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)
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, when he intercepted. Reading my mind, stating, “You want answers.”
I hesitantly nodded, not being able to find my voice. The emotions stirring through me were crippling me in ways I never thought possible. The anguish consuming my body and mind, an ache resonating in my soul. Only producing a possible fabricated illusion of what I still felt occurring between us. It still felt so fucking real to me.
Like he wanted me there.
Like he had wanted me there for a long time.
“How did you know what was happening in my apartment?” I blurted, pushing through the sentiments that were taking control of me. Needing to understand what he was about to divulge. Hoping he actually would.
He narrowed his eyes, once again looking at me with a familiar desire. The desire I had been dreaming about since the last time he touched me. I dreamt about him almost every night for the last five years. Sitting in the armchair by my bed, watching me sleep. There were times when I woke up in the middle of the night and I swear I just felt him there with me. Guarding me, like a dark angel trying to keep the nightmares at bay.
“Please, Martinez…” I begged, going against everything I ever believed in.
He cleared his throat, and sat forward in his chair searching my face for I don't know what. Eyeing me up and down, contemplating if he was going to tell me the truth or not. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect what he was going to reply.
Rasping through his fingers, “You live in my building. My men have always kept an eye on you.”
Lexi wasn’t scared of my presence, and that bothered me in ways I couldn’t begin to describe. It was such a foreign feeling, I refused to get used to.
She jerked back. Shocked with the truth I just revealed, having been watched unknowingly for four years. “Why?” she blurted, before she lost the courage to question me further.
I continued to rub my thumb along my lips, taking her in without her realizing I was doing so. Her dark brown hair was still long, flowing all around her face and down the sides of her body. She was thinner than the last time I saw her, which displeased me. Making me think she wasn’t taking care of herself properly. Her complexion pale, her pouty lips dry from dehydration. Her usually bright green eyes, solemn. Wanting to know the truth.
Wanting to know everything.
Especially about me.
Even with a marred up face, she still looked fucking beautiful. Her appearance was breathtaking under the dim lights of the room. I’d spent the last twenty-four hours, sitting in this goddamn chair, waiting for her to wake up. Resisting the urge to lay with her, pull her into my arms, and keep her safe. I hated fucking cuddling. But with her it would be different.
I knew everything would be different.
I also wished I could revive the motherfucker Nikolai just to fucking kill him again. Slowly torture the piece of shit this time around, until he begged me for mercy.
The thought alone calmed me.
I carried her broken body back to my limo, immediately calling the doctor I had on my payroll. Making sure he was waiting for us the second we walked through my penthouse door. I laid her head in my lap in the limo, ordering my driver to buy wet wipes from the gas station near my building. Impatiently fucking waiting for him to bring them back. I fucking hated seeing Nikolai’s blood and brain remnants on her creamy skin. Tainting her perfect fucking flesh.
I closed the partition to give us some privacy, no one was allowed to see her naked but me and the doctor. Gently wiping off the dried blood from her face and her body, checking the bruises and wounds on her beautiful face. I carefully cut off her sports bra with my knife, exposing her breasts, needing to see the damage the motherfucker had caused to her ribs. Softly, feeling down the sides of her stomach to the top of her waist. I cleaned her off the best I could, given the shitty circumstances we were in.
I never wanted to physically hurt her. It pained me to have to knock her out, but I had no choice in the matter. She wouldn’t stop screaming and fighting me, we were seconds away from Nikolai’s men coming boss’s. Her hysterics could be heard through the entire building, easily giving away our location. We wouldn’t have made it out alive, so I did what I had to do, saving both our asses.
Without thinking twice about it, I removed my suit jacket, unbuttoned my shirt, taking it off to put it on her. She drowned in it. I took my suit jacket, and laid it over her, to provide extra warmth. Ignoring the fact I liked seeing her in my clothes.