Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 36950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
"You just told me you never loved me," I spat out. "You really think I'm going to have mercy for the bitch who imprisoned the woman I..."
My sentence was left unfinished, hanging in the charged air between us. Mother kept glancing between me and father, and I'd finally had enough. In two quick steps, grabbing her firmly by the forearm. "You're going to tell us where the girl is. Tell us right now, and you won't get hurt."
She glared at me, and I could see her cold blue eyes calculating how she was going to get out of this mess. "I'll take you to her. I swear. Just let go of me, and I'll show you where she is."
Finally, she was admitting to something. I felt my grip tighten on her arm before I pulled back, giving her a nod and motioning for the guards to follow. Resigned to her fate, my mother led us down the hallway, taking long, slow steps.
Just as we walked through the hallway, a figure appeared in front of us.
"Freeze!" one of my guys, called out, but the figure didn't obey. He closed the door behind him, glancing over his shoulder and paling when he saw us coming.
"Peterson," I ground out. "Get him."
"Run, Connor!" my mother screamed, and the bastard broke into a run.
"Shoot!" I demanded.
Two gunshots sounded out in the room just as Peterson disappeared behind the corner. I took off in a run, and had almost reached him when I heard the faintest sound of a whimper behind the door the piece of shit had left ajar.
Violet.
My Violet.
Suddenly none of it mattered - not my mother's betrayal, not that sick son of a bitch, Connor. All I cared about was my princess, and I felt blood rushing through my body as I threw the door to the room open, eyes widening at the scene before me. "Princess!"
"D-Devlin?" she stuttered and our eyes connected across the room. She was bound in rope, her frail body naked, save for the rope that held her in place, her arms neatly and firmly forced behind her back. I felt rage flowing through my body, seeping out of every pore as I watched her struggle in her restraints.
I was next to her in seconds, using my pocket knife to saw through the jagged rope that held her in place until I spotted a scalpel on the floor. I grabbed it and quickly made short work of her restraints. Violet began to cry, soft, muffled moans escaping her parted lips as she repeated my name over and over again like a mantra.
"Devlin, oh my god, thank you, God, thank you, Devlin."
I cut her down, gathering her small, pale body in my hands and turning her over in my embrace to make sure she was okay. Her wrists were bandaged. I assumed she had some form of medical attention. My eyes were drawn to the marks on her body--bruises--welts--obvious signs she had been abused. My blood boiled and I mentally swore to end that sick Peterson when I got my hands on him.
In the background, there was the sound of more gunshots and screams, but none of it mattered. My own hammering heart reminded me I had everything I needed right there, in my arms. My princess. My Violet.
We were alone in the room save for one guard who was watching us, and I didn't hesitate a moment longer. I grabbed Violet, holding her body in my arms and exiting the room. "Where the fuck are they?"
"Gone."
My father appeared from the other room, his eyes lingering on Violet's naked body. I snarled at him, and he quickly collected himself, locking eyes with me instead.
"What do you mean, fucking gone?"
"They disappeared," father grunted. "They must have a way to get out of here. The men are searching the woods now, but we lost them - it was as if they disappeared into thin air."
"Un-fucking-believable," I grunted. "Keep searching!"
Violet whimpered in my arms, reminding me everything I'd ever truly cared for was right there, in my solid embrace. I focused my attention back on her, taking in her softness, her bruises, her shaky limbs.
And suddenly, none of it mattered. Not Peterson, and not my mother.
All I cared about in the world was right there, in my arms.
And nothing else mattered.
Fourteen
Violet
My head was spinning with everything that I took in. I had no idea why Dominic Windsor was there. Devlin hated him. I couldn’t focus on that. I had a million thoughts going at the same time. I was happy to feel Devlin’s arms around me, but that joy was short lived as other realizations began to settle in.
“Devlin.” I squeezed his arm. “We need to get Georgia. I don’t know if she was involved in this, or a victim--if it’s the latter, then they may go after her.”