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)
Before they could put us in the trunk, gunshots went off. The president tossed me to the ground and started firing back instantly. I cried out in pain as my body connected with the pavement, and I curled in on myself. I saw someone running over, but my head was spinning too much to make out who it was. Then suddenly, I was pulled into familiar, strong arms.
Relief flooded my body as tears poured down my face, and I cried against Cole’s chest, soaking his shirt with my tears. “You’re going to be okay, Amelia,” he rasped as he held me as close as possible without hurting me. “I promise that you’re going to be okay.”
He sat on the ground, rocking me in his arms. Blood was getting onto his clothes and hands, but he didn’t seem to care nor notice. “Fuck, baby, I’m so sorry I broke my promise,” he whispered, his voice breaking with the emotions running through his body. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“I want to go home,” I hoarsely cried.
He stood up, cradling me in his arms and holding me tight against his chest. “We found Katie!” I heard someone bellow through the noise of men shouting and guns firing.
Cole ignored whoever had shouted that and strode over to the van. He got into the backseat with me, still holding me close. Travis slid in beside him with a now-conscious Katie. I struggled to push myself into a sitting position on Cole’s lap. Katie reached over and pushed my hair back. I flinched away from her hand. She instantly yanked her hand back. “You’re safe, Amelia,” she whispered.
“Why is that she has been beaten almost to fucking death, and you look perfectly fine except for a few fucking cuts and bruises?” Cole ground out through his clenched teeth, anger practically rolling off of him in waves.
“They didn’t want me.” She looked down at her fingers. “If I could have stopped them . . .” Her voice trailed off as tears streamed down her face. “I’ve never seen something so fucking brutal,” she cried. “Not even on TV. It was enough torture just for me to witness it.”
I pushed my hands to my ears, trying to block her out. I didn’t want to hear it. I was away. I was safe. I didn’t want to relive the pain and suffering I had gone through. It had been worse than all the other times combined.
“Stop!” I heard Cole roar. “That’s enough! Christ, Mom, she’s sitting right here! Do you think she really wants to fucking hear what she felt happening to her?!”
Katie shut her mouth quickly. I leaned my head on Cole’s shoulder. He rubbed the back of my neck gently, knowing I was bruised there, but also knowing it would help calm me down. When we got to the clubhouse, Cole ignored everyone and carried me inside. He wouldn’t even stop long enough to let my parents see me.
When we made it to his room, he untangled the sheet from around me. His jaw clenched in anger as he ran his eyes over my body. So many emotions swirled in his eyes that it was hard to make out just one of them. But he didn’t say anything. He just ran bath water and set me in it. He got undressed and got in behind me and held me to him.
Blood instantly filled the bathtub, turning the once clear water red, and Cole sighed, draining the water. He turned the water on again and turned on the shower head, letting the water spray over us instead. I curled into him.
Tremors took over my body as the shock of my situation began to wear off, and I became fully aware of my surroundings. I felt horrible, dirty, and exhausted. They had hurt me tremendously, and every single part of me ached like a bitch.
Cole held me tightly, cooing to me to keep me calm as my shaking got worse and tears filled my eyes once again. Someone knocked on the bathroom door, and Cole tensed up. “What?” he ground out harshly.
“Cole, where’s my daughter?” I heard my dad demand through the bathroom door.
“She’s in here with me,” Cole sighed, relaxing once again and gently running his fingers through my hair to get rid of some of the dirt and blood.
I heard my dad breathe a sigh of relief. “Is she . . .” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Is she okay?”
Cole sighed again and held me tighter as if it would somehow make me okay again. “No, she’s not. I’ll let you see her once I’ve got her taken care of. Just give us a little while.”
I heard my dad walk away and the bedroom door close. When I was clean and bandaged up, Cole held me to him on the bed. My head was on his chest and his arm was wrapped around me tightly, his other hand holding mine captive on his bare abs. I couldn’t have been happier to have Cole with me than at that moment. He was the only thing holding me together.