Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Game over.
A bead of sweat rolled down the center of her back, making her want to squirm, but her head remained still, and she was not even breathing.
“Kelsie!” her father barked. “Are you listening to me?”
“Wha… I, um…” She forced her attention off Ty and back onto her father. What had he said? Oh, right. He’d been excusing Andrew Tinsley’s predatory behavior.
“It seems as though you made your decision.” Shaking his head, he began to turn toward the French doors.
“Wait!” She had to keep him talking and looking at her for a few more minutes. “Do…” Shit, she hadn’t wanted to go here, but it was the only thing she could think of to prolong the conversation. “Do you know what happened to me a few months ago?”
Relief hit so hard when he fully faced her that she nearly doubled over.
“I do,” he said in a bored tone.
“And you think, after what I survived, after what the Hell’s Handlers rescued me from, it’s a wise idea to force me to marry a man with a history of violence against women.”
His face transformed into a mask of fury, but not on her behalf. He stormed over, finger-pointing in her face. “Alleged violence, my dear,” he said, waving away her concern as though she’d said he didn’t prefer the man’s cologne. “Alleged. And you’re acting like a child. One thing has nothing to do with the other. The marriage is a business arrangement. You’re afraid he’ll get a little rough. Fine, we’ll write it into the goddamned contract. Hundred thousand dollars every time he crosses the line. There’s always a way around a problem.”
Blinking, Kelsie took a step back. Being this close to him made her skin crawl. “You’re a monster,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “I’m a businessman… a very good one. After the next election, I will be the governor of Alabama, thanks to you and your marriage to Andrew Tinsley. With Congressman Tinsley’s backing, I’ll be virtually unbeatable.”
It was virtually unbeatable. Right. Her father was at the helm of an entire state—just what the people of Alabama needed. Ty still sat at her father’s computer. His knee bounced under the desk, the only indication he was anywhere near as stressed as she felt. She chewed her lower lip.
How long was this going to take? She fought a battle between conversing with her father and watching Ty. All her strength went to not tapping her foot or fidgeting to release the nervous energy coursing through her.
“I’m sorry, it’s just not going to happen.” Feeling sorry was a straight-up lie. She didn’t have an ounce of remorse in her. “I’ll say this one time and one time only. I refuse to marry Andrew Tinsley. I’ve built a good life in Florida.”
He snorted.
“I have friends, I have a man, I have a life, and to be able to enjoy all of that after what happened to me a few months ago is nothing short of amazing. I will not trade that for your political career. I won’t trade it for anything.”
Ty’s back straightened, and he shot out of the chair as though he’d been ejected. Kelsie’s heart leaped into her throat. He dashed over to the bookshelf and pulled a random book down, flipping halfway through in a matter of seconds.
She held her breath.
What’s happening?
The door opened, and the security guard reentered the room. His gaze went first to the empty couch. An annoyed scowl scrunched his face as he found Ty standing with a book. Ty spoke a few words, and it looked as though the guard only grunted in response.
Kelsie’s gaze flicked to the computer. Her stomach plummeted when she saw Acer’s virus hadn’t finished uploading.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
What if it made noise?
What if the guard noticed?
This would all be for nothing, and who knew what her father would do to them if they were caught?
“A life.” Her father laughed. “This is a life.” He spread his arms, indicating his mansion and vast property. “What you have is pathetic.”
She shrugged. “Least I can come and go as I please.”
Storm clouds moved across his expression. “It appears there’s no changing your mind.”
“Finally, we’re getting somewhere.”
He nodded. “Well, then, I recommend you enjoy what’s left of your happiness. Once you walk out that door, I’ll consider you one of them. And I’m coming after them with everything I have, Kelsie, mark my words.”
Her blood ran cold. She tried to swallow, but her throat dried up, making it impossible.
It’d be easy to buckle under her father’s fierce stare and harsh words. How many times had she caved throughout her childhood? But she thought of Ty and how he believed in her and cared for her. He’d given her so much just by being himself. He’d infused her with his strength and bravery. He supported her choices and celebrated her wins. Kelsie squared her shoulders and stared her father directly in the eye. Thankfully, he couldn’t see beneath her skin to the anxiety simmering beneath the surface.