Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
His forearms moved to his knees, his rough palms gently gliding past each other, a slight scraping sound audible over the fire. “Then what do you want to do?”
“Kill him.”
He quickly hung his head. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not? After what he did to Beatrice and—”
“Trust me, I want to.” His voice deepened, rough like sandpaper, hostile like a loaded gun. “You have no idea what I want to do to every freak in that godforsaken place. But that’s not an option. Don’t ask me again.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.” He raised his head, his look furious.
“I meant, why is that not an option?”
After a long silence, he gave a subtle shake of his head. “It’s complicated.”
“Do you do business with them?”
His blue eyes locked on to mine, his presence as solid as the statues in Hell. “Not personally.”
“Then your friend…Bartholomew?”
“He’s not my friend.”
“Whatever. Is that why?”
“Yes. He was the reason I found Claire. He didn’t do it as a favor—because I owe him something in return. I gave my word not to retaliate in any way. And I will keep it. Instead of going on a killing spree, I’ll spend time with my daughter. It’s over.”
It would never be over for me. “I have friends that are still there…”
“I’m sorry.” He didn’t seem the least bit sorry about it. “But you should forget about them. They would want you to.”
“No, they wouldn’t.” I pictured them sitting together in that church, the Malevolent blocked from view by those papers covering the windows, like mice in a cage. “If it were me, I’d expect them to do everything they could to get me out. Not just go about their lives and enjoy their freedom like nothing happened.”
“Then go to the police—”
“That’s a dead end…and you probably already know that.”
He looked away, admitting his guilt.
“Do they pay off the police or something?”
“It’s…complicated.”
“I doubt it’s that complicated—”
“I said I would help you, not give you a lesson in the underground crime organizations of France.”
Going to the police was pointless because these guys were more powerful than the police. I would never get those girls out of there—at least, not on my own.
“How else can I help you?” He looked at me once again, his hands together.
“I…” I had no idea. There was nowhere to go. There was nowhere to hide.
His crystal-blue eyes remained patient, waiting for a response so he could fulfill his obligation and move on.
“I have nowhere to go…” It was a depressing realization. There was no one in my life that could handle this situation. I used to be all I needed to get by, but now I wasn’t enough. I couldn’t return to ballet and start over. Forneus would just take me again.
But then it hit me.
Forneus wouldn’t touch Benton.
Therefore, he wouldn’t touch me. “I know it’s a lot to ask—”
“Nothing is too much—not after what you did for Claire.”
Well, he probably didn’t suspect I’d ask for this. “I want to stay…”
His intelligent eyes shifted back and forth slightly, crystal-blue waters over a sandy shore. The depth of his eyes extended as deep as the universe, infinite. “In Paris?”
“No…I want to stay here with Claire.”
The understanding was slow, and his eyes took their time accepting my meaning. “Why?”
“Because he won’t cross you.”
“If he’s really obsessed with you, nothing will stand in his way. And I’m not going to put Claire in the path to get to you.”
“Like I said, it’s a lot to ask. But if I walk out of here, he’ll take me right back to that horrible place. There’s nowhere I can run…nowhere I can hide…not unless I kill him.”
He shifted his gaze to the dying fire, his expression strained.
“I can take care of Claire, be her nanny, help out around the house.” There was no better way to heal than be with Claire, the little person I’d worked so hard to protect. We could both overcome that painful experience with Benton looking after us both. “It’s not forever. He’ll eventually replace me with someone else, someone he believes in…and then I can leave.”
His eyes remained on the fire.
I already knew his answer. He’d just gotten his daughter back, and he wouldn’t put her at risk again, not for anyone. I would have to ask for something else, maybe some weapons, and when Forneus came after me, I’d pull the trigger and hope we both didn’t die in gunfire.
“Alright.”
Alright? “You…you’re going to let me stay?”
He nodded, his eyes still on the fireplace.
In disbelief, I stared.
“There was nothing you wouldn’t do to protect my daughter. So, there’s nothing I won’t do to protect you.” The fire was pretty much dead at this point, just a cloud of smoke, but he stared at it anyway, his fingers stitched together.
“Um…thank you.”
“I could use the help with Claire anyway.”
I was still in disbelief, the relief still dumping into my blood. My entire body felt better. The fight-or-flight response immediately shut off. There was no more anxiety. As long as I was under his roof, under his protection, Forneus wouldn’t touch me. “I’m happy to help.”