Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“And still a minor,” Eli said. “They’re in jail, then?”
“Yeah. The two of them are still there. The other girls spent two years in jail then they were allowed out but under house arrest. All names were suppressed so that it didn’t point to me as the victim. But their lives were ruined and so were their parents’ lives after my father got through with them. He destroyed their reputations and their businesses. It was the only nice thing he ever did for me, even if he mainly did it for himself.”
“Of course he did,” Eli muttered.
“He also took great delight in telling me how disappointed he was in me. And that I shouldn’t have had sex with some random guy. I was sent to live with my grandfather while I attended college. I think he thought that was a punishment, but I love Pop-Pop so it was actually the greatest thing he could have ever done. Unfortunately, Pop-Pop fell over and broke his hip during my last year there. And my father moved him into a retirement home. I begged him to let me take care of him. But Pop-Pop actually loved living in the home he’s in now in Austin. He’s gotten to meet lots of lovely ladies.”
“And what did you do?” Eli asked.
“I had to return home to my father’s house. He didn’t want me to get a job. He wanted me to be his hostess. To take care of the house. And then when his business started to go down the tube, he wanted me to marry Cole.”
“Cole didn’t force you into that?” Eli asked.
“What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?” she asked.
They shared a look.
“What?” she asked.
“Remember the night of the storm?” Eli said. “When we stayed with you?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?”
“Well, you had a nightmare and you yelled out that you didn’t want to marry him. And that he couldn’t make you. We figured you were talking about Cole.”
“Oh. Right. Well, I might have been. But Cole didn’t force me to marry him. That was my father.”
“Your father?” Kellan asked in a quiet voice.
“Yes, he was the one forcing me to marry Cole. And Lee.”
24
Anger filled Kellan.
He wasn’t used to feeling such strong emotions but she seemed to drag them out of him.
Or what she had endured at the hands of others brought them out.
Before he could say anything, ask any more questions, there was a knock on the door.
He wanted to storm over to the door and blast whoever was on the other side for interrupting them.
Calm.
You cannot let your temper get the best of you.
He took a few calming breaths as Eli got up to open the door. Arabella slid to the side of the bed and Kellan blocked her way as she tried to get out.
“What do you think you are doing?” he demanded.
“I don’t really want to talk to Jake while lying in bed.”
Hmm. Actually, that was a good point. He didn’t want her talking to Jake while lying in bed, either.
Yes, Jake was happily married.
Yes, she was fully dressed.
He still didn’t like the idea of it. So he scooped her up and carried her to the sofa, sitting with her on his lap.
Eli turned to stare at them in surprise, but then he gave a nod of approval.
“Kellan, let me off your lap,” she said.
“Need to hold you,” he whispered. “Make sure you’re safe.”
He expected her to protest. It wasn’t normal to need to touch her this much.
But she’d nearly died. And her house had been broken into. Who knows what would have happened if she’d been there? They might have hurt her.
And now she’d just told a horrific story . . . and he had to hold her close. Especially since there was someone else here.
Didn’t matter that it was Jake.
Didn’t matter that he knew he was a good man.
Right now, the only man he could trust his girl with was Eli.
To his surprise, she looked up and then she leaned into him. “All right. If you need that.”
She was too sweet and kind for him. He’d just have to ensure he never took advantage of her kindness.
Not like other people had.
He made a mental note to look into those assholes that had hurt her. Abused her.
And maybe into her mother’s death.
The more he heard about former Governor Hank Bridges, the less he thought of the bastard.
And he hadn’t thought much of him in the first place.
“Hey, Arabella. How are you feeling?” Jake asked, sitting on the one armchair in the room. He turned it so he was facing them while Eli sat next to them on the sofa. It was a bit of a tight fit since they weren’t small men. But they made it work.
Eli drew Arabella’s feet up onto his lap and started to massage them. She let out a small moan that had Kellan growing hard.