Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Apep Kaos
I’ll look into it further. But this is good news.
Tears fill my eyes.
Me
I don’t know what I would do without you.
Apep Kaos
I’m sure one day I’ll need a cup of sugar or something, don’t even worry about it, Cleo.
I don’t know what Cyrus is talking about, but Apep really is nice and helpful. Then again, there are so many things that don’t make sense with Cyrus, that’s a whole Pandora’s box I need to stay far, far away from.
Ugh, I get ready for the day, snatch my phone, put my hair in a ponytail last minute and jog down the stairs. Bast is nowhere to be found, but the dining room smells like bacon and coffee. I almost float into the room on a cloud. I’ve been so hungry in this place that it’s driving me crazy, maybe it’s because it’s freezing cold inside this castle of a house?
I shiver and reach for a mug, then pour my coffee and grab a plate for bacon and eggs.
I would never admit it to the grumpy guy, but it is nice having hot food every morning just waiting for me. And whatever they put in their coffee tastes so sweet and robust that it’s hard not to drink it faster.
I’m just getting ready to sit down when Cyrus walks into the room. I almost spit out my coffee. He’s in nothing but low-slung gray Nike sweats and black running shoes. Sweat drips off every inch of his body and he has ear pods in.
What sort of music does someone that unhappy listen to, anyway?
He grabs a piece of bacon and shoves the entire thing into his mouth, then he pours coffee into a mug and chugs it despite how hot it is. I could swear I see steam come from his lips, but that would be crazy. I mean I guess if he’s that hot, physically, it could be possible but the coffee is hot too. So maybe not.
He looks over his shoulder at me. No smile. Just intense eye contact. He tugs out one ear pod and tosses it in his hand. “Sorry, didn’t see you.”
“That’s okay.” My voice is way too breathless. I keep my eyes locked on him, so I don’t look at all his bulging muscles and impressive six pack. Why are the mean ones always so nice to look at? “Did you go for a run?”
“A swim.” He shrugs. “Then a run.”
“You have a pool?”
He smirks. “No, but we do have an ocean.”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to take risks on the island.” I lift my mug to my lips. He’s at my side in a flash. How does someone so big move so fast? He towers over me and gently lifts my mug out of my grasp then sets it down, his fingertips grazing mine in the process. “I kept my eyes closed so the salt wouldn’t get it and wore a wet suit.”
He leans in.
Breath gets caught in my throat. He smells like the sea, like sweat, like war. I finally gaze into his eyes. Ships burn across the sea, darkness descends as fire falls from the sky.
I jerk away from him.
He takes a step back. “Why don’t you take the day, grab some warmer clothes, and enjoy yourself?”
My jaw drops. “But last night, I thought—”
“Sorry. Like I said, it was a rough day. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Go downtown,” he suggests as he tosses a company credit card onto the table. . “It has no limit. Grab some clothes, grab some food—“ He jabs a finger in my direction. “Whatever you do, don’t go to Apep, that’s the only rule.”
Ah, lovely, he’s controlling me with money. Can’t say I’m surprised. Clearly, his lecture didn’t work so now he’s trying with a black credit card.
I grab it and stand. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that.”
I try to walk past him. He grabs me by the arm, holding me next to his massive body. “Be careful.”
“What’s going to happen to me?” I shrug away from him. “I’m just a visiting college student.”
“Exactly,” he whispers and walks out of the dining room.
I run to my room and grab my purse then start my walk toward town.
A car pulls up next to me once I’m a few minutes from town.
The window rolls down to reveal Enki. “Need a ride?”
“Are you going to feed me bad wine and killer cinnamon rolls?”
He bursts out laughing. “Do you want me to?”
“Nope.” I grin. “But I will take that ride.”
“Yeah, you will.” He winks. “Get in.”
I roll my eyes and get in his black Escalade. It’s warm. I hold my hands up to the vents and rub them together. “Apparently I need warmer clothes.”
“Ah, Cyrus sent you out shopping, that’s new.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing,” he says quickly. “I know just the place. That is, if you’re adventurous enough to go up there.”