Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
I have no idea how long we were like that, or how long I raged, but when I’d finally worn myself out, Dom gently pulled away from me. He didn’t let me go, but he cupped my cheek and made me look at him.
“There’s my girl. You know I’d never let anyone hurt you, includin’ me.” When I nodded, he raised an eyebrow. “Words, girl.”
“Yes.” I tried to smile but wasn’t sure I managed it. “You’re back to calling me girl.”
“You weren’t respondin’ to your name. And I don’t think you mind me callin’ you girl as much as you let on.” Oh, his grin was wonderful. Had there ever been a more beautiful man than Dominic when he smiled? There was nothing soft about him, but Dom had shown me more tenderness than everyone in my whole life combined.
“I’ll never admit to that.”
“You don’t have to, honey.” He tapped his temple. “I know.”
That was when I realized I had us both covered in puke. “Oh, God! This is disgusting! I’m so sorry, Dom!”
“Nothin’ to be sorry about, sweetheart. Besides, I’ve been in the military or an MC since I was eighteen and old enough to prospect. I’ve been puked on by more than one man and woman durin’ that time. I’m sure this won’t be the last time it happens either.”
“I’m… not sure what to think about most of that statement. It definitely doesn’t give you many points on the intelligence scale.” Though I was coming back to myself and tried to make light of the situation to ease the tension, my voice still trembled as I spoke.
He barked out a surprised laugh. “You’re somethin’ else, girl. Don’t ever change. Not one single fuckin’ thing.”
“Even the screwed up way my brain is? I don’t even know what happened, Dom. One minute we were kissing, the next I thought my heart was going to explode.”
“I said something that triggered you, honey. What was it?”
“Triggered?”
“Yeah. Something sent you into a panic attack. You said our kiss wasn’t what you expected. And I asked you why.”
Immediately, that sick feeling returned, but not nearly as violently. I was able to breathe through it this time, closing my eyes and concentrating on taking one breath after another.
“It’s OK, girl. You’re safe. You’re safe.” Dom’s tone wasn’t urgent, just matter-of-fact. Like it was obvious to both of us I was safe, he was just reinforcing the thought.
“He… touched me,” I whispered. “The Divine One.” Dom went completely still. He didn’t let me go, but I could tell I’d shocked him. “It’s how I got out of the box they put me in.”
“It’s OK, honey. You’re safe.” I know he probably hated repeating himself -- most people did -- but I also knew he was doing his best to give me comfort and reinforce the notion I actually was safe.
“He was disgusting. They held me while he… while…” I swallowed, bunching my hands in Dom’s shirt while I tried to hold down the bile. I didn’t want to vomit again because if I got sick I’d have to let go of Dom. “But one of the men holding me lost his grip. I took the ceremonial knife no one realized I could reach and I stabbed him. A few times.”
“A few times, huh?” He didn’t sound angry or shocked. If anything, he sounded amused. It was enough to pierce the veil threatening to surround me again.
“I did, Dom. I stabbed him over and over. He screamed and the men all jumped back instead of trying to subdue me again. It’s how I escaped the reconditioning hut and made it to the outskirts of the camp. I ran as hard as I could to a spot in the fence I knew I had the best chance of climbing. I’d been making halfhearted plans to escape before, but it had been two years since I’d been outside the hut alone. It wasn’t as easy to get over as I’d thought it would be. But I made it where I intended to go.”
“I know you did, girl. You made it to Venus and she brought you to me.”
“I don’t think I killed him, but I stabbed him in the privates. Maybe now he won’t take any more wives.”
“Well, I don’t know what he’s done since you left, but I can promise you, the second I find that bastard, I can guarantee you he’ll never take another wife.”
I looked up at him, confused. “How can you promise that? No one can predict the future. The Divine One tried to get everyone to think he could, but he was lying.”
“Girl, I can guarantee it because, the second that motherfucker is within arm’s reach of me, he’s a fuckin’ dead man. I will kill him and I will never even pretend to regret it.”