Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“You didn’t choose this war.” It’s something every soldier has to come to terms with because at some point during the battle, you do something unforgiveable. It’s the thing that haunts you in the middle of the night, that wakes you from sleep in a cold sweat.
“Tell that to the innocents.” The slump of her shoulders tells me that this all weighs heavily on her. I was right. She’s not one of them. She takes no delight in the shedding of blood. This war isn’t exciting to her. It’s just another in a long line of battles that she’s faced. Except that she no longer fights alone. Now she has a warrior beside her, and whatever it takes, I will be her shield.
4
BROOKE
I’m a monster.
I should go to my brothers and face the music. I should let them take over and surrender my father’s throne. Even if he does make it out of the coma, there’s a good chance that the lack of oxygen during the heart attack caused serious brain damage.
When I found him on the garage floor, I nearly left him there. I thought about walking out and closing the door and pretending I hadn’t heard him come in. His face was ashen as I wondered what it would be like to stare down into his casket.
But I couldn’t do it. The irony is that making the call to Bruce is something my father will consider an act of weakness. He’ll never forgive me for it. He killed his own father and brothers to take his place. He expects no less from me and despite the fact that I hate the man who raised me, I don’t want to hurt people. I don’t want an empire that stains my hands red.
I think of Agent Swanson and even though I haven’t been to mass since my mom died, I still whisper a prayer in my heart. I still hope that his wife and children escape this unscathed. “Will they notify him in time?”
“I think so,” his voice doesn’t sound too confident.
“Everyone has their price.” It’s something my father used to say and over the years, I’ve found it to be true. “Could be money, family, prestige. We all want something.”
“What’s your price?” Ryker’s voice is a growl in the darkness. I want to turn to him. I want to beg him to wrap his arms around me and hold me close until this nightmare is over. But Lionel Lancaster’s daughter was not brought up to show weakness.
“My freedom.” It’s something I’ve thought about many times. I’m surrounded by wealth and every luxury I could possibly imagine. Yet I’d trade it all for the chance to be free from my father’s clutches. To start over where no one knows my name or the horrible things I’ve been an accomplice to.
“Give me a chance to set you free, tigress.”
I close my eyes, letting his voice slide over me. I’d love to believe in him. I’d love to think that I can be free. But I’ve watched the people in my father’s world who think they can get out. They never succeed and they’re rarely heard from again. “Why do you call me that? You did the first night we met.”
He’s so quiet for so long that I don’t think he’s going to answer. Instead, I just stare at his reflection in the glass. He’s a shadow behind me, either my surest salvation or my greatest damnation. Only time will tell.
“Because most people look at you and see a harmless kitten. But that’s not true at all.” He comes to stand behind me and when he speaks again, his voice is hot against the back of my neck. “You’re a fierce tigress. One who is willing to fight her way out of the cage.”
“But what waits for me on the outside?” If I do manage to find freedom, the only thing I have to look forward to is a life spent looking over my shoulder. I’ll have to move from town to town, always changing my name and fearful of every stranger I meet.
He doesn’t answer. He knows my fate is sealed along with every other damned soul that preys on the innocent. There is no redemption for monsters.
Ryker continues to stand behind me, so close that I can hear every breath he draws into that big barrel chest. I’d only have to lean in closer and my back would brush him. For a moment, I let myself imagine that he would wrap his arms around me and whisper sweet reassurances in my ear. I imagine that he’d press kisses to my neck and promise to always protect me.
He clears his throat, the sound loud in the dark. “You should try to sleep for a few hours.”
I don’t make a move, waiting for him. Finally, he steps away from me and retreats from the room. He doesn’t bother to say goodnight or sweet dreams. Probably because we both know that any dreams I have won’t be the sweet kind.