my feet and legs carrying me across the plush carpet, and then I was standing by the front doors.
My hand was curled around the brass handle, and for a moment I just stood there panting, my head dizzy, my vision blurry. I should’ve been genuinely terrified… and I was. But there were so many other emotions and feelings moving through me that it was like a car accident inside my mind. It was hard to separate the pieces, to think rationally.
I opened the front door, the wood, glass, and iron heavy, the metal between my fingers cold and unyielding. The wind instantly whipped my hair around my face, the frigid winter air tightening my skin and causing goose bumps to form along my arms. There were spotlights trained across the snowy property, but all I could see was the vast darkness, trees, and land, and… nothing.