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)
“Lucien?” Rook jogged to keep up, her skin icing over. “Where...where are we going?”
“Home.”
“What? Now? But I thought we were going to Brimstone.”
“I think Marcus has hidden something in these mountains.”
“Wait, you do?” She frowned. “But that poor man was obviously upset. I’m not denying some of the things he said gave me chills but—”
“Some of it could be real.” I pulled her down an alleyway. “Even if it isn’t...I won’t be able to rest until I find out.”
“But what about Marcus?”
“He can wait. He can’t touch me now and...if he is up to something, isn’t it better I find out what it is, so I can repay him exactly what he’s owed?”
“That makes sense, I guess.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but...I trust him.” I shrugged. “I trust the old man because I was him.”
Rook squeezed my hand as if she understood exactly what I meant. “I’m sure Lao Li will be very grateful to know someone finally listened.”
“You listened.” I squeezed her hand, rushing her back the way we’d come. “I’m free because you were the first and only to help me.”
“And you want to return the favour.” She stayed glued to my side. “You lived twenty years in a similar state of entrapment. You know how it feels to be ignored and forgotten. I get it.”
I slammed to a stop, awed and so fucking grateful. Wrapping my fingers around her nape, I dragged her into me and kissed her again.
I kissed her deep and slow—not because I wanted her ice but because I wanted to show her just how much I fucking loved her.
When we pulled apart, she cracked a smile. “Tell me honestly, though...do you really think the mountain is eating people?”
“Of course not.” I jerked her back into a walk. “But I do think Marcus wouldn’t stop at just breaking me. And if I find out he’s hurting others. If he’s trapped and tortured others like us? Well then, I’m going to hunt down every bastard involved and make them wish they’d never been fucking born.”
* * * * *
Whispering Dragon welcomed us home as we drove back to Ashfall Cliff.
The huge stone dragon seemed to shift—its scaled sides and thick legs tensing for a battle that’d been brewing for two decades.
I never let go of Rook as Uncle Wen went to park the jeep and we marched over the threshold into the Dragon Courtyard, Whisper at my heels.
Dillon quickly ordered the Snowflake Corp guards to find something to do before scurrying after us.
I was burning and short-tempered.
I didn’t want to delay my fight with Marcus but...I also felt blind to what he’d truly been doing.
All those bags of blood he’d taken from me.
All those years he’d kept me trapped.
For what?
Why did this feel bigger than just taking over my family’s company?
“Lucien?” Rook squeezed my hand, her frost reacting to my blazing heat. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Even her calming presence couldn’t stop my racing mind.
I had to know.
Had to find out.
This was going to end with Marcus in pieces, but how many other people did I have to kill to make things right?
Slamming to a stop, I turned around so fast, Dillon almost crashed into me.
“Fuck’s sake, a little warning would be nice.” He rolled his eyes, rocking back on his heels.
I’d reached my limit where Rook’s bodyguard was concerned, but—
“Can I trust you?” I narrowed my eyes, yanking Rook close and shivering with relief as her cold body pressed against my very hot one.
He scowled. “I don’t care if you trust me or not. As long as Rook is with you, then I’m going to be hanging around like a bad smell to protect her.”
“Fine.”
“Fine?” Rook shot me a look. “What’s fine?”
Turning to face her, I cupped her cheeks, planted my mouth over hers, and kissed her deeply, desperately.
Dillon wisely didn’t stop me as I used her to control myself.
Everything about her was a temporary cure—her smell, her saliva, her wetness when we had sex. She stopped me from turning into a pyre, and I just had to hope the kiss would be enough to prevent me from burning Ashfall Cliff to the ground while we were apart.
Her eyes glazed as I let her go. “Go with him.”
“What?” Her eyebrows flew up. “But...where are you going?”
“Look after her.” I pushed her gently toward Dillon. “Protect her with your life. If you don’t, I’ll take yours. And there won’t be enough left of you to fill an urn once I’m through.”
Before either of them could argue, I left.
* * * * *
I stalked into my father’s office with Whisper, heading straight to the shelf where he stored every map of Brimstone’s geothermal sites and reactors.
Old and new, working and decommissioned, I spread the maps across the desk and pinned them under my palms. The Gaoligong Ranges stared back with neat contour lines and elevations, hiding what truly lurked within.