Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
My eyes flick across to Annie, watching the way my words seem to drown her where she stands. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. You’re just some young piece of meat, something for him to play with, but in the end, it’s always me he comes back to.”
“Riiiight. Sure. You keep telling yourself that. Give it another three years, and he might even learn your last name.”
She scoffs. “Like he pays any attention to you.”
I laugh, and the movement makes my ribs ache, but it’s worth it to watch her squirm. “He knows everything there is to know about me, and on top of that, I know everything about him. I know his son, his home, his life, his whole damn world. I know how his lips taste on mine, the way his arms feel around me when we’re lying in his bed.”
Okay, sure. Some of those things are drastic overexaggerations, but she doesn’t need to know that.
She shakes her head, disbelief brimming in her eyes. “You’re lying.”
“Am I?” I say, repeating the very same phrase he used when she realized he didn’t know her name. “You saw us in his home. You saw the way he stood protectively in front of me. That man is in love with me, and you know it. You can feel it in your bones. You can’t deny it, and now that you’ve done this, he will never forgive you. He will never touch you or even bother to look at you again. You’ll be nothing more than trash to him.”
Annie clenches her jaw, hateful ugliness in her eyes, before a twisted smirk pulls across her face. “You see, all of that might matter if he ever found out about this, but he won’t because once Jordan is through with you, there’ll be nothing left. You’ll be nothing but a distant memory, and when Caesar’s poor little heart is broken, he’ll come seeking comfort, familiarity, and that is when I’ll get him.”
My jaw clenches, my gaze shifting toward Jordan when Annie steps into me, her hand lifting to the massive egg on my temple. She presses against it, that smirk twisting further as delight shines through her haunting stare. “When he’s through with you, you’re going to wish for death,” she promises me as I do what I can to pull away from her touch. “But between you and me, if you push him just right, he might even give it to you.”
Annie laughs and turns on her heel, her gaze flicking to her deranged son. “Do your worst.”
And with that, she strides out of the cellar, letting the heavy door slam shut and sending the cellar into a crippling darkness.
My gaze remains locked on Jordan, watching as he casually moves around the room. There are a few ways this could go down, but without a shadow of doubt, I don’t want to find out.
“You’re not going to get away with this,” I tell him as the sound of his footsteps makes my stomach knot with unease. I don’t want to entertain any conversation with him, but if all those cop shows have taught me anything, it’s that getting them talking can buy you time.
“I already have, Natalie. Not a soul saw me leaving your apartment, and if they did, they didn’t give enough of a shit about you to do anything about it. You’re a nobody. Trash. Just some whore who enjoys getting on her knees.”
I scoff. “Is that what all of this is about? Because I refused to fuck you.”
He rolls his eyes and shakes his head as though my assumption is below him. “Of course, it all revolves around you, doesn’t it, princess? Because all every man in this fucking world wants is to get fucked by the one and only Natalie Bardot. Are you that self-centered?”
“Then what?” I demand, my arms feeling as though they’re just moments from snapping off. “What the hell am I supposed to think? You’re the one who demanded I fuck you on the street, and then you tried to shove your grimy hands down my pants at that frat party. You’re fucking sick and delusional. So you tell me, if you didn’t do all of this just to fuck me, then why go to all the effort to trash my apartment and bring me here?”
He clenches his jaw, his hands balling into fists before finally exploding with rage. “BECAUSE YOU MADE HIM HATE ME.”
“What? Who?”
“Zephyr, you dumb bitch,” he spits, stepping into me and rearing back before cracking his palm across my face, sending blood spurting from my mouth. “FUCK! Ever since you showed up, he’s pushed me away. Then after that fucking party, he refused to talk to me. Won’t take my fucking calls. Won’t see me. And it’s all because of you.”