Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
I still believe my father is innocent in all this, but Alaric doesn’t.
It feels like a weight is crushing me. I watch him when he sees his men; it doesn’t look like a surprise. He knew who would be here.
The boat edges closer, and then one of the crew members from the fishing boat jumps off to help tie the rope onto the dock.
I wait for Alaric to say something to me, but he continues to pace the deck, waiting. His shoulders are tense, and for a minute when the boat docks, I think he will get off the boat without saying a word to me.
Him leaving without saying goodbye has my heart thumping rapidly in my chest.
He wouldn’t do that. Would he?
Then I get my answer as he walks. I sit in silence as he’s off the boat and hugging Cristian.
He … he left me.
It will be okay.
When I’m off the ship, I’ll call my father. I’ll figure something out.
I don’t even know where I am.
Again, I’m shaking. Again, I feel the tears forming behind my eyelids. But I hold them back. I won’t let him see me cry.
I’m about to get up and move to leave when he turns and looks at me. Our eyes lock. Then he’s storming back to me.
I’m startled by the ferocity of his movements.
He grabs me forcefully, and his mouth is on mine.
He kisses me with a desperate passion, and I know this is it. This is his way of saying goodbye. The tears I’ve been holding back pour out of my eyes, and he pulls back. His gaze trails down my face, watching me cry.
He lifts his hand up and wipes one away.
“Your father is on his way,” he says
“You called my dad.”
“I did.” My back goes ramrod straight, and he slides his finger along my jaw. “Don’t worry. This isn’t a trap. I won’t hurt him.”
“Why?” I whisper, still against his lips.
“Because of you. Because of what he means to you. I could never hurt you like that, dove.” His breath tickles my mouth, but his words make me go warm.
“I thought you were going to call me Phoenix,” I whisper.
“I lied.” He laughs. “You will always be my dove.” And with that, he pulls away. I want to hold him to me. Beg him not to leave and tell him we can make it work regardless. But as I see a car approaching in the distance, I know who it is, and I know why he’s leaving. My legs grow weak, and as I watch him walk off into the distance without a goodbye, I feel like I might fall.
Nothing about me will ever be the same after my time with Alaric.
That much I’m sure of.
And I’ll be better for it.
When he’s gone, the car stops right in front of where the boat is. It is barely set into park before the door is flying open.
My father comes running out of the car. I have known Michael since I was a little girl. Longer than I can ever imagine. My earliest memories are of him, but never have I seen him like this before.
He grabs me in his arms, emotions playing on his feature. I stay in his arms, hugging him for a few minutes, before he pulls back and looks me up and down, trying to make sure I’m okay. I’m sure I look like a mess. I haven’t bathed since the island days ago. Yes, Alaric and I still brushed our teeth on the raft, but that was the end of personal hygiene because of the storm.
“Are you okay?” he asks, scowling. “What did that bastard do to you?”
“He did nothing.”
“Like hell, he didn’t.”
“Dad …” I take his hands in mine. “He never hurt me. He saved me, actually.”
“You wouldn’t have had to be saved if it wasn’t for him.”
“Now that’s not true.” My father looks at me like I’m crazy. “I snuck onto his boat, remember? I came with a plan. A malicious one.”
“And he kept you. He could have let you go.”
He’s right there, but I’ve moved past that fact a long time ago. I have made my peace with both Alaric’s and my involvement in what happened to us. Neither one of us were innocent, and there is no point dwelling on the past.
Together, we walk to the car. I’m not sure where we are, what island, but I don’t bother asking anything. I don’t want to know. I just want to go home.
I’m exhausted. I can barely breathe, and the truth is, I’m on the verge of falling apart.
It doesn’t matter because thankfully, I don’t need to do anything or say anything. The car is silent as we drive to wherever we are going, and then we are pulling up to a Gulfstream jet.
I’m in a daze, and maybe he is too, or he understands I’ve been through enough today.