Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
“What else?” He snorts over his shoulder, shaking his head. “The job wasn’t finished.”
“But we almost were—and you know they’re going to be looking out for you to come back.” And I’m carrying your child, or I’m pretty sure I am. We can’t risk this. Why won’t the words come out? I don’t know.
“So what? We’ll figure it out.”
“I’m just saying…” It’s a desperate move, but I have to at least try to get through to him. “Maybe a little help is in order. This is too much to take on your shoulders, all alone.”
“I’m not all alone, am I? I have you.”
Why does he sound so sarcastic? Like it’s a bad thing. I wish he didn’t leave me feeling so useless, but that’s the power he has over me. His opinion means that much.
“I’m not enough. I know it.” I pull on my clothes and sit on the bed while he combs his wet hair away from his forehead. He’s even scowling at his own reflection. How do I get through to him?
“What’s your suggestion?”
“Bringing in backup. There are so many of them, and only two of us. We’re hopelessly outnumbered—because you know they’ll have guards on Rebecca now. If they didn’t already. How do we get past them? Do you see what I mean?”
He lowers the comb to the dresser, pinning me in place with a cold glare in the mirror.
“What is your suggestion?” he asks again, speaking slowly, enunciating every word clearly.
This doesn’t bode well.
But I have to get it out. “We do have somebody in our corner with a small army at his disposal. Let me reach out to my dad. He’ll be on our side once he knows what you’re trying to do. Of all people, he’s aware of what they did back at Safe Haven. He’ll want to get rid of them just as much as you do.”
There. I said it.
And when he lifts his lip, snarling, I wish I hadn’t.
“Your family. That’s the answer?” His fists hit the dresser’s surface, and the mirror shakes, contorting his reflection for an instant. “After all this, you want to run to Daddy with your tail between your legs?”
“It’s not like that,” I whisper.
“And should I kiss the ring? Fall in line like another good little soldier?”
“Why are you saying this?”
He whirls on me, and oh my god, the loathing. It’s so thick I can almost taste it rolling off him as he lunges for me. “I fucking knew it.”
I sputter in surprise and fear when he hauls me to my feet. “Ren, it’s not like that.”
My words fall on deaf ears. “Running back to Daddy, afraid to be with me, lying about being on our side.”
“I didn’t lie!”
His hands grip my arms painfully before he shakes me hard. “I should’ve ended them when I had the chance, all of you. But no. He didn’t want to, the fucking coward.”
“What?”
“He fucked that up, and he fucked up in Reno. One pathetic failure after another.”
“Who?” I’m as lost as ever and more frightened with every word, every shake, every breath. His eyes widen, and his grip loosens.
“He would never help.”
Now it’s a whisper filled with pain and uncertainty. “My dad? Sure, he would. He’s always seen you as a son, you know that. And you were a brother to Q. That hasn’t changed.”
“Not after what I did.” There’s sorrow and uncertainty, and it hurts.
I don’t think he’s ever sounded this way when talking about the attack—I don’t think we’ve ever discussed it, actually, after he admitted he was the attacker. I’ve been afraid to bring it up for obvious reasons.
“Time has softened that, and you had your reasons.” Reasons I’m still unsure of, but… “I know you did. You wouldn’t hurt him unless you felt like there was a reason for it.”
But that happened before he left Corium, and all this time, I’ve been assuming he was injured after leaving. Which means he wasn’t injured or sick when he attacked my family. So why did he—
He flings me away from him suddenly, and I bounce on the bed while he stalks from the room. “Fuck you, Scarlet. You’ve been a mistake from the beginning, just like I told him.”
“What are you talking about?”
My words fall on deaf ears since he doesn’t hesitate in slamming the door shut and locking it.
“Ren!” I jump from the bed and fling myself at the door, jiggling the knob to no avail. “Why? Why are you doing this?”
His voice is loud and strong on the other side of the door. “If you’re not with us, you have no place in my life.”
“You can’t mean that. You know I’m with you.”
He doesn’t say a word. He’s shut me out again.
I touch my forehead to the wood, tears coursing down my cheeks, my heart aching like it’s about to shatter.