Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
He cleared his throat as he roughed one of those giant paws through the longer pieces of his hair. “Why don’t you go into the bedroom and give your brother a call because you know he’s freaking out, and I’ll get this cleaned up and make us something to eat?”
I managed to shuck the moment into the secret spot inside me reserved for him.
“Do I have to?”
He stretched out one of those enormous hands and touched the little freckle I had to the side of my left lip. Heat spiraled through the middle of me. “Yeah, Raven, I think you do.”
FOURTEEN
RAVEN
I didn’t have time to make it into Otto’s bedroom before my phone pinged a bunch of times.
I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, blowing out a sigh as I read the messages that had come through.
River
Raven, answer your phone.
River
Where are you?
River
Come on, Raven, I’m sorry, but I don’t think you need to ignore me over this.
It wasn’t like he’d given me any time to even respond between the call and the texts that kept blipping through.
Still, my stomach twisted.
I could feel his worry woven in the words, though he should have known I was with Otto and was completely safe.
Okay, maybe safe wasn’t the best definition.
Because my heart definitely wasn’t safe. Not when the man shredded it without even knowing it.
But my body was at least.
Me
Sorry, can’t come to the phone. Busy bleaching my eyes.
A tweak of mischief pulled at the edge of my lips as I sent it.
Yeah, I was so going to bust his balls about this.
I lifted my head as I stepped deeper into Otto’s bedroom.
My stomach twisted in an entirely different way.
I’d never been in here before, and my gaze jumped around to take stock.
It mimicked the rest of the house. Everything black and steel. His bed was enormous like the man. Fit for a king except he hadn’t made it. The heavy black comforter and gray sheets were a rumpled pile on top. The bedframe itself was black, and the headboard butted up against the far wall that was also made completely of glass.
A buzz glowed in my belly at the thought of him there, naked and bound in the fabrics, all those colorful tats rolling over his flesh.
I blinked the vision away.
Dangerous, dangerous thinking, Raven. Do not go there.
I let my attention drift.
He had more artwork on the walls, and a massive dresser sat on the right side of the room.
Old pain clutched my spirit when I saw what was sitting on top.
I eased over and picked up the picture.
Haddie was there. Her head tipped back as she laughed toward the sky.
Always, always laughing.
I ran my fingertips down her face like I could reach out and touch her. Remember. My first true friend.
Grief splintered through me as I thought to the way it’d spiraled. The way we’d lost control. I’d tried to stop it, but I couldn’t break through. Couldn’t do anything before it was too late. Before the insurmountable pain had come.
I squeezed my eyes closed when the memory raked through my consciousness like a blade. A ghost. A specter. My own depravity that I’d kept shored and secreted. The one thing I could do. A victory that still felt as if it’d stolen a piece of my soul that I could never get back.
The tattoo on my side burned like a branding.
I will make it to the sunrise.
I startled when my phone started ringing in my hand, and I nearly dropped the picture, though I managed to right it and set it back onto the dresser. Then I couldn’t stop my smile when I saw who was calling.
Blowing out the strain, I accepted the call as I moved toward Otto’s bed.
“Well, if it isn’t my recently estranged bestie.” I went ahead and dug it in deep.
From the other end of the line, Charleigh groaned in mortification. “Oh my God, I am so sorry, Raven. I can’t believe we let that happen. I’m so embarrassed.”
“You should be,” I teased.
“You can be sure I am sufficiently humiliated.”
“Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I just was…caught off guard.”
There. I’d be pragmatic. Let her off the hook.
“Caught off guard? You screamed so loud the neighbors came over to check if everything was okay.”
A disbelieving giggle erupted from my throat. “They did not.”
“Oh, they did. I had to let them come into the house to make sure nothing was awry before they’d go away. I told them I’d seen a spider.”
“Oh my God.” Once I started laughing, Charleigh started laughing, too, and in a second, we were both cracking up, me bent over while she giggled like crazy.
I was wiping moisture from under my eyes, unsure if they were tears of amusement or if they were actually bleeding. “I know my bestie is a sexy bitch, but I didn’t need to see that much of her.”