Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“You should lie down.”
“You’re angry,” she said.
“And you’re a genius.”
“You don’t need to be cruel. This isn’t your fault,” Noelle said.
“Those men beat the crap out of you because of me.”
“You saved me, Evil. They had a choice to make, and they chose wrong. There is nothing you can do about it.” She put her hand on his chest.
That touch alone sent a thrill down his spine.
“Don’t blame yourself.”
“Your face is hurt because of who I am.”
She tilted her head back and smiled. “Are you telling me those men lived? They’re breathing now?”
They didn’t cross this line. Noelle knew who he was, but they never talked about it. Never.
He stared at her, not exactly sure what he should be doing, and she smiled.
“See, you don’t know how to respond.”
“What do you want me to say?” he asked.
“The truth would be a good thing. You know, that thing you do when you admit what you’ve done.”
“Are you ready to know the answers?”
She sighed. “Evil, I’ve known about you for a long time.” She patted his chest and stepped back. “I still haven’t run for the hills.”
“So, you don’t care that I tortured those men?”
“No.”
He stared at her, a little shocked.
She licked her lips. “You don’t believe me.”
“Noelle, you believe in Christmas, and being good, and shit like that.”
She smiled. “I believe in good, and fun, and just living, because I know what it’s like out there.” She pointed at her face. “You think this is the first time I’ve been beaten up? It’s not. My dad used me as a punching bag whenever he ran out of alcohol. My mom, if I hadn’t run away when I did, she was going to sell me for the drugs she wanted. Trust me, I understand all the bad shit in the world, better than you think.” She turned from him and walked away.
Evil couldn’t help but admire the round curves of her ass.
Fuck, having Noelle under his roof was going to test his restraint.
****
Noelle had never told anyone about her past before. Not a soul. Not a boyfriend. Those had been few and far between. Since leaving her parents, without graduating high school, she’d had three boyfriends. Two of which had been serious. The third, they’d never even had sex. She had caught him fucking his way through her apartment building, looking for any pussy that would have him.
That had ended badly. He’d tried to scare her. Attempted to slam through her apartment and force her. What he hadn’t expected was to get a leg to the dick, a fist to the eye, and to finish it off, his hair thoroughly tugged.
Growing up with a drunk father and a drugged mother, Noelle had learned a few things about protecting herself. More importantly, one of the guys at school had wanted to get into her pants, and he’d taught her how to defend herself.
If Evil wasn’t so focused on what happened, he would’ve come to realize she could take care of herself. Yes, she had a bruised face, and some pain throughout her whole body, but that was all. She’d gotten a few hits in herself.
She didn’t care that those men were now dead. They’d tried to take what belonged to Evil. His turf, but she also knew that he considered her his. Not that he’d said anything to her, or even tried to stake his claim. Unless she counted overhearing him telling a man who’d tried to buy her a drink when they’d been on a business dinner. Otherwise, Evil said nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
He was the perfect gentleman, which didn’t seem to be an Evil trait. But around her, he was different. She saw that in the way he was, and she did like it.
Sitting on the guest bedroom’s bed, she placed her hands on her knees and breathed out a sigh of relief.
Evil was back at home. It was stupid how safe she felt with him. For all intents and purposes, he was a monster. A crime lord who ran this fucking city with an iron fist. He didn’t take shit from anyone. Not the cartels or the mafia family on the border.
No one fucked with him. They all paid the price. The attack on her had come from a little jumpstart trying to take turf away from Evil.
He never talked to her about this part of his business. His main building was part of his casino. That was where she worked. From overheard conversations, she’d come to the conclusion that Evil never had a main building. Not until her.
Evil moved around, checking all of his businesses. The casino was just one part of it being legitimate. The other half, well, that also fed the dark side of the world. The drugs, the whores, and of course, offering as much as the dark human mind could crave.