Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
I fucking manifested this shit.
“You okay?” Her voice lulls me back to the moment.
I brush the back of my finger over the silk of her cheek, ignoring the way the dagger that burns in my pocket feels more like it’s lodged in my heart. “Yeah, baby. I’m good. You?”
I have to be smart. As in tune as I am to her, she is to me. Bonded from before birth, our souls were forged together by a fucking firestorm of chaos, one that will burn eternally, and turn everything in its path to ash.
The corners of her eyes slant, but it’s not because she’s suspicious. It’s that she’s… free. She’s been snatched of so much—I’ll fucking die before I let the teeth of my guilt so much as graze her.
Her fingers twist behind my neck, and she pulls me down until I’m almost level to her. Almost.
Her lips brush over mine and I fight a groan that strangles me. “I love you. Thank you.”
Fuck it. Like the sadistic prick that I am, I grab her by the face and force her lips onto mine, swiping my tongue over hers as she feeds me the soft little moans that I’ve been ravishing since the second her mouth had first landed on mine.
I pull back, resting my forehead against hers while massaging her temples with my thumbs. “I’ll be back, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispers, and it’s that velvet side that she only ever allows me to touch.
“Say it.” I kiss her once, before allowing our lips to sail over each other’s. “Tell me you know that I’ll be back. That I’ll never leave you.”
Her eyes search mine, and I can almost hear her pleading with me.
She reaches up until her hand rests against the side of my neck, skimming the tattoo there. “I know you’ll always be back—” When I go to step away, she forces me back against her lips, and out of instinct, I bite at the bottom one before she kisses me again. “—and I’ll always be here waiting. You’re mine, War. All of you. Especially the parts that you think I can’t handle. They’re all mine.”
“I love you, baby,” I whisper against her forehead, my throat swelling around the words.
She leans up once more and plants a gentle kiss below my jaw. “I love you, War. Thank you for always catching me. Even with blood on your hands.”
And I always would. I just hadn’t realized that one day, it was going to be her blood that was on my hands.
I wait until she dances off near the bonfire, swiping the bottle of whatever it is Deacon is drinking as he examines the photos Stella just shot. Seeing Halen smile is a reminder of all the years I robbed the earth of seeing it. She should have been like this all along. Never touched. Never fucking touched. That same rage bubbles beneath my skin and I tear my eyes from her, implanting that smile inside my head as if she doesn’t exist in there already. Before anyone can catch me, I slip beneath the shadows of the trees and with every step I take, I feel myself fall deeper and deeper into the abyss of my own condemnation.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m nestled between our jet and the sleek ivory pearl of the Gentlemen’s. It’s a complete contrast to our satin black.
The distant sound of propellers chopping against the wind gets closer, but it is still five minutes or so out.
Five minutes I don’t have.
The knife continues to burn against me, and my fingers flex in the palm of my hand. The urge to use it to cut myself open and release the shit inside of me is strong.
The blood of an enemy washes off, but the blood of the woman you love stains. It’ll decay in the rot of your bones. Nothing washes that shit off. As it shouldn’t. I want to feel it. I want it to remind me exactly what the fuck I had failed at. Just not while she is around.
“Where are you going?” My muscles lock at the sound of Dad’s voice from behind.
Fuck. I don’t have time for this.
His hand squeezes my shoulder from behind. “You did well tonight, son. Real well.” I don’t bother to turn, afraid that if I do, he’ll see the torment eating me alive.
“It shouldn’t have happened to her.” My anger finally pools in the corners of my eyes. I brush the tears away, spinning around to unleash even just a little on to him, when I come face-to-face with not just Dad, but Bishop, Brantley, Madison, Mom, and Saint.
My legs buckle and my eyes blur as thunder roars through my body in a round of uncontrollable tremors. Arms catch me and it’s not until I’m back on my feet that I see Dad, Bishop, and Brantley surrounding me.