Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Her mother was very gifted. The plan for Gabrielle had always been to go to fashion school. Rosalie wasn’t clear if her mother wanted to be a designer or a pattern creator. Her mother was good at both. She’d seen some of the sketches she’d produced. She was amazingly talented.
Unfortunately, none of that had happened.
“I understand this was probably not the path you wanted—”
“You don’t have to do this,” Rosalie said.
“Do what?”
“Pretend. You don’t have to. This is a business deal. I get that. To unite your two clubs or whatever. I don’t need or want to know any of it. What you saw today, right now, that’s the most time I’ve spent with Daemon throughout my life. It’s taken twenty years for me to be useful enough for him to want anything to do with me.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’d have rather spent the rest of my life being useless to him. I’m not marrying your son because I want to, nor do I want to impress him. I’m marrying him so Daemon will leave me and my family the fuck alone.”
The cab drove up to the club. Rosalie didn’t see a reason to say goodbye, so she climbed into the back of the cab. She gave the driver her address and sat back, feeling relieved. This was going to be a nightmare.
“Are you okay, Miss?” the driver asked.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you for picking me up.”
“Ah, it’s no trouble.”
Her cell phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket to see Petal had been texting her.
Petal: What’s going on?
Petal: Are you ignoring me?
Petal: You’ve blown me off three times already. I’m starting to worry.
Rosalie: Just been busy. Mom’s upset. I’m staying with her.
Petal: Is this because of the bike?
Rosalie: I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
Petal didn’t text back. It pretty much went without saying that they would talk tomorrow. Rosalie didn’t have a clue what she would say to her friend. If she told her what was going on, there was no doubt in Rosalie’s mind, Petal would be there to help, to stop it.
Daemon would hurt her. He’d ruin Petal, and Rosalie couldn’t allow that to happen. There had to be some way of keeping her best friend from knowing what was going on. There had to be.
The driver cut through her thoughts by arriving at her home. She paid him the fare, climbed out, and walked up the driveway toward her mother’s home. She didn’t even get a chance to pull her key out to slide it in the lock. The door opened, and her mother stood waiting. Rosalie saw the bloodshot eyes and the red-tipped nose.
“Rosalie, baby,” she said, pulling her in for a hug.
She held onto her mother, stepping into the safety of their home and locking the door.
“I was so worried.”
“You didn’t need to stay up,” she said. Rosalie was more concerned about her mother than she was about herself.
“Of course I did. I needed to know you were okay.”
Rosalie stared at her mother. “I’m fine.”
Gabrielle touched her face, turning her cheek toward the light. “He hit you, didn’t he?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Because you didn’t wear those clothes?”
“Mom, I can handle it.”
“No, you shouldn’t have to handle it. I’m your mom, I’m the one that’s supposed to protect you.”
Rosalie wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. “You do take care of me. You do look after me.” She didn’t want to let her go. “I love you, Mom.”
Gabrielle held her tightly. “I don’t want to let you go. Not now, not ever. I’ve got to convince your father this is a mistake.”
“Mom, it’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
She pulled away. “Everything is going to be okay.” She nodded. “It’ll be fine. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy, the one I’m marrying. Besides, it’s not like I’ve got to go and live with him.”
“Honey, you’re marrying him.”
“I’ll still live here.” She knew it was all lies but for tonight, that was what she needed, at least for her mother to believe everything would be fine.
****
“I don’t like this,” Kim said, pacing the floor at the foot of her and Warden’s bed.
“What’s not to like?”
“Did you see the bruise on her cheek? He’d hit her and she didn’t want to be there.”
“You don’t know that. A lot of women would love to be in her position.”
“Not this one, I just know it,” Kim said.
She hated the sinking feeling she had as she saw Rosalie climb into the back of the car. There had been tears in her eyes and the moment she closed the door, she’d seen her relax. It was like the whole world was on her shoulders.
“Daemon said she understands what’s expected of her,” Warden said.
Kim snorted. “You expect me to believe that … piece of—”
“Kim, you and I both agreed this was the only way. If I pull out now, go back on my word, the bloodshed would be guaranteed.”