Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 163089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 815(@200wpm)___ 652(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 815(@200wpm)___ 652(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
And I have no clue how the fuck to deal with that.
I feel like one day, he’ll touch me too deep, somewhere beyond the physical, and I’ll just collapse like a house of cards. Or maybe explode quietly and unceremoniously like a fucking bubble.
But that’s not for here or now.
Ignore. Pretend everything is fine.
Surely, he won’t notice since I’ve always been a master of living behind the perfect facade.
Surely, this will all be over before he ever gets too close.
That idea restricts my throat as I just stare at him.
Marcus looks so peaceful when he’s asleep…no tossing and turning, no night terrors. Normal, I guess.
He shifts and I pull my hand away as he blinks his eyes open. For a second, he stares at me, and his lips curl into a lazy smile.
My chest kind of shifts, a thud falling somewhere in its depth.
Fuck.
Is a simple smile supposed to make me feel like I’m on the edge of myself?
Marcus stares at the clock on the wall that shows it’s three in the morning, and a frown replaces the smile.
No, bring it back. I prefer the smile.
“Having trouble sleeping?”
His voice is husky with sleep, and that’s not supposed to sound hot. Just saying.
He sits up, the mattress shifting and groaning under his weight as he reaches out to my boxer briefs and kneads my ass. “Is it because of this?”
“Ow!” I swat his hand away. “Get over yourself. It’s not.”
“Thought so.” His voice rumbles. “You’re a slut for pain.”
“Shut it.” I clear my throat. “You should go back to sleep. Don’t worry about me.”
“Nah.” He leans his back against the headboard and ruffles my hair. “I’ll keep you company.”
“You don’t…have to…” I trail off because I’m choking on the words. “I’m used to it. I’ve never really slept well anywhere.”
His brows dip farther. “Not even at Jude’s place?”
“Nowhere,” I whisper, my throat closing again as if fighting the words.
As if the words are about to detonate me with them.
I sit up beside him, our shoulders pressed together as I force a smile, shaking off the discomfort. “Jude buys me all sorts of sleep-aid shit, and it doesn’t really work, but I don’t have the heart to tell him that. He’s just trying his best to help out with my fucked-up sleeping habits, you know.”
“Seems like a busybody.”
“Hey.” I nudge his shoulder with mine. “Don’t call my best friend a busybody or I’ll cut you into pieces so tiny, no one will recognize you.”
“Best friend?” His tone is a bit cold.
“Uh-huh. He’s my ride or die. Kane, too, but, like, Jude and I have always been a bit more similar, you know.”
“You’re not. Your personalities are worlds apart.”
“Yeah, but we had the same shitty upbringing, with a dash of mommy issues, sponsored by a sprinkle of stoic daddies.”
“I have that, too.”
“You have what? A normal mom?”
He narrows his eyes. “A stoic dad. In fact, it’s worse since he’s never wanted me.”
“Maybe it’s for the best.” I swallow. “I know you probably can’t avoid coming into our world, but you’re older and big enough, so you can defend yourself.”
He watches me for a beat, and I bite the inside of my cheek, then blurt, “You should watch out for Serena. Yes, she’s your sister, but familial relationships mean zilch in Vencor. I mean, look at Grandma. She’d offer me to witches if she believed she could get a better heir.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Old hag thinks I’m a disgrace to the Armstrong name, and she’s not entirely wrong.” I wave it off. “Anyway, Serena’s not bad per se, but she’s besties with my uncle Atlas and Julian… Oh, Julian is Jude’s older brother, and he’s like a proper psychopath who’s obsessed with power. The three of them are, so if she approaches you with anything, just be careful, yeah? She’d sacrifice you to the devil to get where she wants to be.”
His lips curl in a wide grin.
“What are you smiling about? I’m dead serious.”
“I like that you’re worried about me.”
“Who? Moi?” I pretend to search my surroundings as heat rises to my neck.
He chuckles softly, but he doesn’t push it. “Serena and I have an agreement, but you’re right, she’s changing the terms. I know how to deal with it, though.”
“How?”
“Dad. I believe he’s the only one who can stop her from hurting Mom.” He runs a hand through his hair. “But I truly hate asking him for anything.”
I don’t like this internal struggle within the Osborns that Marcus is caught in the middle of. I don’t like it at all.
Serena is known to eliminate anyone who poses a threat to her. What if she decides Marcus isn’t an opportunity but a hindrance? Then what?
Then she’ll be visited by my nastiest demon, that’s what.
But as Kane says, that’s just reactionary and doesn’t help if she buries Marcus in the foundation of one of her family’s buildings.