Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 568(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
I reach over and stroke her cheek. “Eve, baby?” My voice is gravelly with pent-up emotion, my mind on alert. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. This is going to be bad, so fucking bad.
“Babe.”
Her eyes jerk open and she sits up, or at least she tries to sit up. Eve is all stomach.
She looks at me almost wild, and I know she knows, so I don’t say anything.
“No,” she croaks.
“Baby, it’s okay.” I reach for her, but she slaps my hand away.
“No.” She throws her legs over and stands. Her pregnant belly and beautiful breasts make me realize that I should have told her I love her. She was brave enough to tell me. Hell, she tells me all the time.
“No.” This time she screams. “Just no!” She goes toward the bathroom and I know her. She’s going to lock herself in and crawl into a corner. I won’t allow it. Not now—not ever.
I grab her arm and bring her to my chest cradling her head as the hot, wet tears run down my chest.
“He can’t be gone… he’s all I have,” she sobs out, and for a moment, I almost shake her. How dare she say that?
“He died peacefully and you’re never alone. I’ll be with you until one of us buries the other.” She pulls back, her beautiful blue eyes swimming in tears. I cup her face. “I’m here and I’m never letting you go.” My thumb wipes her cheek as she shakes her head and backs up.
“You… You were supposed to keep him alive.” She lifts a finger at me. “You promised me. You promised!” Her hands are in fists and her long golden hair is wild.
“You need to calm down. You don’t want to hurt the baby.” I walk toward her and she snorts and attacks me. Her long nails go straight for my face and chest, and there’s a stinging sensation as she rips her nails down my chest.
“What the fuck?” Grabbing her wrist before she can get my face, I hold her hand back.
“You promised… you don’t love me.”
“I’m not God, Eve. I know you thought I was keeping him alive. But it was you, Eve. He fought to the end for you.” My voice is calm and I marvel at how well I’m keeping it together.
“What am I to do?” Her body shakes with her anguish coming in loud, stuttering gasps.
“Stop it.” I shake her.
“Fuck you, Blade. You don’t scare me. I gave you everything. I’ve done everything to make you love me, but you don’t love me.” She takes a small gasp. “I’m alone. Don’t you see? He was it. I thought you and I, well… I thought that you and I were…” She stops as if she’s too tired to hold herself up. I reach for her. Her nails dig into my forearm. “And the one person in this world who loved me is dead. Oh my God.” She jerks a hand free and puts it over her mouth. “What am I to do? I’m nothing but a whore.”
“Enough. You’re making yourself sick. You’re mine—that’s all you need to know.”
She shakes her head, the sobs making her stomach jiggle. “I’m not yours! You don’t love me,” she snarls in my face.
“If you can’t settle down, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“I don’t care.” She laughs. Her eyes search the room. “I’m done, and I want to see my father. You can take me or I’ll walk because if you try to stop me…”
I don’t move.
“If you try… and stop me…” Her voice sounds confused. Then she sort of crumbles as I catch her. Lifting her into my arms, I carry her to our bed, her loud sobs making my heart bleed. I’ve killed men and felt remorse, yet watching my girl’s pain is unbearable. I turn her so that I can spoon her tightly letting her cry and hiccup into the sheet. Finally, the tears stop and she whispers, “I’m sorry.”
“Why? Because you loved your father? You’re devasted. Don’t apologize.” I snuggle my nose deeper into her neck. Her hands are warm as they cling to me and her coconut smell weaves around me.
“No, because I said those things to you,” she stutters out. “I want you to love me, but I can’t make you and—”
I turn her face to mine and cup her chin. Her cheeks are splotchy and her lips and eyes are red, but to me she’s never looked more beautiful. “Who took a bullet for you?” My voice is gravelly as I stroke both sides of her face. “Who?”
Her eyes well up with tears. “You.”
I bend to kiss her swollen lips. “I took a bullet for you because I don’t want to live without you.” I look at her, deep into her eyes seeing everything, and I want it all. I don’t give a shit if she likes to steal or needs a marriage certificate to feel loved. I like everything about her.