Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Your father will have no say in what happens. I’ll give you my name, and that will provide you the protection you need.”
“Give me your name?” She stops struggling and stares at me as if I’ve said something insane. I guess it might seem insane from her point of view, but it feels normal to me. It feels right. Am I crazy for suggesting we get married? Sure. Is it wrong to force her into the marriage knowing her current mental state? Also yes, but I never claimed to be the good guy. And there will be no suggestion right now.
No matter what, once the truth is revealed, she’ll think of me as the enemy, anyway. Doing this will only solidify that image. As much as it pains me to encourage her to hate me, it’s better than her feeling nothing at all for me.
“Yes, Little Prey. It’s marriage or nothing. You need the protection of my last name. I know it seems insane, but it’s the only way. Attach yourself to the Arturo name, and no one will dare cross you.”
Her blue eyes glaze over and fill with a new kind of fear. “I… I won’t. I can’t marry you.”
I grit my teeth against the rejection and remind myself of the trauma she’s endured today. I want her to want me as badly as I want her, but I can’t force her desire.
I can, however, force her hand.
I tip her chin up, forcing her to meet my eyes so she can see exactly how serious I am. "You can, and you will. As soon as we get back to the mansion, we will be married. It's final.”
CHAPTER 6
SEBASTIAN
Elyse stares at me with something akin to horror. Tears slip down her cheeks again, and each sob makes my heart clench tighter in my chest. “I won’t marry a murderer. I won’t. I don’t want you. I don’t want this. I want to be free. I want to leave. Just let me go. You don’t owe me anything. I don’t want your protection.”
Something twitches in my jaw as I try to keep my tone even. The words pour out before I can stop them. "Not that I need to remind you, Little Prey, but you have no room to pass judgment. Looks like murder is the common denominator between us.”
It’s a low blow, but it’s all I have in my arsenal. That, and she truly doesn’t have any room to judge me. Not when she doesn’t know the truth.
I shove the reminder of that night and the blood on my hands to the back of my mind.
“I don’t care. I won’t marry you!” She thrashes around, and I tighten my hold on her once again, my muscles burning with the effort. My patience slips further and further away with every second that passes. I’ll never get her back to the Mill in this state.
I bite back a growl and shake my head. I hate to do it but I don’t have any other options. Keeping her calm and safe is all that matters. I’ll deal with the repercussions of my actions later. If she grows to hate me after we’re married then so be it; at least I won’t carry the weight of her death on my shoulders.
Turning, I yell for Lee out the window. "Where's your stash?"
He grins back at me from the front of the car. “Around. What do you need? Uppers, downers, something for a good time?"
Lee and his fucking jokes. I glare at him, letting him know I’m not fucking around.
He gets the point and rolls his eyes. “You’re such a cock block, Sebastian. Always brooding, always serious.”
“Don’t do this. You don’t want to marry me.” Elyse says, trembling in my arms, her face a mask of exhaustion and fear. She’s pleading with me to leave her to the wolves, and I can’t. I tried once, when I took her to London, and it didn’t work out. I won’t ever do it again.
I spare her a look. “I do, though. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
Lee walks over to the window, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a small plastic bag. Without saying a word, he presses a pill into my hand. I bring my hand up to a bit of light, open my palm, and peer down at the little white pill. There’s no lettering on it, nothing to help me identify what it might be.
“What is it?”
"The solution to your problem." He winks playfully.
“I’m serious, Lee.” I growl. “What is it? I don’t want to give her something that might make things worse.”
“Relax. It’s just a Xanax. It’ll calm her down, make her compliant.”
I don’t want to drug her, but I also can’t hold her in place for hours waiting for her to calm down, and once we get back to The Mill and start the paperwork things will get worse.