Total pages in book: 185
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 191421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 957(@200wpm)___ 766(@250wpm)___ 638(@300wpm)
Shit.
I was afraid of that.
“And he…” I suppress the rousing dread, “asked you to work with him?”
He gives me a curt nod. “For a year.”
“What?”
This is not good.
This is a freaking disaster.
I don’t want him to work in a place where he doesn’t want to. Now that I know the truth about his dad, who knows how his brother is. Who knows what kind of a man he’s grown up to be and if Reign is safe with him. I mean, I know he’s physically safe but what about emotionally and…
“My brother’s okay,” he says, breaking into my thoughts.
It doesn’t escape my notice that yet again, we’re so in tune that he knows what I’m thinking. And yes, it does make me want to punch him again. But I have other problems that need my attention more.
“Y-you sure?”
Sighing, he nods. “He’s not like… him. Not in the ways that you’re thinking. He’s annoying though, but not…”
“Evil?”
“No.”
“You promise?”
His jaw clenches.
I know if he promises that what he’s telling me is true, I can trust it.
Because a promise is an oath.
And it’s very tied up in our history.
A lot of things are tied up in our history but let’s focus on this first.
Nodding curtly again, he says, “Yeah. So relax, would you, Servant Girl?”
My relief is so great that I don’t even care that he threw my own words back at me. “So you’re going to work with him for a whole year then?”
“No.”
And just like that I feel bad for his brother. Because now that Reign’s gotten what he wants, he’s going to go back on the deal, isn’t he?
I shake my head at him. “I thought you didn’t break promises.”
He stares at me a beat before saying, “Only the ones I make to you.”
I give myself a second to let the tidal wave of emotion sweep through me. Sweep through every part of my body, leaving goosebumps and broken breaths in its wake.
Then, “I want you to take your money back.”
“What?”
A deep breath. “I don’t want your money. So please ask your brother to take it back.”
I know it’s been hard for him to go at my pace in this conversation.
But now it’s really hard.
Now it’s costing him with the way his bruises have come alive and his jaw is ticking. “No.”
“It’s very generous but I don’t think it’s appropriate,” I tell him.
“It’s not my problem what you think.”
“I don’t think,” I take a deep breath, “my boyfriend would like it very much if another guy paid for my education.”
Low blow; I’m aware of that.
But in his words, not my problem.
Not my problem that he flinches. And that his eyes grow both harsh and slightly agonized at my comment.
Not your problem, Echo.
Not after what he did.
“Well,” he mashes his teeth, “your boyfriend is just gonna have to live with the fact that my dick’s bigger than his. Always has been. Since I was the one who’s always been paying for your fucking education. I’m the one who has paid for the roof over your head, the clothes on your body and the food in your belly. Or my family has. Same difference. He’s lived with you being my Servant Girl for years now, he can survive a little longer.”
God, he makes me so mad.
He makes me crazy.
This is exactly what he’d said the night he came to my room through my window. The night of my sixteenth birthday, where I’m still stuck. Back then I thought it was his usual arrogance but now I know different.
Now I know it was his… obsession.
“You can use that money, Reign,” I tell him. “It’s your money. It’s rightfully yours. Please take it back so you don’t have to almost kill yourself in the ring every other week.”
If anything, my insistence has made him even angrier. Not that I expected anything less from him, but still. And I really don’t want to take the next step but I will, if he makes me.
Which he does.
“You really think that’s gonna make me stop? Taking the money back.”
I sigh because it isn’t.
Money isn’t really the motivating factor here.
I wish it was. And that’s why I had to try that first.
“Is that why you came here?” he asks then, shifting on his feet. “Because after what happened last time, pissing me off isn’t really a smart choice.”
“Why, because you know my secret and you could ruin me?”
“Very easily.”
“Fine.” I shift on my feet too. “You leave me no choice then. If you don’t quit, I’m going to tell everyone.”
“Tell everyone what?”
“About your fights. About how some of them are fixed. Because you’re not the only one who knows things, are you?”
He remains silent. But his eyes promise mayhem.
Not that I care.
“I’m not kidding. And I think you know that.”
Which is why a vein emerges and beats on his temple.