Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“It isn’t safe for you; Jayda; the little girl, Stevie; her mom.” I left out Linc because even with my memory returned, I still didn’t care for him. But the feeling was mutual.
His eyes narrowed. “And it’s safe for you to go back to him?”
No. But I wasn’t planning on it. I was going to run until the day they caught me. No longer would I go down without a fight.
“That isn’t your concern,” I replied.
He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head slightly to the side as he studied me. “You see, I’m gonna call bullshit on that, sugar. I found you, brought you into my home, got you medical attention. I think it is my concern. I didn’t save you to just give you back to the monster who had done that to you. So, tell me, was it him?”
I wanted to tell him everything. Every truth I wasn’t allowed to share. Every lie I had lived. But Luther had a savior complex, and I would not let him get hurt or killed for it. The world needed more men like him. The ones who did good, expecting nothing in return. The ones who saw the hurt and broken and helped them without thinking twice. He was good. His soul was beautiful. Just as his outward appearance was, but my life was a dark place he’d never understand. Or even imagine existed.
The only way to get away from him, to leave here, was to tell another lie. One that would make him let me go.
“My father will protect me. He’ll take care of things.”
Luther said nothing as he continued to stand there, staring at me. Waiting for me to burst out with the truth.
“I don’t like it when people lie to me,” he finally drawled. “But I can’t make you tell me the truth.”
I quietly sucked in a breath and held it, forcing my face not to show any reaction to his response.
“There is a man coming to take you back to your father, and I can’t help you if you aren’t straight with me, Ocean Eyes.”
In a perfect world, the ones I read about in books, I’d throw myself in his arms and tell him all of it. He would wrap me up and save me from my reality. But this wasn’t that world. It wasn’t fictional. Trusting him would get him killed. I’d never be able to live with myself if that happened.
“What man is coming to get me?” I asked him, resigning myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to get to escape my father now. He already knew where I was.
Luther said nothing.
Fine. Don’t tell me.
It didn’t matter anyway. He was my own personal ferryman to Hades, whoever he might be.
“When will he be here?” I asked, hoping he’d at least tell me that.
Luther’s jaw jutted out, as if he was grinding his teeth. He was that upset over this. My heart tightened and ached with the thought that fate hated me so much. To give me a taste of what it might be like not to be alone in life and take it away after only a nibble.
His eyes lifted to look over my head, and then they heated angrily. I turned to see what it was he was glaring at, only to find it was a who. Locke. He looked from Luther to me, and his expression softened. Unlike Luther, he seemed pained.
“Are you okay?” he asked me hesitantly.
No, Locke, I am not okay.
But I barely remembered a time in my life when I was. This was my normal.
I nodded. “Yes.”
He glanced at Luther again.
“She remembers. Her memory is back,” he said in a hard tone that made me shiver. “Seems she’s also a liar,” he added, then stalked past me as he walked away.
Locke looked at him with a frown, then back to me.
“Linc said he’s been edgy since finding out,” Locke said, as if apologizing for him.
“He’s angry with me,” I replied, and a sharp pain slashed my chest at the idea.
“Luther can be a mean son of a bitch. Ignore him,” he replied, then walked closer to me. “So, you remember everything?”
I nodded. Unfortunately, the horror story that was my life had returned, and I was living among its pages once again.
“Do you want to go with Thaddeus?” he asked me.
Thaddeus? Davidson? That was who was coming to get me? He was coming to this house? Panic began to bloom, taking place of the sorrow that had set in. He couldn’t come here. They didn’t know who Thaddeus was.
Oh God, I had to do something.
“You’ve gone pale,” Locke said, closing the rest of the space between us. “What did I say that upset you?”
I shook my head. “He can’t.” I tried to steady myself and think. I needed a plan, but what? “Thaddeus Davidson doesn’t need to come here. Not to this house. Can you take me to meet him? No.” I shook my head. Locke could be in danger then. “Not you, um…someone else. Or, no, just…could you let me take an Uber to meet him?”