Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“Everything.” His face fell but his eyes stayed wary. “Were you truly just playing your usual games of chase or were you trying to run away from me?”
So, we were going straight to the hard stuff. Good to know.
I shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea what I should say to that.”
“Just tell me the truth.” Dillon narrowed his eyes. “Tell me everything that happened since I last heard from you in Koh Lanta. I’d only just arrived when I realised you were already gone. Were you trapped? Are you mad at me? Are you alright? Just...tell me you’ve been safe for the past eight weeks, and I’ll drop it.”
“Sorry for making you worry again.” I fell into familiar patterns, half-contrite, half-smug. “And I’m sorry for the hassle of the past ten years.”
He rolled his eyes with a groan. “You truly are driving me to drink, you know that, right?” He gave me one last search—his trained eye hunting out any injuries.
He wouldn’t find any (thanks to Lucien’s blood). He didn’t need to know about Cinderkeep (not yet, anyway). And...God, I wanted him to be on my side.
“Looks like you’re still in one piece. Nice dress by the way—way better than those scruffy shorts you usually travel in.” He yawned and slouched with a great sigh, releasing the past two months of hunting me. “Okay, I’ll stop fretting. However...you can expect an expensive therapist bill next time you go MIA.”
My heart warmed. His eyes softened.
Seemed I wasn’t the only one affected by the years between us.
Glancing around the room, his gaze lit up as he spied a row of earthen jars on a sideboard by the library.
Pushing off the chair with a heavy groan, he clomped in black boots to the side table, snagged a jar, uncorked the wooden stopper, sniffed it, and took a long swig.
Lucien turned fiery beneath me, but I merely shook my head.
No matter what secrets Dillon had, I technically did owe him a drink.
Many in fact.
Bringing his pilfered beverage back to join us, Dillon sat in an exhausted sprawl and cheers-ed me with the bottle. “To you, Elara freaking Snowflake.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a pain in my ass.”
“I’m a pain in the ass?” He snorted, taking another mouthful. “I haven’t slept in weeks, thanks to you.” Grumbling under his breath, he added, “If only I’d known what I was getting into being your personal security. I would’ve—”
“Locked her in a cage and thrown away the key?” Lucien cut in, his own experience tempering his words.
Dillon froze. “Excuse me?”
“Would’ve made your life a hell of a lot easier, rather than chasing after something so special, huh?”
“She’s not something, asshole. She’s someone.”
“To me she is.” Lucien nodded. “To Whisper she is. But to you and those you work for? I’m not so sure.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means—”
“Lucien.” Pressing my mouth to his ear, I whispered, “You’re smoking.”
With a soft growl, Lucien clung to me as if I could dampen the fire threatening to break out of his skin.
Dillon’s temper landed on me. “You know what...just tell me what you’re hiding, Rook. I know something’s happened.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re wary of me. And...I feel like I’ve let you down. Do you hate me because I wasn’t there to protect you?”
“She had me,” Lucien snapped. “I was there.”
“Yes, and that’s the problem.” Dillon narrowed his eyes. “You’re the problem.”
“How do you know that pear wine you’re drinking isn’t poisoned?” Lucien smiled.
Dillon scowled at the bottle then drank again as if he was too tired to care.
I thought I could do this.
I thought I could be brave but...
“Can I trust you, Dil?” I asked quietly.
He sat bolt upright. “What sort of question is that?”
“We’ve been together for over a decade. Are you loyal to me or are you loyal to Snowflake Corp?”
“You are Snowflake Corp.”
“Just answer the question.”
Lucien burned again and my body sent an automatic blanket of snow his way. He pressed a gentle kiss against my neck, shocking me stupid.
Dillon scowled.
I caught Lucien’s eyes and everything caught alight.
Our first meeting.
Our first conversation.
Our first touch, first kiss, first thrust.
He’d freed me from so much pain.
Captured my heart with so much belonging.
I could do this.
If Dillon hurt me, Lucien would heal me.
I would be brave.
Twisting on Lucien’s lap to face Dillon, I focused entirely on my bodyguard. “I’ve trusted you like the grumpy brother I never had. I secretly loved having you chase me because I knew that no matter where I was or how bad the pain got, you were only hours away to help me. You’ve held me through some of the worst attacks. You’ve travelled with me to some of the most remote locations. And I’ve never once felt like I was just a job to you. So I need you to tell me the truth, Dil. I need to know whatever it is that you’re hiding because...the thought that you’ve been lying to me all this time hurts far, far too much.”