Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
"There's only one thing I want, My Little Prey. You. Only you."
I blink my eyes open at the confession and find him staring at me. It's a shock to my fragile system. "Funny, I haven’t seen you in days. In fact, I’ve seen more of your friends than I have you, so I don’t believe a single word you just said.”
Stupid, Elyse. Don’t let him know you miss him.
"I might be wrong, but it sounds like you missed me?”
I shake my head. “Nope, just keeping tabs on the enemy.”
“Mmm, yes. The enemy. The monster.” He mocks and gives his head a slight shake like he’s trying to stave off some imaginary beast. “Not that it matters since you hate me anyway, but I decided it might be better for you if I wasn’t the one delivering your meals every single day. I just assumed I was the last person you wanted to see right now.”
“You were right.” I let the lie roll off my tongue. “So what now? Are you going to disappear again? Are you going to let me go?”
It’s a hopeful question, but I know his answer will be no.
“Not sure if you noticed, or even care, but you are my wife. Marriage is important to me, believe it or not, and it’ll be hell or high water before I let you go. Not even death will keep us apart.” He leans in, and there's something manic in his expression. "You belong to me, Elyse, and the quicker you accept this reality the easier all of this will be.”
I swallow around the knot in my throat. "Why? Why would you want me after everything that happened? After I told you that I don’t want you and that I hate you?"
"You’re upset, and I understand that but I made you a promise a while back, that I’d keep you safe, and so far, I've been shit about keeping that promise. That has changed. Going forward, I will do whatever I need to do to ensure you’re safe.”
"What about...?"
"You killed Yanov, rather spectacularly, I might add…?" I flinch at the menace in his tone. "Or let me guess, your father? Are you worried he’s going to come after you, or maybe me?”
The thought terrifies me, but I say nothing. Sebastian merely stares at me as if I’m the most important thing in the world, looking past that fear and down in the dark depths of my soul. “Who the fuck knows what your father’s next move will be. It doesn’t matter, not when you now share my last name.”
"I see how it is. You only married me to protect me, huh?”
His eyes lose some of their warmth, and the muscles of his jaw clench tightly. "I wouldn’t go through the trouble of marrying you if I didn’t plan to keep you, to fill you with my seed, and watch your belly swell with our children. If I didn’t want to show off my ring on your finger, and my marks on your skin.”
The air becomes electrically charged, and I bite back a moan. The possession in his tone and words…how could I ever run from that? But how can I stay, knowing it was never real? That he kept me around because he wanted to know if I would remember anything important, anything incriminating.
“I married you because you’re mine. Giving you my name is merely another layer of protection, but don’t think for one moment anything about this marriage is fake. I want everyone to know who owns your heart and soul.”
God, I should be terrified. This man is a killer. But then…so am I.
"Okay, so now what? I’m yours, we’re married. What happens next?”
He shifts over on his knees, and I wince since he's no doubt ruining his pants.
What the fuck do I care about his pants right now? As he slides closer I realize he's trapping me, boxing me in with his body. At the last minute, I shift and jerk away from the corner but he’s fast and sly like a fox. With little effort I’m trapped by his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and thick thighs. I look everywhere but at his face, because one look and I’ll unravel at the seams.
That must be what he wants, since he captures my face between his palms and forces me to look at him. His gaze pins me in place, so heavy I nearly whimper from the weight of it.
"Please. Just let me go." Am I begging him to release me, or let me walk out of this house, away from him? I don't know.
Something twists on his face, and I can instantly see the way he takes it. "Let you go? Do you really think I’d walk away so easily? That I’d leave you to fend for yourself?”
I try to calm my breathing as I’m now almost panting. "I...I don’t know what to believe anymore. I thought I knew you, and I don’t. All of this is a bad idea. I won’t let you be responsible for my wrongdoings. We both know you don’t want the publicity that something like this brings, and especially not on your family name.”