Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
There was a sudden blur of movement. So fast Echo could have blinked and almost missed it. One second Roark had Odette in his grasp, the next second his head was falling to the floor and thudding with gruesome dullness before bursting into ash. His headless body exploded at the same time.
Elijah stood behind Odette, his face a mask of cold fury.
He’d moved with a speed Echo couldn’t compute. It had been the same with Niamh Farren.
Echo was superfast.
But they moved liked they were jumping dimensions.
Odette let out a wail and rushed into her big sister’s arms.
Echo wrapped her up tight, tears in her eyes as Odette sobbed. Her gaze locked with Elijah’s. “Thank you,” she whispered hoarsely.
He just gave her a grim nod and wiped a hand over his body. The air crackled with energy and the ash that had peppered his face and hair disappeared.
13
Hours in a cargo hold was different this time. Only slightly. Instead of Echo soothing a scared dog, she held Odette against her. In Elijah’s mind, he’d understood that Odette was only twelve, but seeing her brought home to him that Echo’s sister was a child. An innocent child pulled into this dark, violent world.
If it was hard for him to process as an adult, how much harder was it for her?
She seemed to believe Echo’s explanation on the way to the airport, though the girl remained tearful and pale. She’d reluctantly agreed to stay with Elijah’s parents until Echo could make her safe.
After sobbing for a while, the girl eventually wore herself out and fell asleep nestled against Echo.
The cargo hold was loud, but like last time Elijah could hear with his fae senses, as could Echo with her supernatural hearing.
He tried to stop himself from asking but … remembering Roark’s taunt about how good sex between the vampire and Echo had been made him want to reverse time so he could rip off the predator’s head once more.
It was jealousy.
Unlike Elijah had ever experienced before.
Almost brutal in the possessiveness.
He wasn’t entirely comfortable with the strength of the feeling for two reasons. He shouldn’t feel anything like that for Echo. And even if she were to return the feelings, she was her own being. She belonged only to herself. Not an object for him to feel possessive over.
It was some kind of latent caveman quality that was an uncomfortable fit with who he thought he was.
“So, Roark?” Fuck. The question was out before he could stop himself.
Echo glanced down at Odette as if to make sure she was asleep. When she held his gaze again, he saw self-loathing there. “A moment of weakness after I found out the truth about William. Believe me, it’s one of my biggest regrets.”
“I have to say I’m glad he wasn’t a serious love interest. He was kind of a giant elephant turd.”
Her lush lips twitched, making his dick respond in kind. “He was more than kind of—he was definitely a giant elephant turd.”
He laughed as she grinned.
But her smile faltered. “I hate that I gave him that.”
“I hate it too,” he found himself admitting.
Echo’s breath hitched, her gaze questioning.
“But we’ve all made those kinds of mistakes.” Elijah shrugged. “I once woke up next to my roommate’s mother.”
Echo gaped. “You’re lying.”
“Nope.” He scrubbed a hand over his nape, laughing softly in long-forgotten embarrassment. “It was the end of first year at uni. My roommate came from money. Invited me along to their holiday home in Spain. A villa. Very nice. Had a room all to myself. One night I wake up because his very attractive and unhappily married mother is getting into bed with me.”
Echo glanced down at Odette again.
“Is she sleeping?”
“Yeah. I can tell by her heartbeat. You were saying?” She didn’t look at him.
Was she jealous too?
“I was an idiot and for a second let my di—body do the thinking. She knew what she was doing, if you get my drift.”
“I get it.”
“Yeah, well, I would feel bad about it, but his father was sleeping with his assistant, and my roommate had shagged a girl I really liked the previous semester.”
“So, it was revenge?”
“Nah. Nothing so calculated as that. It just made me more amenable to being seduced by her. But I regretted it afterward.”
“I think mine is worse. Roommate’s mom doesn’t really come close to psychopathic vampire.”
At the very thought of the bastard touching her, Elijah’s hands clenched into fists. “Right. Very true, love.”
“I thought I felt …”
At her sudden silence, Elijah pushed. “You thought you felt …?”
“When Roark brought it up … I thought I felt something from you.”
The blood rushed in his ears. “What something?”
“Jealousy?”
Elijah had never seen the point in lying. Even if it complicated things. “Yeah, that’s about right.”
Echo’s lips parted in surprise as if she hadn’t expected him to answer honestly. “I …”