Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I suck in a deep breath. “Business.”
“What type of business?”
“Just business.”
“Did you not hear me ask what type of business it is? I do not like repeating myself, Aurora.”
Damn him and the authoritative way he speaks. It’s like he expects everyone to fall at his feet with a simple command.
I might not want to provoke Jonathan on purpose, but I will not get on my knees in front of him.
Not now. Not ever.
I’m done with kneeling for a lifetime.
“It’s nothing that concerns you.”
“Nothing that concerns me, but it concerns Ethan. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“No?” I repeat with a confusion that must be written all over my face.
“You’ll end whatever business venture you have with Ethan.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I said so, wild one.”
Is he fucking kidding me? He’s not. I know Jonathan isn’t the type who jokes around, but does he honestly believe I would follow simply because he ordered?
So what if he has power? It’s not absolute. Nothing and no one is.
I lift my chin. “And if I say no?”
“Then we’ll do it my way.” A small smile lifts his lips. His sensual, well-proportioned lips.
And now, I’m staring at his lips.
Stop staring at his lips.
I lift my gaze to his and the whole image is clear. He’s not even smiling, and it’s downright menacing. This is the look of a man who’s preparing for a battle.
A man who’s so used to war that peace bores him.
And I’m another battlefield in his path of conquering.
So no, it’s not a smile. It’s a declaration of something sinister and potent.
“Why would you care who I do business with, Jonathan?” Last time I checked, he wasn’t my guardian.
“You think you can skip me in my own territory and choose someone else to do business with? And not just anyone, but Ethan. What’s your message there? Are you trying to challenge me?”
“No.” That’s the last thing I want.
“Then why didn’t you come to me?”
“I don’t like mixing familial affairs with business.” And I hate him for the way Alicia died. If I didn’t know he would overpower me, I’d punch him in the face and relieve the tension I’ve been carrying for eleven years.
“The only family I have has the King’s last name. You’re not my family, wild one. Never was. Never will be.”
“Mutual.”
“Glad we agree on that front. Now, you’ll cut off any contact or communication with Ethan — including Agnus.”
“That would be a no.”
“Did you just tell me no?”
“Yes, Jonathan. I don’t know what your deal is, but you don’t get to tell me what to do.”
Silence.
He watches me with that hollow expression that I’m now certain harbours a monster. “Is that so?”
I keep my chin held high, not cutting off eye contact.
Jonathan takes a step forward. My back flattens against the metal of the car door as his chest nearly touches mine. My bare skin tingles, goosebumps erupting at the surface and I have no idea why.
He places a hand near the side of my head, slowly resting it on the car’s metal, and grabs my chin with his free one. My pulse roars in my ears as he cages me in.
There’s no escaping him, even if I try.
Not that I will.
I’m trapped by his sheer presence and held prisoner by the darkened depths of his grey eyes.
It’s like being caught in the eye of a hurricane and all I can do is fall.
Drown.
Down…
Eventually disappear.
That’s what people like Jonathan do. If they wish, they can make you vanish as if you’ve never existed.
The feel of his skin on mine is like being burned from the inside out. No one is supposed to ooze so much control as he does.
It should be forbidden. Illegal.
“This is my first and final warning. Do not keep in contact with Ethan. Understood?”
I want to say no, to shout it, but it’s like my tongue is knotted in itself. I’m too caught up in his close proximity, in his lethal presence and the intimidation he plays so well.
I’m not the type to be intimidated, but this is Jonathan.
He’s in a special category all on his own.
He takes my silence for approval and releases my chin. Instead of leaving my space, he rummages through my bag and yanks out the card I accepted from Ethan.
Before I can stop him, he rips it in four and throws it behind him. The torn pieces fly in the wind.
Then he reaches into his jacket, retrieves his own card, and slips it in on behalf of Ethan’s. “This is the only contact information you need. Call me, apologise for skipping me over, and depending on my mood, I might consider helping you.”
Damn him. Who does the bastard think he is?
He steps back, all physical contact gone, and I finally breathe properly – or try to anyway. I don’t think it’s normal to remind myself to inhale and exhale on a regular basis. But if I don’t, I might stop my oxygen intake altogether.