Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 176(@300wpm)
“What do ye mean?” He cocks his head to the side, looking at me as if I’m speaking another fucking language.
Hadrian wanted me to walk away from this life and leave my father’s business. It’s the one demand of his that I wanted to obey, but I couldn’t abandon the man who raised me. Even though I resented my father for bringing me into his organisation, there was no way out once I was in.
“I’ve had to take over from Da. He’s been…” I shake my head as I think about my father’s health. “He’s been sick for a while now. He developed heart problems a few years ago and eventually he had cardiac surgery. He seemed to be on the mend and ready to take back the organisation, but a few months ago he started to go down hill again, and the doctors aren’t sure why. They keep testing for anything and everything, but they haven’t discovered the cause yet. With my father unwell, I’m the one in charge. So, as I said, if you need something, you can talk to me.”
I turn to walk away, but Hadrian is faster.
His hand swipes out, and grabbing my arm, he swings me around so fast I stumble into his tall, rigid frame. He’s bigger than he was back then. He has more ink, and he still makes those fucking teenage flurries of excitement flutter in my belly.
“Like feck ye’re running this shite,” Hadrian bites out as he pins me with a glare so fierce I’m sure he’s going to kill me. “Where the feck is your old man? I want to speak to him.”
When I go to pull away, his grip tightens, his fingers digging into my flesh, and I can’t help but bite my lip to keep from moaning at the sensations coursing through my body. He doesn’t know anything about me since he left. He doesn’t know I enjoy a bite of pain with my pleasure, and he’s delivering it in spades right now.
“Let me go.” I keep my voice firm, commanding, even though I want nothing more than to sink into his arms and beg him to fuck me.
When Hadrian left, I was a mess, and I told my father how I felt about him. Da was adamant that Hadrian was far too dangerous for me and had done the right thing by leaving. I tried to persuade him that Hadrian was someone who could’ve kept me safe if I needed it. Yes, there was blood on his hands, but he would never have hurt me, not out of anger anyway, but my father didn’t want to listen.
“Harley,” Hadrian murmurs then, his tone softening, and it tugs at every part of my restraint.
I don’t want to care about him. I certainly can’t allow him to see what he’s doing to me, so I pull against his hold. He releases me, and the last remnants of my stupid teenage heart break once more.
“There is nothing here for you, Hadrian.” I turn and start to walk away.
I don’t make it far before I hear him say, “There’s always been something here for me, Magpie.” The words he utters sink into my psyche, into my chest, and they attack my heart with a vengeance.
My feet cease to move, and I flick my gaze over my shoulder. He’s watching me, like he always used to. No matter how many times he told me he wasn’t right for me, I never believed him. I could see in his eyes what he felt for me. And when he walked away, I wanted so badly to hate him, but I never could bring myself to feel anything but love. Now everything is different, and there’s no room for him in my life—or my heart.
So, I reply, “Not anymore.”
I turn and walk to my sleek, black BMW M5 that my father bought for me when I turned twenty-one. I didn’t want something over the top, or conspicuous, so I chose a car that I’d seen a lot of affluent youngsters driving.
Preparing to leave, I take a long deep breath. I don’t look back as I start the engine. I can’t bring myself to face him. I don’t know why Hadrian has returned, but before I bump into him again, I’m going to have to try to figure out what he wants from me.
It’s only as I’m pulling out of the car park that I realise I didn’t get to finish the job I came here to do, so I’ll have to return later. The warehouse is one of the places where we store the stock we unload from the ships that dock at the small port in South Shields. It’s not as large as many of the other ports around the country, but it’s big enough for our needs.