Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Brinley knew it was a lie. It was always bad.
“Is there anything I can do?” Brinley would give anything to take it away.
Her mother reached for her hand and twined her spindly fingers with Brinley’s. “You do more than enough. I hate that this burden has fallen on you.”
Fighting the burn at the back of her eyes, Brinley ferociously shook her head. “It’s not a burden. I don’t want you to worry about anything. We have it under control.”
Her mom unwound her hand and softly touched her cheek with her fingertips. “You’re sixteen. You should be running free and wild, not looking after me and your brother.”
“I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
Her mother’s smile was tweaked in sadness. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I tried so hard.”
Grief clotted Brinley’s throat, and she gathered her mother’s hand back up in hers, her words rushed, “Please don’t apologize. It’s fine. It’s going to be fine. I promise.”
“You’ll take good care of him?” Pain broke from her mother’s tongue.
Brinley wanted to drop to her knees at the side of her bed, throw herself over her and weep, but she forced herself to nod. “You know that I will. I promise.”
Her mother nodded, and a tear slid free. “My sweet girl. So beautiful. So selfless. I want you to promise me that you’ll take care of you, too. Use those math skills to their fullest.” For one flash of a second, her mother’s yellowed eyes twinkled. “Become a doctor or an astronaut.”
“I’m scared of blood and of flying.” Brinley stumbled over the tease.
“Okay, fine, an accountant.”
Brinley’s eyes squeezed tight for a beat. “I will, Mom.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you more than you know,” Brinley choked.
“I think I need to rest,” her mother said, and Brinley nodded, touched her forehead again before she crept back out.
Her footsteps laden with the weight.
Dereck was in the kitchen, peering through the pantry door.
“I need to leave for work,” she told him. “I need you to make sure you have your homework done and your room cleaned before I get home.”
“What’s for dinner?” he asked.
She went to the fridge, cringed when she opened it up and there was an inch of milk at the bottom of the gallon. A couple of apples. Ham and cheese.
“You’re going to have to have a ham sandwich until I can get to the store after I get paid tomorrow.”
“I hate ham sandwiches,” Dereck groaned.
“I know, Dere, I know. I’ll figure out something better soon.”
She slung her arm around his shoulder and kissed his temple before she headed for the door, slipping into her shoes and grabbing her bag before she stepped out and locked the door behind her.
She took her phone from her pocket, stared at it, anger rising up so fierce inside her. But right then, she didn’t have time for pride.
So she tapped out the message.
Brinley
Dad, please call me back. We’re in a bad way. We need your help.
But he hadn’t cared before, so she should have known he wouldn’t care then.
I startled awake, though not in a full panic the way I normally did.
I guess maybe it was the heavy heat that saturated me through that kept it contained.
Like I was wearing a ten-thousand-pound security blanket.
A blaze of warmth that filled the cold, dead places inside me as I blinked my eyes open to the bare, fluttery light that cast the room in glittering motes as morning climbed to the sky and streaked through the thin drapes.
I had the urge to snuggle deeper into that comfort, only I froze when it became very apparent the blanket I was wearing was a breathing, living thing.
Deep, long breaths panted into the nape of my neck. A tattooed arm draped around my waist. A strong, foreboding body plastered to my backside.
My heart rate increased. Sped and raced and thudded at my chest. Right where he had one of those malicious hands spread over the spot, as if maybe even in his sleep, he was trying to hold it in.
But I knew better than to think Silas was doing any of this out of care. I needed to remember his secure arm was a shackle.
Holding me in place and keeping me prisoner to his will.
With that in mind, I tried to slip from under his grasp, only his arm tightened as gruff, sleep-weary words whispered from his lips.
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
Surprise locked me in place, his tone rippling over me like a raspy caress. The confusion and need he evoked in me zapped like a downed powerline across my flesh.
He pressed himself closer, and a tiny gasp catapulted out of me when I felt his cock pressing to the cleft of my ass.
The thinnest amount of fabric separated us. It didn’t come close to being enough to conceal the granite, desperate length of him.