Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 74655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74655 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
She laughs. “It is not one of those scenarios. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pissed at Koda for saying what he said this morning, but everyone has noticed there is something there when he looks at you. I’m not honestly sure what it is, but him being bossy and not allowing another man to sleep with you only confirms it. You know, you could just test it out ...”
I raise my brows. “How so?”
“I don’t know. Flirt with Mason, ask Malakai right in front of Koda if Mason can stay for protection too, see if he has any reaction. Men are complicated, and yet they say we’re the complicated species. If he’s going to act like he doesn’t care, and play his little game, then, honey, you play yours, too.”
“That’s kind of childish,” I point out. “But I like it!”
She grins. “Me too. But, first ... do you care about him?”
Nobody has directly asked me that. Hell, I haven’t even directly asked myself that. I don’t know Koda that well, that’s the honest to god truth. And the time I’ve spent with him, he’s driven me crazy most of the time. But yes, there is something there, maybe it is as simple as an understanding, two souls that get each other, but I feel safe around him, I feel like he gets me, and mostly, last night, I felt a deep-rooted grip when I was with him, one that begged me to keep trying because I might just find what I need.
“I’m honestly not sure what it is I feel for him, I haven’t spent much time getting to know him, but if I’m being honest, then yes, I do feel something. I’m drawn to him in a way I’ve never been drawn to anyone before.”
Scarlett smiles. “I know that feeling. And I also know it can be daunting when it happens with a stranger. Maverick was a stranger to me, but I felt something when I was around him. Trust your gut, it won’t lead you wrong.” She pats my hand, then grins. “In the meantime, don’t let that man get away with treating you the way he did. You play right back, honey.”
Oh.
I intend to.
Koda can play hard.
But me? I can play harder.
~*~*~*~
THEN – CHARLIE
“Please. Please, don’t leave me here.”
I stare at the woman, chained up and on her knees before me. My hands are shaking, my knees are about to buckle, and everything inside me is screaming to help her, to save her, to get her out of here. I glance behind me at the door. I’m still doing my father’s dirty work, even now I’m seventeen, even now I’m old enough to be able to run.
I’d tried, a few times.
He found me, and he made me wish I was never born.
Just like he promised he would.
Running isn’t an option. Right now, I don’t know what my options are except to keep doing what I’m told until one day I can find a way out. It’ll take brains, and a lot of work but, eventually, I’ll find it. And I’ll use it. And I’ll watch him burn.
“I can’t help you,” I say softly to the girl.
I didn’t mean to find her. I went to the toilet when my boyfriend, who is actually someone my father set me up with to keep his filthy show running, came to a large mansion to visit a man that works for my father, but who he is sure is double crossing him. Because of that, he wants us to find what we can. This particular man is my boyfriend’s uncle, so coming into the house wasn’t a hard task.
Neither was me sneaking off while Clay, my boyfriend, is looking over information with his uncle.
I know the house fairly well; I’ve been here a couple of times. Clay has no idea I’m snooping for my father, he has no idea my father suspects his uncle, I simply told him my stomach was upset and I needed the bathroom. He won’t check on me. You have to give a shit about someone to check on them. Clay doesn’t give a shit about me. He uses me for sex, and for power. He wants in with my father, and my father thinks he has great potential, so it was basically a forced match.
I rarely go against my father—I wouldn’t dare.
It’s not worth it.
Still, Clay has no clue my father is already using his connection with him to dig deep into his family. He thinks getting in with my father would be the best thing in the world. He’d be so incredibly wrong. It would be the worst thing that could ever happen. After all, my father couldn’t give two shits about him, not really. He’ll use him, of course, hell he’ll probably even let him in, but Clay will never know how involved my father really is.