Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
He snatched his hand back and reached for the blanket to cover her up again.
Teasing her like this while she was still in pain wasn’t taking care of her. He had to show that he could put her first.
Something he was certain that asshole, Oleg, would never do.
When he had her covered, he made her take the painkillers, then plugged in the heating pad and placed it behind her back. As he was getting his T-shirt to put on her, he noticed her face had dropped, staring at her lap. There was an air of dejection around her.
What was wrong with her?
Reaching out, he grasped her chin, lifting her face.
“Please don’t,” she whispered.
He ran his finger over her cheek. Hmm. “Why do you think I covered you up?”
“Urgh, I don’t know.”
“You have an idea, though, don’t you?”
She shrugged, breathing out deeply. “Maybe you didn’t want to look at my tiny, nonexistent boobs.”
An angry noise escaped him before he quickly stifled it. Her eyes were wide as she gaped at him.
“You’re not to talk about yourself like that,” he warned her.
“Or you’ll punish me?” she whispered.
“Yeah. And I might not wait until you’re mine because that shit upsets the hell out of me. You’re amazing, lass. Stunning. Smart. Kind. Hard-working. The only time I can see you ever messed up was when you chose that ass-pig.”
“Ass-pig?” she asked.
To his surprise, her lips curled up at the edges. He started to relax slightly. He realized he was a bit concerned that he was coming on too strong.
“Ass-pig.”
“He is that. Or was? Is Oleg . . .”
Colm tilted his head to the side. “You want to know?”
“I have to.”
“He’s being held prisoner. Anton and Pavel were caught trying to sneak away. They’re with him. Arnie too.”
Concern filled her face. “What will . . . what will happen to them?”
“You cannot tell me that you’re worried about that ass-pig,” he growled at her.
Because that bastard, Oleg, in no way deserved her concern.
“No,” she whispered. “No, the only thing that concerns me about Oleg is that he’s still alive. I want him dead. Can . . . can that happen?”
He eyed her in surprise. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting her to say.
“You want me to kill him for you, baby?”
“I . . . I don’t know. I don’t want you to have to do it. But I don’t want him to still be breathing.”
He wondered why. Why now? Because he’d kidnapped and threatened her? Sure, that was enough of a reason. But he worried that there was something more, a greater motive.
That perhaps . . . he’d done something worse to her.
“Did he hurt you?” he growled.
Her eyes rose to his in shock. “H-hurt me? What do you mean?”
He stiffened as rage filled him.
That bastard had. He’d harmed her.
“I’m going to do more than fucking kill him,” he said, standing. “I’m going to fucking rip him limb from limb. Why the hell didn’t your cousin take care of you better? Why did he let that bastard near you? And why the fuck is he still breathing?”
Not that he would be for long. Colm would see to that. He didn’t deserve to be breathing the same air as his girl.
“I . . . I . . . he didn’t . . .”
He shot her a look and she stopped trying to deny what they both knew to be true.
“I’m holding on by a thread here, lass,” he warned her. “And you lying to me will tip me over the edge. He hurt you. If you can’t tell me what he did, then at least do not deny that he did it.”
When she didn’t say anything, he knew that was as much of an admission as he was going to get.
At least for right now.
Eventually, she would tell him everything. But he understood that she couldn’t right now.
“I don’t . . . I don’t want you to have blood on your hands because of me,” she suddenly said, tears filling her eyes.
“Oh, baby. This isn’t on you. He signed his death warrant the moment he touched you. I just wish I’d known earlier.”
He had to go to Oleg now. To teach him a lesson . . . to . . .
Fuck.
Colm took in the fear and pain on his girl’s face and knew he wouldn’t be leaving her just yet. He couldn’t.
Reaching down, he cupped her chin. Then he forced himself to sit and grab his T-shirt, which had dropped on the floor.
“You’re not . . . you’re not going now?”
“He’ll keep,” he said gruffly. “Right now, you need me more.”
A small sob escaped her and he knew that he’d made the right choice.
“It’s all right, baby. I’m here. I’m here.” He wished he could hold her tight, draw her onto his lap, and keep her there forever.