Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 207002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1035(@200wpm)___ 828(@250wpm)___ 690(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 207002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1035(@200wpm)___ 828(@250wpm)___ 690(@300wpm)
A hurricane that’d petered out for a time.
A hurricane that’d become a tepid frightened breeze.
But now, that force was back.
I wasn’t meek, I was howling and snarling and ready to tear cities apart, uproot trees, and destroy anyone and everyone who got in my way from protecting Aslan the same way he’d protected me.
Glowering at the police, I hissed, “Aslan Avci didn’t hurt me. But I’ll tell you who did. Call off the hunt for him and take me down to the station. I’ll make a statement. I’ll answer any questions you want. But if you try to prosecute Aslan for something he didn’t do, so help me God, I will go to every media outlet and tell them you racially profiled him based on his origins.”
The shorter cop scowled. “You’re threatening us?”
“I’m merely telling you that Aslan did not do this. My parents are incorrect. You were called here for no reason. It’s my body and my life. I didn’t want to tell anyone, but I will. I’ll tell you who truly hurt me if you promise you won’t go after Aslan.”
“Neri,” my mother said quietly. “Aslan still needs to be questioned.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“But he was hurting you, sweetie. He hurt your father.”
“He was saving me from myself, Mum!” I bared my teeth. “He knew I was struggling to put what happened behind me. He offered to help. That’s what he was doing tonight. He was saving me. He always saves me.” Tears latched around my throat, but I swallowed them down with fresh anger. “And I was the one who hurt Dad. I told you that. I whacked him around the head with that lamp.” I toed the forgotten mermaid light on the floor. “I hit him. Not Aslan. Aslan would never. You know him. You know he’d never hurt us. Trust that. Trust the past six years, for goodness’ sake!”
Mum shook her head, stubbornness and horrified disbelief all over her face. “But...I saw what happened with my own eyes. His shorts were undone. You have...you have teeth marks on your neck, Neri, and your wrists are welted—”
“I undid his shorts, Mum. He tried to tell me to stop. It was my fault you found us in such a compromising position. And the truth is...the truth is we’ve been sleeping together for months.”
“What?” she gasped.
The two policemen shared a look.
“He bit me yes, but I wanted it. And my wrists...” I held up my fresh bruises. “I did that. I hurt myself to try to stop the memories of Ethan tying me to Joel’s bed with his belt. He bound me, and I struggled. I struggled so damn much, I broke the skin and had to cover up the bruises for weeks afterward. I-I hoped by recreating the pain, I could heal my heart this time and not just my skin.” Silent tears I couldn’t stop streamed down my cheeks. “Aslan is the only reason I haven’t completely lost my mind these past few weeks, and I fucking refuse to stand here and let you think less of him! This was my fault. All of this is my fault. So give me the chance to fix it before anything else goes wrong.”
“Ethan?” the tall cop asked from the floor beside my rallying father. “Ethan who?”
“I’ll answer every question you have if you vow you won’t go after Aslan.”
“We have to talk to him, Ms Taylor.” The short cop moved closer to me. “If what you say is true, then his story will align with yours and there will be nothing to fear.”
My heart buckled.
If they knew what Aslan had done to Ethan?
If they knew he was here illegally?
He’d be thrown on the first plane back to Turkey and his father waiting to murder him.
I’d already put him in so much danger.
Not just with what happened in my bedroom but what happened on The Fluke.
What if they figure out Ethan’s missing and find his blood all over our boat?
My heart raced sickeningly fast. “I’ll only speak if you call off the chase for him.” I crossed my arms, doing my best to hide my trembles at the thought of all of this blowing up spectacularly in my face.
“We’ll have to talk to him eventually,” the tall cop said softly.
And by then, I’ll have come up with a plan to keep him safe.
Tipping up my nose, I snapped, “But not tonight. Not on Christmas. Tonight is already ruined because of me. All I’m asking is for a chance to fix it.”
The two police looked at one another.
Sirens stopped outside our house.
Someone pounded on the door.
My dad groaned again, slipping from sleep. He winced and smacked his lips, his eyes feathering open. “W-What happened?”
In a daze, Mum went to him.
The taller cop bent over him, pressing a hand on his chest as he tried to sit up. “Easy there. Take your time. Don’t move if anything hurts.”