Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 83872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“Amelia, answer me,” he commanded.
I drew in a deep breath, my lips trembling. “I was forced to suck his dick while he told me the story,” I said, my voice shaky from my tears and the emotional roller coaster that I was riding on.
Cole pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. I tried to fight against him, knowing that him holding me was only going to cause the gate holding my tears in to open wide. He held me tighter, not letting me go, and eventually, I gave in to my emotions. I broke down and sobbed, my tears running down his chest. “I couldn’t save her Cole,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry. When he opened the trunk, I had just woken up and she was lying beside me. She was so cold—”
Cole cut me off by shhing me. “Don’t,” he soothed. “You’ve said enough. You don’t need to say anymore.”
I ignored him. I had to tell him. Now that I had started, I couldn’t stop. “She was in the same room with me for three days,” I choked out. “Fuck, Cole, I could smell her rotting.” He flinched. “I’ll never forget that smell. I don’t know how many times I watched him and his men touch her and fuck her over and over. She was so innocent, and they took that away from her. It was all my fault. I could have just told you what was going on from the start, what they were doing to me, and what they were planning, but I was so fucking stupid—”
Cole pulled my face back from his chest, forcing our eyes to connect. “Amelia, this is not your fault, okay? None of this is your fucking fault. Jesus, he beat you and raped you, Amelia. You’re a victim in this, too. You had nothing to do with Heather’s death. As much as everyone here wants to blame you for that, you can’t be blamed. My family is at fault for letting her take off during one of her tantrums.”
I pushed away from him, and my back collided with the wall. I winced in pain, a sharp breath hissing through my lips. I didn’t want to hear this shit.
“Amelia, you can’t say this was your fault. For fuck’s sake, have you even seen yourself? You’re in worst shape than she looks, and she’s fucking dead!” Cole yelled at me, getting aggravated, his temper flaring. “You’ve got to stop this. Admit that you’re a fucking victim, Amelia. Over and over again, he’s done this shit to you, but you keep it fucking bottled up inside—”
“I kept it inside because I thought it was better for everyone else, when in reality—”
He cut me off again. “No!” Cole roared, storming away from me and clenching his fists tightly. I watched the muscles in his back bunch together as his body tensed with his rage. “You kept it in because that bastard terrifies you!”
“He does not!” I yelled back at him, getting fed up with this. Why couldn’t he see that this was my fault? Why was he trying to make it out to be that I was innocent?
Cole stormed back over to me. “He does, and you know it, Amelia! You fucking push it aside because you think that fear makes you weak, but for fuck’s sake, Amelia, you’re the strongest fucking person I know! I don’t know anyone in this club who could go through the shit you’ve been put through and still stay together!” he roared.
“I’m not even together!” I screamed to the point my throat hurt, tears running down my face. “I’m fucking breaking, Cole!”
He wrapped his large, calloused hand around the back of my neck and kissed me. No matter what I had been though, I kissed him back. No matter what, I knew Cole would never hurt me. He would do everything in his power to protect me.
“You’re still together, Amelia,” he whispered against my lips. “If you were really falling apart, trust me, I’d be the first person to know, probably before you even knew yourself.”
More tears streamed down my face. “But why her, Cole?” I sobbed. “Why did he have to choose to kill Heather?”
“Even though he knew he could get to me through you, he wanted to affect the entire club, mainly my parents. Your death would not devastate them, but Heather’s would. He did exactly what he wanted to accomplish.”
I looked at the half drank bottle of liquor on Cole’s nightstand. How was that even though he had been drinking, I still believed and trusted in everything he said?
He pressed a kiss to my temple. “Come on. Let’s lay down and go to sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
After lifting me up into his arms, he carried me over to his bed and laid me down. But instead of the peaceful sleep I was sure Cole was hoping I would get, I tossed and turned all night, tormented by the images and flashbacks of what I endured with that bastard and seeing Heather’s dead body beside me for so many days.