Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
But as quickly as I see a change, he morphs back to the Nick Hudson I first met when we began this twisted tango of dark promises and threats.
“And why should I have stayed?” I ask, faking the toughest bravado that I can. “Because you signed a contract with a pen in my ass?” I huff and roll my eyes. “Hardly legal and binding.” I narrow my eyes on him. “I’m free to go wherever I choose to, and whenever I want to. You’re wasting your time here. I have no intention of leaving.”
Saying the words nearly sear my tongue. My heart tightens at the idea of Nick leaving without me, but the truth of the matter is he’s in danger being here. I left for a reason, and that reason was to keep him safe. Nothing has changed.
He laughs loudly, cuts it off midway, and then his face hardens. Deadly. Vengeful. And frankly, the most terrifying darkness seems to wash over him. This is the same person who almost cut off a man’s fingers in Wonderland. This is the man who kidnapped me and had me tied in his wine cellar. This is the man that I feared.
And right now… I’m suddenly really fucking scared.
I don’t need to worry about him… I need to worry about me.
“I misread you,” he begins. “I didn’t give you credit for being ruthless.”
“Ruthless?” I’ve been called many things, but never ruthless. I smirk to attempt to hide the quiver in my lip. “You have that one covered. Not me.”
“Oh, you are extremely ruthless. Did you not think of Dylan? His safety? His life?” He rubs his fingers over the ruby on top of his cane. “If you are intelligent rather than stupid, then you clearly did think of him and what would happen as retaliation for you breaking our contract. Which tells me you are ruthless. Casting your brother off…” He shakes his head and laughs. “…fucking ruthless.”
I freeze, prepared to fall to my knees and beg if I have to. No… no… oh God, what have I done?
His darkening eyes scan my face, lower down my body and then center on my eyes. “Did you choose yourself over your brother? Over your cousin? Did you not think there would be consequences?”
A sickness settles in my gut. “You wouldn’t do anything to them. That’s not the kind of game you play.”
“You changed the rules. We’ve started a new game now.”
His words are a slap to the face, a splash of cold water waking me to my new reality.
“Dylan?” My voice cracks. “Did you hurt him?”
He doesn’t answer. He just watches me.
I take a step closer, not sure if I should shatter into a million pieces and plead, or if I should wrap my hands around his neck and attempt to squeeze the life out of him.
“Did you hurt him?” My voice still sounds weak, and I hate myself for it.
“Not yet.” He crosses his leg over the other and casually leans back. “Unlike you, Lyriope, I don’t make life-and-death decisions on impulse.”
He’s right. He’s fucking right. I did act on impulse. I didn’t think. I wasn’t intelligent. I was so damn stupid. I was thinking of me, and only me.
Just like my mother.
I need to make this right. I need to fix this. I need to do whatever it takes to guarantee that Dylan and everyone in my life doesn’t have to suffer because of my choices. I have to do whatever it takes…
“I’m sorry, Nick. I know we had a contract. I know we had—”
“Fuck the contract,” he snaps. “This is not about that. It’s never been about that between us, and you fucking know it.”
I see him take a deep breath, then he drinks from his wineglass, visibly relaxing before my eyes. The way the man can morph from one emotion to the next is jarring, but I’m starting to expect nothing less. It’s what makes him so terrifying. You never know what you are going to get with Nick Hudson.
“Then why are you here?” I ask, my voice low and raspy. “Is there a debt still owed?”
“Shh.” He puts his finger to his mouth. “Take your clothes off,” is his only command.
Chapter Five
Lyriope
“Nick… We shouldn’t do this. You need to leave and forget I was ever in your life. It’ll be easier for the both of us. Please.” Words are coming from my mouth but I’m not sure how. His stare is like a paralysis.
“Take. Your. Clothes. Off.”
“Please…”
We can’t go back, and yet, I’m terrified of what moving forward looks like. I can only hope we stop—for his sake… for my sake. We just need to stop.
As I open my mouth to protest, Nick is up, striking forward and pinning me to the wall by the neck before I can even process the act of domination.