Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“Seems you got yourself nice and punished,” Dragon observes. “Daddy took away all your shiny toys.”
“Koyn,” I croak out. “Please.”
“Don’t worry,” he croons in a deceptively calm and soothing voice. “I’ll take you right to him.” He wraps the sheet around me and scoops me up with surprising gentleness. “Let me out,” he barks out through the door.
Someone opens it and Dragon steps through.
“What the fuck?” Payne growls. “She’s a mess.”
“Most princesses are when they’re in their tower,” Dragon explains like he knows me. “To their loyal subjects, they’re perfect. We know better, though. PG is far from perfect.”
I squint against the harsh light and burrow my face into his shoulder. I don’t care what sort of cruel shit he spouts so long as he takes me to Koyn. Away from Magna. Away from my father. Safe.
We descend the stairs quickly and Dragon stops outside of my father’s office. For a brief moment, a whine crawls up my throat as I fear he’s going to hand me back over to my dad. Instead, he makes a clucking of his tongue.
The tapping sounds I’d heard when I first arrived go silent. I crack open my eyes and peek over at the men in the room.
Not Daddy.
Thank God.
Koyn sits in Daddy’s chair like he owns it, fucking around on his computer while Bermuda stands behind him. I’m used to Koyn’s hard stares, but I’m not used to Bermuda’s indifference. He always smiles for me or looks as though he feels sorry for me.
Not this.
Not such cold emptiness.
Something’s wrong.
I start to wriggle in Dragon’s hold, but he’s too strong. He grips me tighter. Koyn barks out a bunch of quick, harsh commands that I’m too delirious to try and interpret. All I know is it has Dragon hurrying me out of my house and into the freezing January air. He carries me over to Copper’s truck. Copper hops out of the front seat and walks around to the rear passenger side door. He opens it and Dragon deposits me on the seat.
“Stay,” Dragon warns before closing the door.
I pull the sheet tighter around me and dart my eyes out the window. Sleet hits the windshield. Glancing around, I see several vehicles I don’t recognize. They didn’t bring their bikes here.
The heat blasts from the vents and I’m thankful for the warmth. I’m not sure when I ate last, and I’m feeling sick because of it. Bile rises up inside my throat. A wave of dizziness washes over me. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly and breathe through the moment of illness.
I just want to sleep.
I want to wake up to Stormy’s voice or Gibson singing. I want this whole return to my father to have been a horrible nightmare.
Blackness steals over me and I pass out.
Finally.
Warmth.
Soothing scent.
Someone stroking my hair.
Masculine voices are speaking in low tones, but I’m not afraid. I snuggle against the soft person holding me, inhaling the leather of his cut. The familiar expensive cologne. God, I’ve missed him. Absently, he strokes my spine with his thumb. His chest rumbles as he speaks to the other guys. I’m not interested in his words, just him.
Tears of relief flood down my cheeks. I want to cling to his chest forever. It’s the safest I’ve felt in a long time. His thumb runs up my back again and I let out a happy sigh. He halts his movement, stiffening.
“She awake?” Copper asks from up front.
“Yep,” Koyn grunts.
“Oh, goodie,” Dragon says with glee from the front.
Someone is on the other side of me, but I’m too weak to turn and find out.
“What now?” It’s Copper again.
Koyn lets out a sharp breath. “We get to the compound.”
My fingers fist the leather of his cut and I inhale his unique scent. Home. He’s going to take me home. To his home. Safe.
“I’m scared,” I croak out, hot tears rolling down my cheeks and soaking into his shirt.
“You’re supposed to be.” Koyn’s words are cold. They feel as cold as Bermuda’s stare earlier. As chilling as Dragon’s touch.
“I don’t want to be,” I whisper only for Koyn to hear.
“We don’t always get what we want.” He follows up his words with a gentle stroke through my tangled hair.
No more words are spoken.
I grow dizzy again and allow sleep to steal me once more.
Warm.
I roll toward the warmth licking at my skin and smile. Finally. Safe. I can feel it. The oppressiveness of my father and Magna is gone. I feel free. Weak, but free.
Cracking open an eye, I attempt to make sense of my surroundings. The fire in front of me blazes. I’m in front of a fireplace. On the carpet? No, a mattress. At Koyn’s house? I scan the fireplace and realize it’s not the nice stone one inside his home. This one is old and crumbling. I roll onto my back and stare up at the rafters of the dilapidated slaughterhouse.