Series: Shame On You Series by Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51495 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51495 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
I gasp, my trembling hands coming up to touch his shirt. I don’t need him to stand on my own two feet. I just want to be touching him. My body steadies the second my palms are over his heartbeat. I dare to ask him, “What are you going to do?”
He chuckles, and the sound is low and hot. It’s dangerous, just like he is. Sometimes, when we’re in bed together, I can forget about the dark parts of Declan. I can ignore the dark parts of both our lives. But they’re always with him.
My heart pounds. Whatever Declan’s about to say, he’s already decided. He knew before he came into this room. He has a plan for what happens next, and knowing Declan, it’s not going to be a lawsuit or a cease-fire.
“I’m going to make him pay,” he says, his voice just above a whisper. Shivers explode down my spine, all the way down the backs of my legs and down to my toes. This isn’t just Declan speaking to me now. This is Declan Cross. “I’m going to set an example. No one will ever touch you or speak ill of you ever again. And I want you to come with me.”
Declan
My sweet naive girl doesn’t belong in Carter’s office.
With a pretty blue knit sweater that makes her appear even smaller, she’s out of place in the harsh and dark atmosphere.
I thread my fingers between hers and squeeze. Our clasped hands hang between the two chairs. She sits on the left and I sit on the right. Both of us are across from Carter, who’s barely looked at me while he apologizes to Braelynn.
“There’s nothing we can do to make it right,” Carter says as his thumb taps against the desk.
“It’s okay,” Braelynn is quick to say, and I swear I can hear her heart pounding.
“It’s not okay,” Carter corrects her but in a gentler tone I appreciate. “He’s going to pay Braelynn, and we have a plan.”
I bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss them one by one. “Don’t be scared.”
“I do have some questions,” Carter states, and I breathe in deeply.
“Like a test?” she asks and the hesitancy and fear are still there. Disappointment flows through me. Not toward her but toward myself.
“No more tests; I really did a number on you,” I tell her, my thumb running soothing circles over her knuckles.
“I read the note that you left here…when,” Carter attempts to be careful with his words. I’ve only seen him like this a few times and it’s only ever been toward my sisters-in-law. It’s an odd feeling to realize he sees her as she truly is. Family. To care for and to protect, even from us.
“When I ran away,” Braelynn completes his thought in a whisper.
“You were scared when you ran?” he asks and my shoulders stiffen.
“She was terrified.” Adrenaline pumps harder as I think about what comes next. “For
good reason.” Carter only stares at me for a moment, he doesn’t respond.
“Did something specific happen that made you that afraid? Or was it a thought or something you remembered, maybe?”
“Can I ask why?” Her chest rises and falls.
“Of course you can,” I answer for him. “You can ask whatever you need.”
“Because you accepted blame for something I don’t think you did.”
“At that point,” she answers with her eyes glassy, “I thought I must have…I overheard something and it—”
“What did you overhear?” Carter asks before I can get the question out.
“I overheard something—” Her gaze drops and I tell her it’s all right.
“Hey, hey,” I murmur and reach over, cupping her jaw in my hand. “It’s okay,” I console her. Her hands reach up to grab my wrists.
“It doesn’t feel okay.”
“It’s better than okay, my sweet girl. We’re ending this and every piece of this today.”
“You promise?” she questions, hope in her eyes that reminds me of all the times she looked up at me, wanting me to be her hero when I’m nothing more than a villain.
“I promise,” I tell her and I lean forward, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. She molds her lips to mine and clings to me. I don’t want to break the bond but I must.
As my heart pounds in my chest and I pull away, her eyes stay closed longer, as if she doesn’t want that moment to end.
“You overheard what? From who?” Carter asks as I sit back in my seat.
Braelynn breathes out slowly, not looking at Carter but staring at the desk as if it’s replaying a memory. “Nate was on the front porch and he said…he said something like ‘You’re sure it is Braelynn? I don’t want to be the one to do it this time.’”
“Sure what was you?” Carter asks and confusion deepens the crease in his forehead.
Braelynn shakes her head. “I don’t know. It sounded like he was saying I sent something. That someone was sure I sent something. I didn’t send anything to anyone,” she blurts out the words, her voice raising higher and higher. “He said the bitch sent it.”