Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“That I stabbed a man.” Cosima perks up. She is enjoying that far more than I would have thought, but Cosima loves her family and protects them fiercely. I’m sure that is why. She is also a Marino.
“Cosima."
“What? I did.” This time she doesn’t hide her smile, giving it to me.
“You did.” I can’t deny that. I have replayed the footage from the security cameras, watching the events unfold until we reached the girls. “It took me back to that night. That feeling inside of me.”
“Oh gosh.” Cosima covers her mouth with her hand. “I thought you were used to blood and things.”
“It’s not the blood, Cosima. It’s you. That feeling that I might be losing my whole world, and this time I knew I wouldn’t survive it.” Cosima stares at me, her eyes wide, and I already know where her mind might be going, and it’s my fault, so I don’t let it go there. “It’s you, Cosima; only you can make me feel that. No one else.”
It would cut deep if I lost anyone from the Marino family, but Cosima is different. She’s the reason I have stayed all along. Likely the reason I’m still alive and the anger and rage didn’t consume me. Instead she had.
"That's why you were so mad at me. You've never spoken to me that way before." Tears fill her eyes.
"I lost my shit," I agree. "Said shit I wish I could take back."
"Did things you wish you could take back." Her voice is almost a whisper when she says that part. I hate that that will be her first memory of us together. I made myself a promise that I will spend every day of my life making new ones with her.
"That night when I got back to the farm, I downed almost a full bottle of whiskey before I went barging into your brother's room by mistake, searching for you."
"You got drunk?"
"I was loaded. I ended up chucking the bottle at a piece of art in the hallway, outside of your brother's room."
"Holy crap, was he pissed?"
"Not really. Or at least when I apologized for it, he wasn't mad. That night was hazy."
"Tova has softened him some." She really has. It's interesting how much a person can change you. "Why were you searching for me? To yell at me again?"
"I have no clue what I would have done, but if I had to guess, I likely would have tied you up, spanked your ass, and then fucked the shit out of you till I passed out."
Cosima audibly swallows. "That sounds kind of hot." Fuck me.
"You're a handful." I tuck a piece of her blond hair behind her ear. "One that only I want to handle."
"It's hard to handle me when you take off."
"Harder, but not impossible."
"Yeah," Cosima says dryly. "I'm putting together just how much you have been pulling strings from behind the scenes while on a whole other continent."
“Does that bother you, Cosima? Or do you rather like the idea of me always watching you?” I watch her cheeks flush, telling me all I need to know. She really does enjoy me chasing her.
Cosima enjoys the idea of me stalking her, but I'm not sure she fully understands the depravity of it all.
Chapter Thirteen
COSIMA
“Yes, it does bother me.” I can’t help the tartness in my tone; it just comes out of me.
“Too bad.”
I snort a laugh, not sure what to make of this Z. He’s different but not really. I can’t explain it, but I like it. This is the closest I’ve felt to him in a long time. I love how open we are both being about our true feelings. Even though I’m hiding some of mine behind sarcasm, he knows me well enough to expect this from me. He said so himself earlier.
“All I’m saying is why not watch me in person?” I flick my hair off my shoulder, giving him a smirk. “Isn’t it better in person?” Z lets out a small groan, his cock hardening more under me. I’m starting to think that thing never goes down. Which I will be taking as a compliment.
"I will be watching in person from now on. You'll miss your freedom." Not sure I agree, but time will tell. Z could take off again. If I’m pregnant, the news could freak him out, and all the progress we’ve made could go straight down the drain.
"You still haven't told me why you took off after, you know."
"I fucked you with no regard for your virginity." He clenches his teeth. He does that when he's trying to mask his anger or temper it. "Did I hurt you?"
"No." It didn't hurt. There was a slight pinch, but I was so wrapped up in him and what was finally happening between us I didn't care about anything else. I wanted that moment with him more than I had wanted anything else in my life.