Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 54899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 274(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Something occurs to me; there have been so many layers of deception that it’s taking time for me to sort through all of them.
“How did you find me as Bones?” I challenge. “I had my new identity as Lena by then. You reached out to me as though you were a stranger in the chat room on the Eroticlit website, but you knew exactly who I was. Explain.”
His eyes are guarded. “I told you I have a friend who’s good with tech.”
He doesn’t elaborate.
“So, what? You asked your friend to track me down? I even had an anonymous username on that site. Well, I thought it was anonymous. How deep did he have to dig to find that information?”
“I don’t know how Ghost does what he does. I just gave him your name and asked him to find you. It took months, but eventually he figured out your new identity and the fact that you’d enrolled at UNC. Once he had that information, I don’t think it was difficult to trace your online activities.”
My stomach lurches. “You let you friend look me up through the erotica I like to read? How much does he know about our conversations when you were posing as Bones? Was he listening in on our calls all this time?”
He cups my nape, trapping me close before I can recoil. “Never. He’d be dead by now if he’d tried. I would never share you like that, Karolina. I want all of you, all for myself. It’s selfish and probably unhealthy, but I don’t care. All I care about is being with you.”
My heart swells so rapidly that it presses painfully against the confines of my ribcage.
“Does that scare you?” he asks.
I take a moment to consider.
“Yes,” I answer honestly. “This is…a lot.”
A frown ghosts around his mouth. “I’ll earn your trust back.”
He says it like it’s inevitable, like there’s no other option.
“I’ll make sure you’re comfortable here. It’s the safest place for you now.”
It’s my turn to frown. I rub the spot where my neck meets my shoulder, feeling the small bump of the tracker.
“I know you’ll protect me, but I don’t like what you did,” I assert. “Take this thing out of me.”
“No.”
My brows lift.
“No?” I repeat. “This is beyond highhanded. This is outright controlling. You can’t just tag me like I’m your property.”
He traces the line of my scowl with his thumb. “If you want me to say that you’re not mine, you’ll be waiting a lifetime. But I don’t think of you as my property,” he adds quickly, before I succumb to a burst of righteous anger. “I’ve already said this is about your safety.”
I narrow my eyes at him, far from placated. “That man who threatened me at Brownie Bakehouse knew you’re Brandon, didn’t he? He’s connected to you somehow. And my stalker. Did he know who you are, too? Stop keeping secrets from me. I want the whole truth.”
“Eat, and I’ll tell you.”
He picks up a piece of chicken and lifts it to my lips like he’s going to feed me by hand.
“If you don’t want to get bitten, I suggest you reconsider,” I advise. “Answers first.”
I won’t allow him to distract me with tender care and this weirdly possessive behavior that makes the weakest parts of me melt.
It would be so easy to let him take care of me, to lean into his strength. I’ve been relying solely on myself for so long. I’m exhausted and sick of being alone.
He presses his lips together in disapproval, but he lowers the food before I can follow through on my threat.
“Fine,” he allows. “Yes, both of those men knew who I am. They know me from when I killed to survive. I made a lot of enemies. I don’t know if they’re working together, and I don’t know if more of them are coming. All I know is they’re targeting you because you’re all I care about. I won’t allow them to breathe the same air as you.”
A chill races through my veins, dousing the heat of my anger. “You have enemies?”
It’s mindboggling. Like something out of a novel.
Only a few days ago, I never would’ve imagined that my sexy professor had mortal enemies; the most I was worried about was our clandestine affair being discovered. Now, my life is on the line.
Brandon’s face is drawn with regret. “You’re in danger because of me. But it’s too late for me to leave you alone. They know I’ll do anything for you. You’ll never be safe until I eliminate the threats.”
His features firm with determination. “I can’t take the tracker out. If we’re separated, I have to be able to find you.”
I want to snap at him that I don’t care; I don’t want this thing inside me, monitoring my every move.
But if what he’s saying is true, then it would be stupid of me to remove it.