Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“But you’re not famous anymore?” I ask.
“Not as famous,” he says. “Or maybe Emil is just losing his mind and doesn’t care anymore.”
We sit in silence for a while, our hands embraced as if we never want to let go of each other.
There’s a hunger inside of me, flaring from my core, as images of the future spark awake in my vision, of Killian’s hand sliding up my legs and me moaning, twisting my body, so it takes shape against his desire.
Not fearing or backing away.
And all that comes after the lust, the wonderful life we could share…
“That’s why you have to come with me,” he says.
“What? Where?”
He stares at me firmly.
On the surface, he seems calm, but with Killian, it’s as though there’s a bomb beneath the top layer, ticking as though he could snap into action again.
“My place,” he says. “You need to stay there for a while.”
“I can’t do that,” I reply.
“Why not?”
“Mom wouldn’t agree to leave, for one thing,” I say. “And we only just met. How do I know you’re not making all of this up? How do I know I’m safe with you? How do I know I can trust you?”
He looks at me steadily. “Do you think I’m lying to you?”
“No,” I answer honestly. “But you could be.”
A voice hisses in my mind, telling me this is Dad’s paranoia coming out, Dad’s doubt about the world. I shouldn’t let it rule me.
But no – that’s crap.
I don’t know Killian.
All I know is he’s the only man I ever want, my future husband and father to my kids. And that he would freak if I mentioned any of that to him.
“Mia,” Killian growls, leaning forward, gripping my hand with both of his. “Emil is a violent man. He’s clearly unhinged. Think about it. I last saw him almost ten years ago… and he still cares about me refusing to fix fights for him. Instead, he went through the effort of following you home.”
“Mom wouldn’t agree,” I tell him. “After Dad….”
I trail off, not wanting to venture into that complication.
“She became even more of a… of a hermit, I guess you’d call it. She became less likely to leave the house. I don’t see how I will magically make her leave to stay in a stranger’s house.”
Just saying the words aloud hammers home how ridiculous they are.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
Killian’s eyes refocus, waking from a dream. “No. I get it. We’ve only just met. You’d be crazy to come with me. But I have to keep you safe. If Emil did something to you….”
“Do you think he would, just to get to you?”
“That was the one thing he always wanted. To find somebody I cared about and use them as leverage. My only friends were fighters, and they could take care of themselves. My Mom died even before my Dad did.”
“I’m so sorry, Killian.”
“We’ve both got our fair share of tragedy,” he replies, holding my gaze.
He’s silently asking about my Dad.
“You have to call me if anything suspicious happens,” he says. “Day or night, I don’t care. And if you need to leave the house for any reason, you can call me then, too. I’ll come running.”
“You’d really do that?”
His answer is to kiss me again, our lips magnetizing as though we don’t have control over it. Mine are attracted to his with the same velocity, the same compulsion.
He groans through the kiss.
I can feel his animal nature awakening, the deep-rooted hunger in his savage soul.
But then he breaks it off.
“You’re making it too hard to be a gentleman,” he says gruffly. “And the answer is yes. I am going to do that. I have to ask you again.”
“Mom won’t come. She hasn’t left the house in months.”
“Jesus.” Killian sits back, sighing. “What if I stayed with you?”
“She’d freak. She doesn’t trust anybody. Dad saw to that.”
“But here you are, anyway.”
I summon some sassiness. Maybe it’s how close he is, our noses tickling each other, sensations dancing over me.
“I guess you’re the exception to the rule.”
My cell phone blares from my pocket.
It’s Mom.
“Hello?” I say.
“Where are you?” Her voice is taut. “Are you okay? What’s going on? Is something happening?”
“I’m fine,” I tell her. “Just downstairs.”
“Doing what?”
I close my eyes, reminding myself of how much I love this woman, of how much she’s suffered.
“Checking the mail. I’ll be up soon.”
When I hang up, Killian is staring at me. “Is she always like that?”
“It’s not her fault. She took Dad’s death even harder than I did.”
“Has she been to therapy?”
“It’s too expensive. I’m sorry. I have to go.”
“I mean it,” he says, his hand curling powerfully around my wrist. “You call me for anything.”
“I will. Thank you.” Reaching into the back of the car, I scratch Speeder on top of the head. “Nice to meet you, boy.”