Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Tears slid down her face, knowing exactly the moment I was referring to. All I wanted to do was reach forward and wipe away all her tears.
“From that day forward, cariño. I had you watched. Not your mother, not Sophia. You. Only you.”
“Why?” she whispered so low I could barely hear her.
I ignored her question. “I paid for Sophia’s funeral. Feeling responsible for her death. I made it look like the money came from some trust fund of her grandparents. Your piece of shit stepdad didn’t even question it. In fact, the motherfucker got a hold of some of the money I left for you, and drowned himself in whiskey. I never thought he was capable of hurting you. I’m so sorry, Lexi,” I said, clearing my throat. Trying to keep it from breaking. “I tried to get to him as fast as I could. I didn’t know he was touching you, hurting you until it was too late. But I made him pay. I fucking promise you, I made that son of a bitch pay for every time he went into your room.”
She gasped, “You?”
“I waited until I knew you’d be gone for the day. You had your big dance recital. I paid your stepdad a little visit with my men. I made him write you a half-ass apology. Then I had one of my men show him what it felt like to be on the receiving end of what he’d been doing to you for years. He didn’t last five fucking minutes before he passed out from the pain. I killed two birds with one stone that night. Briggs thought she was responsible for her parents’ death. It was her fifteenth birthday, so I gave her peace of mind and I set you free. Killing the man who’d been fucking hurting you.”
“Oh my God…” she wept, her lips trembling.
“I was the anonymous caller to your school. But I made sure you were placed in a decent foster home. They weren’t ideal, but they were sure as shit better than what you were living with. It’s why you were placed with a family so fucking fast.”
Her trembling hand went up to her mouth. The truth almost too much for her to bear.
“I never expected you to show up at my strip club when you were fifteen. But fate has a funny way of fucking with you, when you least expect it. I knew who you were the second you got out of the car. I’ve always known who you were, Lexi. When you showed up three years later, no longer a little girl, but a fucking beautiful woman, standing in front of me. I couldn’t fucking help myself. I slipped that day and called you, cariño. I had never called anyone that, except Sophia. So, you obviously know now why I kicked you the fuck out of my office. Even though I highly enjoyed the little show you put on, there was no way in hell I’d let you strip for money. It’s the reason no one in the city would hire you. Lexi, I made sure of it. I just never thought you’d come to me of all people for help.”
“You? It was you?”
“After I knew you got the acceptance letter to Julliard, I was going to deposit the money into your account, but you beat me to it by barging into my office uninvited. I knew ballet was all you ever had. Your happiness. I wanted you to have something to hold onto. The realtor that showed you your apartment worked for me, which is how you ended up in my building. It made it easier for my men to keep watch on you.”
“So that’s how you saved me from Nikolai. Did you ever take care of his men? The ones who were looking for me?”
I scoffed. “There was never anyone looking for you, cariño.”
She jerked back, confused. “But you said—”
“I know what I said. It was all a lie.”
“Why? I don’t understand? Why did you do any of this?”
“For the same reason I pushed you away, made you hate me, treated you like shit. Kept you at arm’s length, never letting you see the man you knew still lived inside of me… the man that protected you, watched over you, made sure you were fucking safe. The reason I went looking for you after you left for Europe… Watching you dance on stage, realizing I needed to let you go… The same fucking reason I went back for you, brought you home with me, took care of you, made you see what I wanted you to see…” I paused, letting my words sink in. “It’s been the same reason since the first moment I laid eyes on you. I’m fucking in love with you. Te amo, I love you, Lexi. With everything left inside of me, I fucking love you. I’m yours. I’ve been yours since I can remember.”