Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“He actually hit you?”
“He backhanded me across the face, hard enough that my cheek swelled, and I still have a little bruising. Nothing that concealer won’t cover now, but last night, there was no way to hide it. Reid escorted me out of the party at my request so I didn’t have to explain what happened.”
“So then Reid didn’t attack…” Luc’s voice got scary quiet.
I knew he was angry.
The cold, quiet kind of anger which meant he was planning revenge. The only other time I heard him like this was when Olivia was taken by Marksen.
He saw what Zeigler had done to me as an attack on the family.
I was still a Manwarring, and I was his sister.
A soft, soothing warmth spread in my chest.
My brother really did care about me.
“Reid defended me. I won’t lie. It was brutal, but Luc, I don’t know how far Zeigler would have gone. He was very angry, and if Reid hadn’t been there… I don’t know what would have happened. Please don’t make me marry a man like that.”
“Father is already taking care of it. He’s been on the phone all morning threatening fire and brimstone to keep it out of the media. But this won’t be the end of it. He’s already talking about arranging another marriage to help you weather the storm. Sort of a bait and switch.”
“I think I have an idea to keep me safe from any more of father’s matchmaking. But right now, I have to get ready. I have a charity event this afternoon.”
“Well then, break a leg,” Luc said with a hollow-sounding laugh.
I knew that laugh. I had heard it before. It was his business laugh. The one he had when someone said something funny, or he was trying to be charming, but behind that laugh, he was already making his next move.
I really did have a charity event to go to this afternoon. I was excited to play, but there was something far more important I needed to do there.
I needed to talk to Ginnie.
I took my time in my large marble bathtub, letting the hot water soothe away the aches and pains as it washed away Reid’s touch.
I hated that the expensive soaps I used would completely remove any sign of him from my skin. The thought of Reid marking my body in a way that couldn’t just be washed away made my core clench.
I lay back in the tub, sinking all the way down into the steaming water, closed my eyes, and relived last night. I had been so caught up in the feelings, the cravings, and the urgency, I hadn’t really appreciated what he was doing to me.
There wasn’t time to process any of it.
So I took far longer than I needed to and reveled in everything.
Even the anger as he took me this morning.
How he hated bringing me back.
There was something powerful in that.
His need to mark me with his seed, to have me walk back into my father’s house with Reid’s come still drying on my thighs, made me feel… not dirty, but different.
Like I had a secret.
I knew I was changing and on the precipice of something great, even if no one else knew. A new chapter in my life was beginning, and I belonged to someone who wanted me for me, not for what my father could provide.
And frankly, after finally being brave enough to stand up for myself, I deserved the luxurious bubble bath.
I couldn’t wait to see Reid again. I wanted to show him that I could be his good girl and I would fight to be his.
Actions spoke louder than words, and I needed to show him how I wanted to be his.
I thought about telling him my plan when he dropped me off, but he was already so angry, and I couldn’t risk disappointing him if I wasn’t strong enough to go through with it. I couldn’t bear the idea of disappointing him.
It didn’t matter anymore.
He was escorting me to the charity gala, and on the way there, I would explain everything. Then I would play my heart out for this event, talk to Ginnie, and figure out what my next moves were.
Covering the bruises on my face took far longer than I had planned. And by the time I was ready to go to the event, I was running about five minutes late.
I ran downstairs, my cello in hand ready to meet Reid at the front door.
I couldn’t wait to tell him about my plan.
I wanted to see that look in his eyes, the one that said, ‘You are mine, and I am proud of you.’ He was going to call me his ‘good girl’ and whisper dirty things in my ear, and then after the charity, he would take me back to his place and reward me for being so brave. But he wasn’t there.