Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“Connor, I—“
“Don’t talk.” His demand is sharp. Marcus waits a few feet away beside a black Mercedes. Nadia and Rowan are with him, both looking ashamed, while Marcus seems like he’s having the time of his life. “Marcus will take these two home—“ Connor gestures at them and tightens his grip on my arm. “You and me are going to have a chat.”
“Don’t be mean to her, Connor, I’m the one who got us out of the mansion,” Rowan says quickly.
But her brother silences her with a look. “I’ll deal with you later. Get going.”
“Ladies.” Marcus draws them away. “I’ll handle your car too, don’t worry, Nadia. I’m Marcus, by the way, nice to meet you…”
I hurry to keep up with Connor as he pulls me to a waiting G-Wagon. I climb into the back with him and the driver pulls away without having to be told.
“Where are we going?” I ask, shame and fear flooding me. I never should’ve done this. I never should’ve snuck out like that.
Except… watching Connor stab Brad in the knee and slice Lavender’s face up, dispassionately and efficiently, sent an electric trail down my skin, and now it feels like I’m on fire.
He protected me.
I broke his rules and he still came here to help.
“I want to show you something.” And he doesn’t speak another word for the remainder of the ride.
23
CONNOR
Istand at the edge of the salvage yard. At night, the cars look like twisted trees, a strange forest of scrap metal and ruin. Angie stays by my side, her body close and warm.
“What are we doing here, Connor?”
“I wanted you to see this.” I take out my phone and turn on the flashlight. “This way.”
She follows as I walk further into the twisting lanes. “All my time at WashCo and I’ve never actually been to one of these before.”
“You did data entry. No reason for you to see it.”
“Still, this is what I was doing, right?”
I stop and shine the light on the ground. We’re far enough away from the parking lot now that I can’t see the headlights anymore. It’s like we’re on another planet. “You were reckless tonight, Angelina.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Connor, I just—“
“No,” I say, interrupting her firmly. I don’t want to be a bastard, but I can’t go easy on her. “You don’t understand at all. Look down.”
She steps forward, the toes of her shoes pressing against the edge of the massive bloody stain. “What is it?”
“You saw some splashed all over me the night I came home.” I move the light, showing her more. Rusty red all over a nearby car, more drying in clumps and clots on top of a pile of radiators. “I thought you got it when you saw me, but clearly not.”
She’s trembling when I touch her. She flinches away. “You brought me here to show me blood stains?”
“These are dead men, all of whom died because of our union.”
“I didn’t ask for it.”
“No, but you are not valuing their sacrifice.”
“That’s not—“
“It’s exactly what you did. Sneaking out of the mansion. Letting my sister light off fireworks. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Setting aside the Gallaghers, my own men could’ve made a horrible mistake and gunned you down.”
She pales and chews on her thumbnail. “I know. It was stupid.”
“And yet you did it anyway.” I catch her wrist and pull her against me. “Tell me why. Make me understand. What were you thinking?”
Her body shakes like it’s freezing outside. My fingers brush through her hair, and all my anger fades into something worse. A dark hunger fills me, a desire to own her, to destroy her. But isn’t that what I’ve always done?
Obedience. That’s been my single demand. Those who work for me follow my command. Is that what I want from my wife? From my angel?
Do I want to break her?
“You had enough to worry about,” she whispers, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I thought if I could pay them off, it would be okay. And I also knew…”
“Knew what?”
“That you’d hurt them.”
I tug her hair to make her look at me. “Didn’t you want me to?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know. Brad isn’t a bad person. He’s mixed up with someone terrible, maybe he’s confused, but I don’t think he’s evil. I can’t believe that. I was with him for too long.”
“But the girl…”
“Well, she probably deserved it.”
“Oh, angel. You broke my rules, dragged my little sister into it, and went behind my back, all to spare a couple of lowlife pieces of shit?”
“Sounds crazy when you put it that way.”
“There’s no other way.” I stroke her cheek and wipe away her tears. I lift them to my mouth and lick them from my fingers. “You need to understand something. You are precious to me. You and this—“ I press my palm to her belly. “You are both everything to me now.”