Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“Edward told me to get anything I had in the house that I wanted and go.”
She still felt shocked by that. They weren’t close, but she’d kind of thought he might care about her a bit.
“So you won’t see him again?” Billy asked. “What about those assholes? They won’t want anything to do with you either now that daddy dearest has kicked you out, will they?”
Ouch.
She winced. How did he always know just how to hurt her? It was like he took her worst fear and voiced it.
Indie wished she could tell him that they’d driven her home and asked her to come stay with them.
“How did you get home so quickly?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“It takes at least an hour and a half on the train. Plus travel time to the Slade estate. Then there’s waiting for the train. And lunch. You can’t have made it back so quickly. Unless you didn’t take the train . . .”
There was that look on his face again.
“Well, Indie? How did you get home? Or are you going to lie to me?” he asked in a scary voice.
“Slade gave me a ride,” she whispered, knowing lying would only make it worse.
“Slade . . . fucking Archibald Slade.”
She winced, knowing how much Slade hated his first name. He always went by his last name.
“That. Fucking. Prick. Do they still think they can have you? Because they can’t. You belong to me! Not those fucking dicks,” he roared.
She winced with a whimper as he picked up a vase filled with fake flowers and threw it at the wall.
Oh God.
“Four rich pricks who had Daddy’s money backing them. They didn’t have to claw their way to the top like I did!”
Seriously? It wasn’t like Billy’s family didn’t have money. Why did he resent Slade and the guys so much?
“They think they can get whatever they want because of who they are. But I’ve earned everything I’ve got. I’ve learned to do whatever I need to do to survive. They’ll learn. They’ll learn who is better than them. Who comes out on top. And it won’t be them.”
What was he talking about? On top of what?
Indie wanted to run. But she knew there was no getting away yet.
But soon she’d be gone. In fact, why wait until Thursday?
Tomorrow.
She’d go to them tomorrow.
8
Indie felt almost giddy as she walked toward the building where the guys lived.
They’d built this entire apartment complex right next to Hyde Park. It was lavish and expensive.
No wonder Billy was so envious of them.
No. Don’t think about him.
You’re leaving him.
She’d left everything he’d given her and only taken the things that were truly hers. But it didn’t matter that she had nothing. Because the guys would help her. She knew they would.
She headed to the main door and tapped in the code for the building. Then she headed toward the elevator and took it up to the penthouse.
Opening the door to the penthouse, she moved immediately to the alarm. She was always anxious that she wouldn’t turn it off in time.
So anxious that she failed to notice that the door didn’t immediately close behind her.
There. Done.
“Well, this is nice, isn’t it? Flash fucking digs. Guess I’d expect nothing less for those assholes.”
She turned with a scream, gaping at Billy.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
This wasn’t good.
“How . . . how are you here?”
“I followed you, of course.” He leaned back against the door, crossing his arms over his chest. “You really should be more aware of your surroundings.” He walked closer and cupped her face. “I wouldn’t want anyone to hurt you.”
She gulped heavily. “Like you?”
Billy grinned. But it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hurt you? Why would I hurt you?”
“You hurt me all the time,” she whispered. She didn’t know why she was baiting him. Maybe she felt safer being here?
She shouldn’t.
“I do that to teach you. To train you. Unfortunately, it seems like I need to take a firmer hand. Why are you here, Indie?”
“I . . . I came to visit.” She raised her chin.
“No, you’re here to leave me. You’re running from me to them! And now you’re lying about it!”
She shook her head, her pulse racing. She was going to be sick. “I’m not.”
“Don’t lie!” he roared. “I know the truth. But I was ready for this. I knew it as soon as you came home yesterday afternoon. You were so full of hope.”
Oh God.
“But it’s okay, I’m here to teach you who owns you.”
A whimper escaped before she could pull it back.
Billy’s face filled with pleasure.
How had she ever thought him attractive?
“What are you going to do? And why did you follow me in here? Why not stop me before now?”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to cause a scene in front of other people, would I? And maybe I wanted to see how they lived? Hell, I could even take you here, in their apartment, on their beds.”