Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 251(@200wpm)___ 201(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 251(@200wpm)___ 201(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
“We’ll play swim instructor and his student tonight when we get home,” Titus promised as he took her hand.
Alessia couldn’t wait. Dashing out of the changing room with Titus on her heels, she winked at him before joining Carina at the ladder of the curving slide. “Catch me at the bottom, Daddy.”
“I’ve got you, Alessia.” Titus dived into the pool, joining Marcus in the water.
As she slid down the smooth fiberglass slide, Alessia didn’t worry. Her Daddy always took care of her.
Chapter
Twelve
Alessia slept in late on Friday morning and woke up alone in her Daddy’s enormous bed. Stretching as she looked around, Alessia listened closely to see if Titus was in the bathroom. When she didn’t detect any noise, she pushed the covers away and sat up on the edge of the bed. She headed for the bathroom. After flushing the toilet and running the water to wash her face, Titus still hadn’t appeared.
Puzzled, Alessia grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped the soft fabric around her. Her Daddy was always nearby and came to find her as soon as she or the bedding made a whisper of a sound. His hearing was unbelievably good. She’d made the equivalent of a herd of stampeding elephants in his world, and Titus hadn’t reacted. Something was going on.
The hallway was quiet. Shivers of concern ran down her spine. Usually by this time, his staff bustled around, cleaning and taking care of routine tasks. Alessia crept down the stairs, straining her ears to hear anything from the quiet house. Downstairs, she noticed a pool of light spilling out of Titus’s office. She peeked inside the door and spotted him, leaning back in his office chair.
Instantly, he focused on her. Titus held out a hand, and Alessia ran toward him. Without saying a word, he lifted her onto his lap and hugged her. Without saying a word, she studied his face, trying to figure out what was going on.
Titus’s eyes didn’t quite connect with hers. His vague expression made her freeze. Alessia sat quietly. She’d learned to spot when he communicated with his clan. His look was subtle but recognizable. This time, the corners of his mouth pulled down slightly. Bad news. Her earlier eerie sense that evil was coming returned. She shivered against him.
His gaze centered on her. Alessia swallowed hard. The conversation going on in his mind was about her.
“What’s up, Daddy? Do I need to leave?” she whispered, scared he would answer yes but feeling like she should offer. His eyes narrowed, and Titus shook his head like that was a ridiculous question. She breathed easier.
Her brother had already caused problems for Nightfall. Carina had shared what had happened to her. Alessia couldn’t believe the sweet woman would even talk to her, much less befriend her, after Enzo’s men had tried to abduct her. When Alessia had asked how Carina could be so nice to her, Carina had indignantly told Alessia that a sister wasn’t responsible for her sibling’s mess.
A few minutes later, Titus leaned forward to kiss her softly. “All done.” He assured her that the messaging had ended. “I can’t sugarcoat this to make the news better. But first, you are my mate. No one will separate us. My clan would never consider that either. If they did, that would be my last day in that group. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Daddy.” She swallowed hard. This had to be bad. She forced herself to be brave and sat up straighter. “Just tell me,” Alessia said. Better to rip off the bandage than to try to ease the adhesive off slowly.
“Bram reports Enzo has declared you a traitor to the Costa family and put out a bonus for someone who locates you,” Titus said.
“A bonus? Like he’s going to pay someone to bring me back?”
“Alessia, you must stay with someone who can protect you. On the weekends, you and Carina will be safer on the observation deck instead of at the bar with me. I can send you a drink whenever you’d like one.”
Titus wasn’t addressing her question. He’d designed that answer to distract her, which told Alessia everything she needed to know. Enzo wouldn’t allow her to be free. “He’s not planning on keeping me at his home, is he?”
Titus shook his head slowly. “He’s going to marry you off to the highest bidder.”
Her brother’s complete disregard for her importance was normal for her. This decision to use her as a way of consolidating power was sick. Alessia wanted to shrug off his intention to treat her as if she’d never meant anything to him but couldn’t. What was wrong with him? Tears cascaded down her cheeks.
Titus didn’t try to make her stop. He held her tight and let her release the years of pain her brother had caused her. Rocking her gently, he supported her in her grief and anger.