Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
“Why is she not allowed to play?” I couldn’t help myself.
He scowled. A genuine reaction. “‘Cause she beat me. I sweet-talked Dani into revoking her privileges.”
I chuckled. “You know the only reason she worked so hard to beat you was to keep you from crowing about how good you were at the game. Right?”
Wylde narrowed his eyes. “That little hellion…”
“Go on, honey,” Mars gave me one more squeeze before he let me go. “I’ll come join you in a bit, and we’ll all watch a movie together.”
I looked up at Mars. Like Wylde, though he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. “You guys are trying to manage me.” My voice was soft, almost a whisper. I knew then something had happened with my dad. “What is it you don’t want to tell me?”
Mars and Wylde exchanged a look before Wylde grinned. “Nothin’s happened. Far as I know, he’s fine. Still ain’t talked to him.”
I cocked my head to the side, narrowing my gaze at him. My heart sank and I could feel panic building though I tried to fight it off. “You’re lying, Wylde. Why are you lying?”
Instantly, both men’s demeanor changed. “No, honey,” Wylde said, his normally cocky and somewhat juvenile personality all too serious now. “I’m not lying. We haven’t spoken to your father, but he’s not hurt. That much I know.”
“Then what is it?”
Mars reached out and cupped the side of my face in his big hand. “Let me go deal with this, and I’ll come back and fill you in. Will you trust me that much?”
“Mars, more than anyone in my life right now, I trust you. I think you know that. But this is my family. I need to know.”
“I’ll talk to Sting,” Wylde offered. “She probably needs to be there.”
“No.” Mars said, not taking his gaze from mine. “Let me do this. Then I’ll come for you and tell you everything.”
“You want to filter it. In case there’s something you think I can’t handle.”
Mars brushed a lock of hair out of my face. “You’re my girl and I want to protect you, sugar. That’s all. After everything you’ve gone through, the last thing I want for you is to bring you more pain. So I’m askin’ you, real sweet like, let me go find out what’s goin’ on. Then I’ll tell you everything. Just in my own way.”
“Feels like I’m hiding.” I met his gaze boldly. “I might be a victim, but I’m not a coward, Mars. I can handle whatever’s going on.”
He gave me a shake of his head, his brows knitting together. He framed my face in his hands and lowered his head to mine. My heart pounded in my chest and I knew I whimpered a little when his lips met mine.
The world seemed to fall away. All that existed was Mars and me. My hands went to his chest and I clutched at his shirt. It was no more than a gentle pressing of his lips to mine. He’d done it a few times since that first kiss in Stitches’s office. It was never more than a chaste kiss, but it never failed to thrill me. I was growing to expect it more and more, and Mars always seemed to know when I needed it. Like now.
“Honey. No one thinks you’re a coward. You’re not a victim either. You’re a survivor.”
“It doesn’t feel like it sometimes.” I didn’t speak loud, all too aware of Wylde close to us. Surprisingly, he’d turned his back and stepped a few steps away, giving us a little bit of privacy to have this conversation. “I still feel broken.”
“You leave that to me, too. You’re healing every single fuckin’ day, Scarlet. I see it in your beautiful smile.” He kissed me once more before letting me go. “Now, please. Just this once. Trust me to take care of whatever’s going on. I need to protect you. As many demons as you have, I have more. This is one of them.”
I stared at him for several moments. Mars didn’t rush me or try to tell me how this was for my own good or some other bullshit. He let me take my time. Think it over before giving him an answer.
“Okay, but you have to tell me everything when you’re done. No sugarcoating it.”
Mars leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips once again. It was almost like he couldn’t help himself. I know I was grateful for it because I was growing addicted to those kisses. “I promise.”
“OK, then.” I smiled up at him. It was still hard to believe I was in the care of a man who treated me the way Mars did. The first couple of days I’d been here, he hadn’t let me walk anywhere. He’d either brought me anything I needed or carried me wherever I needed to go. That had stopped. Mostly. But he never left my side for long if he could help it. When he did, he made sure someone else was with me.