Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Turns out my dinner served a better purpose than I’d anticipated. It got Miles off of me and facilitated my escape.
But if Falcon and Leif hadn’t come, Miles would have eventually found me huddled in that closet, still covered in my own puke. He would’ve forced me into a shower, probably had servants scrub me clean.
Then he would’ve strapped me down, probably gagged me so I wouldn’t puke again.
And then he would have forced himself on me. Raped me. And he wouldn’t have been gentle.
And sometime tomorrow—probably it’s today already—I would’ve been forced into marriage.
A marriage I agreed to for Falcon.
Even now, I don’t regret that decision. I assumed I would have to go to bed with Miles after the wedding, but his mother assured me he wouldn’t come to me tonight.
She was so wrong.
He wasn’t going to take me in love. Of course not. He doesn’t love me and I don’t love him.
No, he was taking me in anger. Rage.
Which means…
He doesn’t want this union any more than I do.
It’s our fathers…
And I need to figure out why.
“Vannah?” A soft knock as Falcon’s voice comes through the door. “You okay in there?”
What a loaded question. I’m so far from okay.
But I’m a hell of a lot more okay than I would’ve been had Falcon and Leif not come for me.
I clear my throat. “Yeah. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“No rush, baby. Just checking.”
I wipe the steam off of the mirror with the towel.
Small beads of condensation form on the glass instantly, but at least I can see myself. A sort of blurry image of me.
Kind of how I truly see myself right now.
I want to be with Falcon more than I want anything else, but even more than that? I want his freedom. I want him to have a good life.
If he goes back to prison…
God, I can’t go there.
He said he would serve a thousand more prison sentences for me. But doesn’t he understand that I don’t want that for him? I want him to have the life he deserves.
He wasn’t born into the mafia.
That’s me, not him.
While I can’t escape the circumstances of my birth, he can. He doesn’t have to be bound by it.
Maybe one day he’ll tell me what really happened that day. That day that young cop got shot, and Falcon took the heat for it.
I’m pretty sure he’s protecting one of his brothers. Perhaps even one of his sisters.
I don’t know. I don’t know who else Falcon would go to prison to protect.
All I can think of is his family. Well, his family and me, apparently. He would gladly go back to prison to keep me out of the McAllisters’ clutches.
He would definitely do anything for Raven, too. I’ve seen how much he loves her, how much her illness is killing him.
And now?
He doesn’t even know how Raven is doing because he came after me.
He came after me when he should be with her.
I discard my towels and wrap a dry one around me, my hair falling in damp waves around my shoulders.
I leave the bathroom.
Falcon’s eyes turn to fire when he looks at me. “God, Vannah. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you look more beautiful.”
I have to let out a short chuckle. “Falcon,” I say, “we need to talk.”
“We do,” he agrees. “But first, I’m taking you to bed, Vannah. I need you.”
I hold my hand out to stop him. “Falcon, I need you to check on Raven. See if her bloodwork came back.”
His face twists in anguish. “I can’t think about that right now, Savannah.”
“We both have to be thinking about that. We have to remember that there are other people in this world. Not just us and our problems.”
“You’re more important to me than anyone,” he says.
“That doesn’t mean Raven isn’t important to you. It doesn’t mean you can just—”
He stops me with two fingers to my lips. “I adore Raven. I’m worried sick about her. But Leif will get the information, and he’ll let me know as soon as he knows anything. It’s the middle of the night, Savannah. We’re not going to get any news right now.”
I sigh. He’s right, of course.
“We have a lot to talk about, both of us,” he continues. “But it can all wait until morning.”
“You don’t understand.” I pace the room. “The McAllisters won’t wait until morning. Neither will my father. They’ll be out looking for me. They won’t stop until they find me.”
He grabs my shoulders and stops me in my place. “They won’t find you here, Savannah. And if they’re even close, I’ll find out, and we’ll get you the hell out of here.”
“You don’t understand.” I try to wiggle free, but he keeps his hands firmly planted on me.
“Perhaps I don’t understand everything,” he says. “I don’t know exactly what your family is into. But what I do know is that I will move heaven and earth to keep you safe, Savannah. If it means I burn down the city, so be it.”