Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
I threw my hands up in frustration. “We just got shot at!”
He leaned closer to me and grabbed my chin with his thumb and pointer finger. “It wasn’t the Mafia. I swear to you. What just happened had nothing to do with you. It was someone trying to sneak onto family—” He paused and clenched his jaw. “The ranch. It happens. There is security, and it was already moving into place. We just showed up in the middle of it. All is taken care of. Now, please, sit back. Let me handle this.”
It wasn’t like I could run off alone without any of my things. I had no choice. I’d let him go talk to Thatcher and then make him take me back to the cottage. I had to leave, and I was out of time to figure out a plan. I didn’t think there would ever be a successful one. That was impossible. I just had to go.
• twenty-seven •
“I was just another evil in her life.”
King
Shoving one hand into my hair in frustration, I held the phone to my ear with the other. This hadn’t been what Rumor needed to witness right now. She was convinced the Mafia was after her. I didn’t know who the fucker was that Thatcher had shot and tied up to take underground, but I knew the bastard wasn’t Mafia.
“King,” Blaise Hughes came over the line.
“Boss. Thatch said you wanted to talk to me,” I replied.
“Is she gonna bolt?” he asked me.
“Seems like it, but I’m going to watch her,” I assured him.
“Do more than that. She needs to stay put for a while, and I have other shit to deal with. Fuck her. Use that charm shit and charm her.”
My hand tightened on the phone. “Did you just say I was to fuck her?”
“Is there a problem? Thatcher seemed to think you were the one she’d want and that Sebastian would be the next choice. You rather I tell him to do it?”
Not what I’d expected to be told to do, and there was no way I was letting Sebastian do it. “I can do it, but is it necessary?”
“Are you questioning me?” he asked, his tone sounding as deadly as I knew he was.
“No, sir,” I replied.
“Good. Now, handle it.”
The call ended, and I stood there, staring back at the truck, making sure she wasn’t going to open the door and bolt.
How the hell had it gone from no one touch her to me being ordered to fuck her?
“You don’t look happy about it,” Thatcher drawled, and I turned my head to see him standing a few feet behind me with a cigarette in his mouth and a smirk on his face.
“He wants me to fuck her. To get her to stay.”
Thatcher chuckled. “Yeah, I know.”
This wasn’t funny. She had been abused. Emotionally and physically hurt. The thought of manipulating her with sex made my stomach knot up. She deserved more than that.
“It’s fucking. Jesus Christ, what is your problem? You look like you were just ordered to put a gun to her pretty head and shoot.”
I glared at him as he took a pull from his cigarette. “It’s not fair to her. It’s a lie.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You don’t want to fuck her? Because I could have sworn you’ve wanted to since day one. And everything we have told her has been a damn lie.”
He was right. Still, it didn’t make this easier. Sebastian would be the better match for her. He’d probably even be all in. Faithful and shit. Not lying. But, damn it, I couldn’t let him touch her. I’d end up killing him.
“I’m just supposed to make her think we have something? A relationship?” I wasn’t really asking him. I knew what Blaise wanted. I just couldn’t seem to make it okay in my head.
“You are the charmer. It’s what you do. Go do it. Stop making it hard.”
I glanced back at the truck and knew I had to get back to her. She was scared and alone. She trusted me. Her eyes had widened as she admitted it. The fact that she trusted me had surprised her. Dammit, I didn’t want to do this.
I would never be a real relationship for her. Or anyone. But especially someone like her. She was too sweet, fragile, broken for me. I wasn’t the guy to heal her, help her get through the hell she’d lived. I was just another evil in her life.
“Go handle the bastard who was trying to get onto the property. I’ll go do my job,” I told him, not looking back as I started toward the truck.
“If you change your mind, I’m sure Sebastian will happily step in,” he called out.
I didn’t bother responding. He was trying to piss me off. If I were a good man, I’d do just that. Let Sebastian do this. But I wasn’t good. I was selfish. I wouldn’t be able to stand any of the others having her even if it was fake and temporary. This was going to be one of the things I shouldn’t do, but did anyway. I had many of those in my life. This one would be different though. I might never forgive myself for it.