Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 137326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Fire bubbles up my spine and a ticking time bomb launches a countdown in my head.
Tick.
Tick.
Every tick is shoving me closer to the edge.
“Are you even sorry about your lies? Your omission of the truth?” I bang a hand against my chest. “I trusted you. I fucking trusted you, and you stomped all over it.”
“I didn’t choose for Violet to be Jude’s target.”
“But you chose to give him her file! You chose to exchange the results of the DNA found under her nails.”
“I didn’t know her or you at the time. Besides, he would’ve found her whether or not I was involved.”
Those are the exact words Vi said and I hate it. I hate that they’re both pushing me into a corner.
I hate that everything I did over the past few months was for nothing.
But what I hate the most is giving my heart for the first time, and to this bastard of all people.
“Did you stalk her, then? Were you one of the people who made her life hell prior to the attack for your precious friend?”
“No on all accounts. I haven’t been involved with Violet since the time I took Jude to your old neighborhood in Stantonville, and I have no knowledge of what transpired between them prior to what happened to her.”
“And what exactly happened to her?”
“I take it that she didn’t tell you herself. In that case, I won’t either. It’s not my story to tell.”
I grind my teeth. The fact that he knows what the hell happened and I don’t is driving me insane. No matter how much I beg Vi to tell me, she just shuts down.
I inhale deeply, my chest inflating with so many pent-up emotions. “Let’s say you didn’t know me when all this started. Then what about after? Hmm? Why did you talk to me that first time in the arena and give me hope that I could join Vencor? What about then?”
He runs a hand through his hair, tense, unlike his usual composed self. “You captured my interest.”
“What?”
“That day, the first time I saw you in that unsightly neighborhood, I wanted to see you again. I made myself think I wanted to protect you from Jude, which is why I made arrangements for you to be offered a scholarship into GU. It’s why I put on the whole show about the initiation.”
“A show where you showed me my worst nightmare and fucked me like a beast on the ground?”
“I won’t make excuses for that. I didn’t truly know you at the time and I had to make it convincing, and while I’d never psychologically torture you if I could get a redo, I still enjoyed the sex, as I know you did. I truly am sorry about digging up your childhood trauma, I don’t want to hurt you and I feel bad about that, especially after seeing how much it affected you. Truth is, I’d wanted to own you since I first saw you, and I foolishly thought fucking you once would be enough. It wasn’t. All that first time managed to do was unleash the animal lurking inside me. In reality, I wanted you in my space. Selfishly. Even if I had to make you think you’d possibly get into Vencor. It didn’t matter as long as you didn’t get close to anyone but me.”
My lips tremble.
My whole body does.
Sweat covers my palms, and I swipe them against my jeans, hoping this whole thing will go away.
His confession still rings in my ears and churns my stomach.
Kane takes a step forward and I take one back.
He stops, hesitating.
Kane Davenport actually opens his mouth, then closes it again.
Something I never thought he’d be capable of.
His chest expands before he speaks again. “I won’t deny my involvement in what happened to Violet or that I hid the truth from you. It might seem like an excuse, but I just wanted you, Dahlia. No matter the method. I realize that was wrong. I realize you hate me for it, and that’s okay. I’ll keep coming back and asking for your forgiveness until you offer it.”
“You’ll be wasting your time,” I say over the stupid tears trying to escape. “I’ll never forgive you. Not when you’re aiding the man who’s placed a target on my sister’s back.”
“Jude won’t hurt her. You have my word.”
I scoff. “Only if I agree to be with you. Is that it?”
“No. I won’t use her against you. Not when I know how much she means to you. That’s why Jude doesn’t and won’t know about my visit. I used everything at my disposal to locate you, but he doesn’t have the same access to the resources I do, especially since Julian picked one of the unmapped safe houses. You guys are safe.”
My lips part, but I seal them again. “I still won’t forgive you.”