Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
“You’ve always been strong, Meghan. We’re just here to remind you of that fact.” He turned to face me, his eyes ringing with understanding.
I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face against his chest, breathing in the scent that was purely Axel. “Thank you.” He tightly wrapped his arms around me.
“Always, sweet girl,” he told me before he pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
The doorbell rang, breaking Axel and I out of our trance. We split apart, but before we even left my painting room, I heard Julian shouting. “You’ve got some fucking balls showing up here at my fucking house expecting to talk to my woman after the fucking shit you said about her!” Julian barked.
My stomach dropped to my feet. Axel gently brushed past me and jogged down the hallway to go stop Julian from bashing Vincent’s face in. I rushed around the corner. Julian was standing toe to toe with Vincent, that monster that Julian kept locked away inside of him rearing its ugly head.
It was the same monster that I knew led him to kill my rapist that tragic night.
“Look, I just want to clear things up—"
“She fucking knows what you really think about her, so get the fuck out!” Julian roared, his fists clenching at his sides.
“Bro, come on,” Axel coaxed as he wedged himself between Julian and Vincent. “Meghan doesn’t need to see this.”
“Then get her the hell out of here, Axel,” Julian ordered. “I might have changed, but when it comes to her happiness, I’m still a fucking monster. Either get the fuck out of my way, or get your face bashed in, too.”
I sucked in a sharp breath of air, my heart pounding hard in my chest. I didn’t want Julian and Axel fighting. “Fucking watch yourself, Julian,” Axel warned him. “You care about her happiness? You know putting your fucking hands on me will rip her apart. So fucking think twice before you spout some bullshit like that from your mouth again.”
“Julian,” I pleaded, terrified that he would fight Vincent. I couldn’t take it if he did. Vincent and I may be on the outs. Hell, we may never become friends again, but I couldn’t take it if they fought.
Julian clenched his jaw but took a step back from Vincent and Axel at the sound of my voice. “You want to fucking talk to her? Fine. But you’ll talk to her with me and Axel in the room, you got me?” Julian turned to look at Axel. “Get her calm,” he ordered.
“Julian,” I called again as Axel made his way over to me.
My blue-eyed man turned to face me, his eyes softening. “Let him take care of you, baby girl.” I frowned at him. “It’s alright. I swear to you, I won’t put my hands on Vincent, okay?”
“Promise?” I asked him.
Julian nodded. “I promise, baby girl.”
Axel grabbed my hand in his. “Come on, sweet girl,” he coaxed, leading me to mine and Julian’s bedroom. I shot one last worried look over my shoulder, but Julian flashed me an easy grin that helped to calm my nerves.
I tightened my hand around Axel’s. Once we were in the bathroom, he shut the door behind us and lifted me onto the bathroom counter before he grabbed my bottle of clonazepam. I looked up at Axel. “I’m not ready to talk to him.”
He blew out a harsh breath. “I know, sweet girl, and Julian knows, too. It’s why we’re going to be there with you. You won’t be alone with him.”
I swallowed down the orange pill. “What if he’s horrible to me?” I asked him, tears welling in my eyes.
Axel gripped my face in his hands and soothed his lips over mine like a balm to the cracked pieces of my heart. “Julian and I will be there to take care of you,” he reminded me. “You are our number one priority. Don’t ever forget that, Meghan.”
My bottom lip trembled. “Vincent isn’t going to understand,” I croaked, referring to me being with both men.
“Doesn’t matter because it’s not his relationship,” Axel retorted. He let a mischievous smirk tilt his lips that had my heart melting in my chest. “Besides, monogamy is overrated, sweet girl.”
I blushed. He grinned. “There she is.” He brushed his lips with mine again. “Now come on. Be Julian’s goddess, sweet girl. Be that beautiful woman you painted. Don’t lock her away. You bleed brown and blue; you bleed us. Don’t ever forget that.”
He linked his fingers with mine before he led me back out into the living room. I drew in a deep breath before we rounded the corner, trying to prepare myself for this. Julian moved over on the couch to make room for me and Axel so that I was sandwiched between them. Vincent was on the loveseat beside us. I drew my feet up on the couch and wrapped my arms around them, trying to hide the shaking of my hands.