Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Koen’s steps halt abruptly, a choked sound leaving his mouth. “You think…you think I’m going to kill you?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, my tears splattering on the ground.
Five seconds pass in a heavy, charged silence and then I’m being lifted off the ground. Swiftly. I’m tossed up into his arms like a sack of grain, Koen staring straight ahead while he carries me back in the direction from which we came. “Apparently, Meg, I haven’t done a good enough job expressing how fucking profound my obsession is with you,” he says through his teeth. “You could betray me twice a day for the rest of your life and my sanity would still hinge on there being breath in your lungs. If you die, I die. No matter what you did to me, I could never harm you. I’d turn a gun on myself first.”
Relief assails me, carried on a wave of love so heavy and consuming, I can’t stop myself from turning in his arms and rubbing my face in his neck, wanting to climb inside of him and live there. “But you’re so angry,” I whimper, tasting the salt on his skin.
“Of course I’m angry. At her.” We’re in the parking lot now, not far from his SUV, his legs eating up the distance with purposeful strides. “I’m not going to lie, though, Meg. I’m…feeling a little fucked up. Knowing you were on my beach with a motive, I’m not as convinced that your feelings for me are genuine now. Not as positive as before. I’ll need to take certain precautions to make sure you don’t try and run.”
My throat constricts to the point of pain. “My feelings are real, Koen. They are.”
“Say what you want, I won’t risk you leaving.” We’ve reached the SUV and he stands me up, using his body to pin me hard to the side of the vehicle, his eyes scanning our surroundings, a new, heightened awareness in his gaze. Does he think we’re being watched? By her? “I’m bringing you back to our home while I handle this.”
“No.” I reach up and stroke his face. “Let me help.”
“Meg…” He laughs without humor, the sound so dark it rivals the night. “If your precious skin got so much as nicked, I would go on a fucking rampage. No.” He opens the passenger side door, picks me up by the waist and installs me in the seat, his forehead pressed to mine while he engages the seatbelt in its slot. “No, you’re going to remain safe and sound at our house.” He kisses my mouth. “I’ll make sure the cuffs aren’t too tight.”
Koen
I’m on the edge of violent oblivion, trying to prevent myself from being caught up in that addictive whirlwind. I want to let the beast inside me out of its cage, but my ire involves a threat to my Meg, making me worry that if I set that animal free, I’ll never get him locked back up. And I can’t be a beast when I have a woman to love.
A woman who thinks I could hurt her.
As I carry her into my study and sit her down on the edge of my desk, I want to howl with pain at the memory of how she dropped to her knees in front of me, as if to beg for her life to be spared. How could she love me and fear me at the same time? Is that even possible? No. Yes? I’m unsure.
That’s why she’ll be chained until I have a clearer understanding of her feelings for me. The fact that she can experience fear in my presence only proves I need to retain my manhood. My humanity.
But my God, it’s hard.
I’ll slaughter Etta for what she’s done. I’ll slit her throat with my sharpest blade and be a mile away by the time she loses enough blood to expire. Threaten my girl? Threaten my fucking girl? I’m going to make an example out of my former boss. I’m going to inspire even more terror in the underworld than I already have, but the focus of it will be Meg.
Look at Meg and die. Speak to Meg and die.
That’s the message I’ll send tonight.
I keep one eye trained on Meg while I cross to the hidden door on the other side of the room, punching a code into my phone to make it pop open. Not bothering to keep the contents hidden, including weaponry and disguises, I retrieve restraints from a higher shelf, followed by a knife and I close the door once again.
“Please don’t chain me up,” she sniffs.
My heart slams itself into my ribcage. “You know I have to, Meg.”
“No, you don’t.” She scoots off the desk and books toward the door, but I anticipate her move, catching her with an arm around the waist. The metal restraints hit the ground with a clang, because she’s struggling so much and it takes both hands to wrestle her down to the floor, using my body to flatten her petite one on the rug. Looking at me with a fighting spirit in her eyes, she tries with all her might to free herself, but every movement she makes causes the nightshirt she wears to twist around her body, eventually uncovering her pussy and tits, so blessedly bare and young. Chafed from my whiskers and love bites.