Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 135378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135378 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
I don’t want to have to talk to my mom right now, but I want to be alone most of all and while there’s a chance she could be out or I can slip by her with an excuse about homework or being tired, I share a bedroom with three other girls. There is no shot in hell I’ll be alone in my dorm.
He takes me to my mom’s house. My car isn’t there, so he tells me he’ll send Hugh to pick me up for school in the morning. I don’t want him to come inside because I’m not ready to introduce him to my mom, but he insists on walking me to the door.
We stop under the porch light. He pulls me in for another hug, and when we part a bit, he still cradles my head in his hand and looks down at me.
“I’m sorry my dad traumatized you.”
I shrug. “I’ll get over it.”
He shakes his head and caresses my face with his thumb. “I hated the way you looked at me back there. I wasn’t handing you over to fend for yourself. I hope you know that. I just know our life will be a lot easier with his approval, and he needed to see for himself that you’ll…”
“Cover your ass?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
“And what if I wouldn’t?”
“Well, then I wouldn’t have left you with him.”
Those men outside resurface in my mind. The call at dinner. The threats he made.
Would he have handed me off to them right there?
My chest starts to feel tight as my imagination travels further down that road. I picture myself ripped from Silvan’s arms, ripped from life as I know it in a much scarier way than when Silvan was the one stealing me.
Maybe he’s a lunatic, but it sure could be worse.
I hug him again. He’s surprised I’m the one initiating, but he must know I need it because he hugs me tight. “I’m safe with you, right?” I murmur against his chest.
His grip on me tightens protectively. “Always,” he rumbles. “As long as you’re mine, no one else will ever hurt you.”
There it is.
An echo of what his father said.
I’m safe, as long as I’m his.
As long as I cooperate.
I swallow, pushing the thoughts away.
I don’t want to think about it anymore tonight. I’m too numb to know how I feel anyway.
When I lean back, Silvan tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and leans close so I can feel his breath on my lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I guess so.
There’s an “or else” that hangs over my head making me wonder if I’ll ever feel free again.
If I’ll ever be free again.
I guess the only way out of this that doesn’t go badly for me is if Silvan changes his mind and lets me go. His father already said that would be okay.
He gives me a good-night kiss, then takes a step back.
He stays on the porch until I’m safely inside the house with the door locked.
I watch out the window as he walks back to the limo.
Seeing those two guys at his dad’s house has made me paranoid, so I watch for another minute or so after the limo pulls away to make sure no other cars pull up.
I guess they don’t have a reason to.
I agreed to “play ball,” whatever that means.
When I’m satisfied that no scary goons are coming to kidnap me, I finally leave the entryway. The house is dark, so Mom must be out.
I’m relieved.
I go to my bedroom and drop my bags, then I strip off my nice clothes and the new bra Silvan bought me and pull on a comfy sleep shirt.
Despite the overall numbness, I do feel a little lonely when I slip between my cool sheets and settle my blankets around me and I don’t feel Silvan’s lush fur beneath my fingers or his strong arms wrapped around my waist.
I miss his heat.
Maybe I just miss him.
Clearly, my brain is too broken for proper thinking tonight, so I close my eyes, forcing all the unpleasant thoughts away and tell myself to just go to sleep.
Tomorrow is a new day. A calmer day.
Tomorrow, I get to go back to some semblance of my real life.
Chapter Thirty-four
Sophie
I sleep in a little since I know Silvan is sending a car to pick me up.
My whole vibe this morning is very low-effort. I shower and blow out my hair, but only because it’s cold outside. I tie my hair in lazy low pigtail buns and brush on a little lip gloss and mascara. I wear comfy jeans and a shirt baggy enough that I can get away with not wearing a bra, then I grab my bag and head out to the limo.
Breakfast waits for me on a tray in the car. I sigh happily as I grab the cold bottle of water and stuff it in my bag, then have a sweet sip of my spiced latte.