Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
And suddenly, I know what’s going on here. I know this is Darcy’s revenge for me rejecting her—poisoning Cat against me. And who knows what sort of vile lies she’s poured into my love’s ears.
“Cat, let me—”
“Get away from me!”
I move towards her anyways, but suddenly, with a heart-wrenching cry, she’s shoving past me and running out the door, sobbing.
Fury blazes through me, and I whirl on Darcy with such savagery that her wicked smile actually falters for a moment.
“What have you done?” I hiss, my jaw tight, rage blazing in my eyes.
She swallows, stiffening and drawing herself up regally. There’s a sneer on her lips as she smiles at me.
“Showing you who has the power in this family.”
I shake my head, backing away from her as I jab a finger at her chest.
“You’ll regret this, Lady Darcy. That I can promise you.”
“Not before I burn your world to the ground, Lord Bruce,” she tosses back with a wicked smile.
I could stay, and yell and scream at her. But she doesn’t matter. What does is finding Cat and fixing this. What matters is making sure the woman I love knows the truth of whatever lies she’s been told.
I whirl, running down the corridors of the castle after her.
Chapter 10
Catriona
Tears blur my vision as I tumble out of the doors into the back gardens of my father’s castle. Years ago, or at least so I’ve been told, this was my mother’s favorite place. The gardens were hers, and under her, they flourished and bloomed. They haven’t gone completely to shambles or anything since she passed, but now, it’s one of the castle’s help that tends to the flowers and plants.
And it’s just not quite the same as what they once were.
But still, it’s where I come to escape sometimes. And right now, all I want is an escape. Part of me wants to run further than here—to keep going until my legs give out or until my breath stops. I could go to Aerie Doon, but then, he already knows to look for me there. And just the same, I don’t even know if I could manage to ride there now.
Not with how wrecked my heart feels.
My eyes squeeze shut as I storm across the darkened, walled gardens. Tears roll down my cheeks, and there’s a tearing feeling in my chest. I don’t want to believe Darcy. I don’t want to consider that she’d be that cruel to lie about something like this.
…That Callum forced himself on her.
It makes me sick to even think about it, and reliving her words is like a knife through my heart. The way she seemed both hysterical and something else… almost gleeful. Smug, perhaps. I’d screamed at her and told her I didn’t believe a word of it. But when she could tell me about specific scars on his body—places she’d only have seen if he was naked—my stomach dropped.
That’s when he’d rushed in, and that’s when I’d run.
…Again.
I flop down in the grass behind a thicket of roses, and when my head hits my arms and I slump across the ground, the tears flow freely.
“Catriona! Cat!”
His voice is unmistakable, and I hate the way it sends a thrill through me—like I’m excited for him to be here before I suddenly remember that I hate him for what he did.
“Cat!”
“Go away!”
I suddenly wish I’d just kept my damn mouth shut, because the second I scream it, I know he knows where I am. I can hear him running across the garden, and when he storms around the corner of the rose thicket, I jump to my feet. Hatred clouds my tear-stained face as I jab a finger at him, backing away.
“Y—you—you stay away from me!”
“Cat,” he hisses, fire blazing in his eyes. He steps towards me, but I scream at him, stepping back.
“Damnit, Cat!” he roars, advancing on me. “Damnit, you know me!”
“Do I?!”
“Yes,” he hisses. “You know damn well that you do. Just like we both know damn well that whatever she told you is a lie.”
“Why?” I sneer. “Why would she lie?”
“I don’t know.” His shoulders drop, but his eyes are still blazing right into me. “I wish I did, but I don’t know what would possess someone to be so cruel and malicious.”
“Is it true?” My voice is brittle and broken, my heart hanging by a thread.
“No.” He answers without hesitation, his jaw tightening. “Gods, of course not, my love.”
I squeeze my eyes shut.
“She knew about your scars. The ones she could only know about if she—”
“She was in my quarters.”
I sob, whirling and shaking my head. But suddenly, he’s there, his hands on me, pulling me back into his strong chest. I want to fight him, and shove him away, but I don’t. I fall into him instead, still trembling.
“I don’t know why she was, but she was, when I came out of the bath. That’s how she saw the scars, Cat. She…” he growls. “She offered herself to me. Tonight, and last night back at Aerie Doon.”