Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 134133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 671(@200wpm)___ 537(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 671(@200wpm)___ 537(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Sophie Bradwell would be mine, no matter what I had to do to get her.
Men have always committed atrocities chasing after their desires.
The men in my family have it down to an art form.
Personally, I’ve never experienced a desire that ran so deep it poisoned my soul.
Until the night I laid eyes on her.
It’s really too bad she didn’t feel the same way. It could have been a fairytale.
I guess our story was meant to be something a little more twisted.
No matter.
I desire Sophie Bradwell, and I don’t care how many terrible things I have to do to get her… and keep her.
Warning: this is a dark romance intended only for a mature adult audience. It contains possible triggers, so if you have triggers commonly found in dark romance (especially the ones penned by Sam Mariano), please make sure you read the author's note in the beginning of the book.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter one
Sophie
I knew I should have brought an Uber to this thing.
Sighing, I turn the steering wheel and try to maneuver into a too-small spot in the too-full driveway.
Everyone is here tonight.
The thought causes my introverted soul to shrivel, but after being a hermit the entire last year of high school, I promised Mom I would make an effort in college.
Since school started at the end of August, things haven't been much different from high school—except for the class schedule—but when my roommate invited me to this Halloween party tonight, I knew I had to go.
Once I get the car parked, I grab my little denim purse and climb out. Nervously fidgeting with my too-short cut-off jean shorts, I glance around, hoping no one sees me.
These stupid things keep riding up.
I never wear shorts this short, but it's a costume party and I decided to come as a farm girl. It was the best thing I could put together with stuff I already had in my dresser.
I might be willing to put myself out there and come to this party, but I wasn’t about to waste $60 on some slutty pirate costume on top of it.
My blonde hair is braided and in pigtails. I'm wearing a flannel top with the front tucked into my tiny denim shorts. The best part of this costume is that, as I enter the sprawling mansion, I see girls in painful-looking heels all over the place, but here I am in a comfy pair of ankle boots.
Nailed it.
I'm not overly stylish, anyway. I prize comfort over beauty, and fashion tends not to. My feet wouldn't even know how to react if I tried squeezing them into a pair of high heels.
The music is so loud it hurts my ears as I pass through the entryway and into the first room full of people. I want to get away from the speakers, so I quickly go deeper into the house.
I search the room full of faces, some I've at least seen before, but others complete strangers. A random guy makes eye contact with me, making my heart beat a little faster and my nerves start to fray.
I veer into a hallway to get away from him.
Am I really ready for this?
Maybe not, but I'm here now. Better make the best of it.
I scan the crowd in this new room for a familiar face, someone safe and comfortable I can talk to.
I should’ve come with Kendra, but I didn’t want to be stuck without a ride in the very likely event that I decide to leave early. Plus, not having my roommate to lean on would force me to socialize.
I haven’t really met many people at college yet. There are people in my classes I’ve exchanged casual smiles with, but I’ve been too shy to say much outside of the typical schoolroom niceties.
None of these people look familiar, though.
For a panicked moment, I wonder if I’m at the right house. What if I got the address wrong and came to the wrong stupid Halloween party?
Before I can work myself into too much of a panic, I spot a group of girls from my Spanish class gathered near the refreshments table. I paste on a quick smile, but they quickly look away when they catch me looking at them.
My smile droops.
I guess they don't want to talk to me.
I take a deep breath and try to ignore the impulse to take this as a sign and flee. I could so easily turn around and go right back to my dorm…
But no, I promised Mom I would try. I have to give it a real shot.
Forcing myself to socialize makes me anxious, so I focus on the home itself.
This party is being thrown by some rich guy on campus, and he lives in his family’s classy old-money Boston mansion. It’s decked out for Halloween with candles flickering inside of ornately carved Jack-O-Lanterns and fake cobwebs in every corner, but the home’s classical décor has so much history of its own, it lends an air of authenticity to the spooky vibe.
I've never been in a house this grand before, never even seen something so impressive except on the glossy pages of this old Sotheby's magazine I flipped through in the clearance section of a used bookstore once.
The inside of the house is just as imposing as the outside.
This old mansion has real character and a sense of stalwart confidence that tells me it doesn’t need to keep up with the times. It may not have all the modern upgrades of flashier homes in a similar price range, but it doesn’t need them to be impressive.
This house doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. It is what it is; like it, or don’t.
I like its vibe, so I spend more time exploring the house itself than the party I didn’t want to come to. I’m sure I’m not supposed to, but the quiet of the empty rooms provides even more temptation I can’t bring myself to resist.