Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 103753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103753 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
“I was going to trap you,” he whispers.
Taking a step back, I breathe in a shaky breath.
He watches my feet as I move away and says, “Good girl. Finally seeing some sense.”
He’s pushing me away. I don’t know why, but I intend to find out.
I ask shakily, “W-why? And how?”
His hands grip the edge of his desk. He breathes deeply and replies on an exhale, “You were meant to be living in a shitty house, with a shitty family, and have a shitty life. I was counting on that. So when I made my first million and came back for you—” I gasp and place a hand on my chest. His eyes flash and he smirks cruelly, “Oh, yeah. I came back for you. Only, you weren’t there. But your family still was. So when I pounded on the door and asked if Alexa was home, your dad laughed at me.”
His jaw steels. “He fucking laughed at me. Here I was, a fucking self-made millionaire, and a guy with none of his own teeth left fucking laughs at me? No. Not happening.”
“What did you do to my dad?”
He leans forward and curls his lip. “Nothing the fucker didn’t deserve. I should’ve made him beg. Did you even know your brother died, Lexi? Did the asshole even try to find you to tell you?”
Walking backwards, I lose my stepping, stumble back, and fall hard on my ass.
No. No!
And Twitch just stands there. Looking down at me. Like I’m a piece of garbage.
“Who are you?”
He laughs, “Now you ask? You’ve been fucking me for months and you don’t even know my name. Who does that?”
What he says next makes me realize that as much as I tried to understand this man, I don’t know him at all. He looks me in the eyes and announces clinically, “My name is Tony Falcon. I spent my nights dreaming of a girl named Alexa who helped me when I was eight years old. She told me she wouldn’t forget my name.” His face turns harsh. “And I promised myself to make sure she wouldn’t.”
My eyes widen in stunned disbelief and my blood runs cold. The pressure in my ears builds.
No!
This is a bad dream. A fucking nightmare. This isn’t happening to me.
The tears come strong and fast. I mutter between heaving breaths, “Antonio? Antonio Falco?”
Nodding slowly, he searches my face for a long moment before he crosses his legs and makes himself comfortable. “In my mind, you were this little fucking bitch. Some stupid asshole who couldn’t mind her own business. And I promised myself that I would find you and fucking own you. All because you helped me. You gave me hope in a fucked up world. And when that hope dwindled and died, I was bitter. I am bitter. It was your fault I ever fucking had dreams. Dreams I never should’ve had, Lexi.” Closing his eyes, his voice softens a little. “Then I couldn’t find you. You weren’t anywhere. I had all this money. All these resources at my fingertips, and I couldn’t find you.”
His eyes open and he glares at me. “It’s as if you were hiding from me. Mocking me. Telling me I couldn’t have you. And no one says no to me, Lexi. If they do, they change their minds pretty fucking quick enough, or they die. Simple as that.”
Why aren’t you leaving?
Because it’s cutting me so deeply that I need to hear it to the end. Twitch might just get his wish after all.
Straightening a little, he removes his cufflinks and places them next to him on the desk. “So I hired someone who wouldn’t fail. And it cost me that first million, Lexi. Nox is the best at what he does, and he didn’t find you…for a fucking year. So that just made me madder.” His eyes flash. “So when I finally got that call, I was pissed. He tells me you’d been living in Australia for a few months and that your foster mom was dying. See, that should’ve made me feel bad, but it didn’t, because if you were alone, I could manipulate you more easily. I thought maybe it would only take a few dinners and me being sweet to you to make you fall. Boy, was I wrong!”
My brain is on freeze. “Wh-what happened then?”
Crossing his arms, he breathes deeply and replies through an exhale. “You were independent. And sweet. And fucking cute. You got educated all by yourself. You didn’t even need my money. At least, I don’t think it would’ve made you happier. And I felt something the first second I sat back and watched you from under my hood.”
Me too.
He dips his chin. “And you did too. I know you did.” Lifting his suddenly-tired face to mine, he utters warily, “I wasn’t meant to fall for you. You were just going to be a toy for me. Nothing more, nothing less. I was going to humiliate you whenever I could, just because I could. Make you realize that hope means shit. I was gonna make you do horrible things, all for my pleasure.”