Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 47758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Even as Rick held him immobile, his woman came up to him. His fist was covered in blood. In fact, blood spatter was on the front of his body.
She didn’t stop though. Tulip went to him and touched his cheeks. “I’m right here. I’m fine.”
Rick let him go and he wanted to touch her.
“I’m dirty,” he said. He didn’t want to get that vermin’s blood on her.
“How did you two escape?” Rick asked.
Jade was captured by Gabriel, his half-brother.
“I picked the locks,” Tulip said.
“I was all for escaping while Tulip wanted us to come and get you. Sorry, Landon. You know I don’t want to go back to my family nor do I want to marry you.”
Gabriel tightened his hold on Jade.
“Hey, that hurts.”
“Naughty escaping prisoners don’t get to be treated nicely.”
“Fuck you.”
“Take her to one of the private rooms,” Rick said. “If you both agree not to leave this fucking house, I’m going to figure all of this out, which means you don’t have to marry Landon, and hopefully, you don’t have a fucking bounty on your head. Do we have a deal?” He lifted up his gun. “Or I can kill you all now and you can bleed to death. I really don’t care.”
“Deal,” Tulip said.
“Deal.” Landon would do anything to be with her.
“My family doesn’t know I’m here?” Jade asked.
“The correct answer is deal, girl,” Rick said. “I can throw your ass back in the basement or at the door of your family’s house. Now get the fuck out.”
Gabriel led Jade out of the room.
Tulip took his hand.
“You were coming to save me?” Landon asked. “How? Why?”
“I didn’t exactly have the how planned. I guess I’d hoped for a sloppy guard.”
“I don’t have sloppy, Tulip. Next time, don’t even bother thinking of escaping. The only reason you got out the first time was because I allowed it, no other reason,” Rick said.
They were excused and Landon wasn’t going to push his luck. So far, this hadn’t exactly gone the way he’d hoped.
“Come on, I get to show you my room,” he said.
“Do you think we should go and check on Jade?”
“She’ll be safe, I promise you. Rick is many things, but hurting her, he wouldn’t dare do it.” He was in pain from being beaten. Rick may have seen through his act, but he’d wanted to be captured. He wasn’t a fool and he knew it was only a matter of time before he got them all killed. Without his family, he couldn’t keep Tulip safe, and she was his number one priority.
****
“Let me go,” Jade said, wriggling against Gabriel as he walked her to one of the bedrooms. She didn’t want to be locked up again.
He opened one of the expensive-looking doors that looked more appealing than the metal bars of the basement, which had obviously contained a great many people who hadn’t seen the light of day afterward.
Gabriel shoved her into the room and she spilled forward, capturing herself against the bed. The room was spacious and lovely with a nice soft bed. It reminded her a lot of her cage back home. Everything put in place. She’d never been allowed to take care of her own place. No, she’d always been told what to do.
One of her family’s many designers had come in. When she was a girl, it had been decorated pink for a young girl. The changes in color happened gradually to showcase her growing into a woman.
None of it had been to her own taste.
She got up and sat on the edge of the bed, glaring at the non-Denton brother.
Gabriel closed the door. He folded his arms and stared at her.
She’d never met him before. Of course she’d heard of him. The whole Colton and Denton scandal had been big news in their world. He was the son of Maddox, the same age as Jacob. Until the truth of his existence came out, the Dentons had been solid. No one could touch them. The moment the truth came to light, they no longer seemed as godly as some had painted them. They were just as messed-up as all of them.
Tears filled her eyes and she couldn’t help but wrap her arms around herself, shivering. Escape. It was all she wanted to do.
She’d lost count of the number of times she’d tried to. Planning a way out was all that gave her hope.
“You don’t need to cry. You’ll find this more to your liking, Jade.”
“Why? Because you think the Castillo princess only knows this kind of life? You’re an idiot.”
“You know, I’ve killed men for less insults.”
“I don’t care. Kill me. If you’re going to send me back to my family, you might as well get it over with. I won’t want to live with what they have in store.”
“Marrying you off to a man who will give you nothing but luxury?”