Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 504(@300wpm)
I shifted nervously even as I blushed. “You really told your mother about me?”
His soft lips twitched with amusement. “Of course I did.”
“And what did she say?”
“I told her…” Ocean reached for my left hand and pulled off my glove. He then plucked the ring from the velvet bed and tucked the box back into his coat pocket. “That she would love you almost as much as I do.”
My heart started galloping in my chest, and it felt as if the world around us ceased to exist. There was only us. “You love me?”
“I do, mo aingeal. I love you so much that I’d do anything you asked of me. Do you hear me? Anything. As long as you’re honest with yourself and with me, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, do you understand me?” The intensity of Ocean’s promise made me nervous for some reason. “And that’s why,” he said after a long and pointed pause, “it broke my heart to look at this beautiful hand and not see my ring on your finger.”
Ocean gently slid the ring on, and I wasn’t surprised at all that it was a perfect fit. He never seemed to miss anything. For some reason, my mind wandered to Hunter as Ocean drew me into a kiss. I forced her from my mind and focused on the man in front of me.
“I love you too,” I whispered to him once the kiss ended.
Ocean stared down at me with adoration before pecking my lips one last time. “I know.”
We stayed for another half hour, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face when Ocean lifted me onto his back and carried me the entire way down.
OCEAN
After dropping Coby off on the terrace with my mom and making sure they were hitting it off, I left the two of them to get to know each other better, since my mom started crying when she saw the ring I had custom-made for Coby.
Abel was waiting for me at the edge of the path that led to James’s cabin. We took the ATVs since the cabin was on the other side of the lake, and I was eager to arrive. When we reached the house, I was relieved to see two guards posted outside the door and knew more were hidden within the tree line.
I dismissed the guards at the door and pulled the skeleton key from my pocket before entering the cottage. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace because the house didn’t have central heating, but otherwise it was eerily quiet.
I discovered why when I entered one of the bedrooms and found Hunter blindfolded, bound, and gagged. Her hands and feet were tied to the bedposts with tape over her mouth. Abel’s doing no doubt since Hunter had barely made it the night before attempting to escape and costing me two more men.
She stiffened the moment I entered the room, her head whipping toward the door and her breathing becoming fast and unsteady. I swallowed the urge to comfort her as I approached the bed. Hunter started pulling at her bindings once she felt me standing over her, but I still didn’t speak because scaring her made my dick hard.
She still wore her clothes from the night before, but they were ruined now, telling me she put up a good fight when she was recaptured. My gaze swept over her, looking for injuries or signs that she’d been abused. I’d fucking kill every last person responsible if I saw so much as a broken nail.
I didn’t speak until I was satisfied she hadn’t been harmed.
“I’m disappointed in you, Vengeance. I thought we’d come to an understanding.”
The knot in my chest eased a little when she relaxed at the sound of my voice. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I removed the blindfold and saw that her mascara was smudged and her eyes were red and exhausted.
“I’d like to talk to you about something important, and because you need to listen, I won’t remove the tape until I’m done. Do you understand? Nod or blink once for yes. Shake or blink twice for no.”
Hunter blinked once.
“Did they hurt you?”
Blink blink.
“You tried to escape last night—” Two more blinks were my answer before I could even pose the question, so I paused, wondering why she’d lie. And then it clicked. “You were looking for Coby?” I asked gently.
Blink.
“Have you reconsidered my offer of letting you live then?”
Blink blink.
“So you wish to stay?”
A pointed pause and then…
Blink.
“Then why did you run from me, Vengeance?” My voice was tight with restraint. It was only when Hunter just stared at me that I realized she couldn’t answer with her mouth taped, so I forced myself to let it go. I hadn’t planned to ask her that anyway. It just came out. “I know that Coby told you why I took her.”