Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
But goddammit, why had no one told him how much it sucked to be a normal man?
When the Sfagi realized that none of the Afxisi was going to lift a finger to help their ex-President, their arrogance returned in full force.
“You’re not going to ask for help, is that it? You’re the big bad President and you don’t think you need anyone’s help to get out of this alive?” The leader of the Sfagi laughed. “Be a martyr if you want. We’ll help with you it.” He looked at his men. “Won’t we, boys?”
And the beatings started again.
As the hits became impossible to count, he realized that it was indeed possible to die just by being hit with belts and belt buckles. He also realized that his family had probably paid the police to look the other way just for tonight, and the Sfagi was too stupid to realize that.
Several times, his Afxisi wanted to help him, but he forced himself to shake his head. No. No fucking way. He was going to stay normal because this was what MJ wanted—
“He’s not going to break,” one of the pudgier members of the Sfagi muttered. “I think we should just shoot him. Hit him so he won’t ever ride a bike again.”
Helios’ blood ran cold when he heard the words. No. He didn’t want that. He could stand the idea of never riding the bike by choice. But never riding because he had lost the ability to? That was hell on earth.
As the Sfagi closed in around him, Helios wondered in a painful haze if this was truly the end. All for the love of an eighteen-year-old girl, he thought, and he would have laughed if he had the strength to do so. He was Helios Andreadis, and he had allowed himself to be beaten to death because he had chosen to be—
A sound reached them, and it got louder and louder. The circle of Afxisi around them broke apart just as a bike soared into view—
Helios’ eyes widened.
Did he dare believe his eyes?
Was that really MJ he was seeing on the bike?
The Ducati landed right in front of him.
And then she was there.
MJ.
She was on her knees, tears running down her face, without a care for her life as she crawled to him. The Sfagi tried to get close to her but with every step they took, the Afxisi moved closer to them, forcing them to keep still. Some of them sensed the tide turning against their favor and tried to get out, but it was too late. The Afxisi had them surrounded.
“Helios?” she whispered.
She had used his name. He forced himself to smile, not wanting her to worry. But the effort cost him so, and he swallowed back a groan.
The pain etched on his face was something she knew a lot about. She, too, had suffered through such bouts. She didn’t know where to touch him, afraid to cause him more hurt. “Why did you let them do this to you?”
He didn’t answer.
And because he didn’t, it was an answer in itself, and more tears fell down her face. “Helios, I was wrong.” She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice from shaking too much that she’d end up incoherent. “I thought I wanted someone normal, but that was just my fear talking. I can’t be with someone normal when I’m not...when I’m not normal myself.”
He rasped out, “Whoever told you you’re not normal...I’ll kill them.”
Another choked laugh spilled out of her. “If you were n-normal, you would n-never have been able to save me. And if I w-were normal, I w-wouldn’t have been able to c-conquer my fear, wouldn’t have been able to come s-save you now.”
MJ wiped the tears from her eyes. “S-screw normal, Helios. I don’t want it. I’m s-sorry I forced you to change. I w-want you back. The real you. The one who started A-Afxisi. The P-President.”
Silence.
A painful groan escaped him. “Why couldn’t you have realized this before I got beaten up for you, brat?”
She laughed and cried.
Helios took her in his lap, and she cried in his arms. Her tears made the wounds on his chest rawer, but he ignored the pain. Welcomed it, actually, because it was proof that MJ loved him. Over MJ’s head, his gaze met Christos’.
He nodded.
Christos’ eyes gleamed.
The leader of the Sfagi caught sight of the silent exchange. Fuck. They were dead. It was his last conscious thought, but for once, he had gotten something right.
Chapter Fourteen
ONE WEEK LATER
HELIOS WAS IRRITATED. One would think that as the President of the Afxisi, everyone in his club would rush to do his bidding. But no, not one fucking member seemed to be listening to him. For one thing, everyone had gone against his wishes about not throwing a party. The club hadn’t just thrown a welcome party to celebrate his return to the club following his discharge from the hospital. They had thrown a fucking huge one, and they had seemingly invited every goddamn student in the uni.