Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I shake my head and pull him close, until his cheek flattens on my chest, and I keep him safe with my own body. I hate that his past has been so full of disappointment, but we can only move forward. “I’m sorry. You deserve better.”
“Damen?” Kill asks, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Can you promise to never lie to me in serious matters? Even if you actually intend to kill me after the holidays, I’d rather know and live life to the fullest than be lied to.”
“What?” I ask despite the ache in my lungs. I did assume our holidays might end with him dead, but now just thinking about it triggers a wave of nausea. I stroke his face, ignoring the unpleasant sensation in my chest, because he’s holding me by the heart, and nothing good can come from me telling him that now. He’ll assume I’m trying to appease him.
I want to reassure him that he’s going to be fine, but that would be a lie, and I couldn’t do that to him, so instead I say, “I hope it won’t come to that. All you need to do is to never reveal mine or my family’s secrets. That’s a promise. I will never lie.”
Instead of a growing tension at that looming threat I sense him relaxing in my arms. He looks up, serious and inquisitive. “And what is it that you do exactly?”
Smart little minx. I can’t break my promise now. “I kill people my family needs dead.”
I expect a gasp. I don’t blink, so I don’t miss even the tiniest expression passing through his face, but he frowns and nods, processing what I said. “That explains a lot.”
I’m stunned.
But also amazed. Enchanted. Relieved. Emotion wells up inside as I clear my throat, struggling to keep a clear head. “That promise about lies should apply to both of us. Will you go to the police?”
He keeps my gaze. “No. I won’t. Happy deserved it. And my husband’s family is now mine. I’d never betray that.”
I might be getting a little hot under the collar, and we still have a long way to go.
“Thank you. That… means a lot,” I say and clear my throat before pulling him farther along, my head full of messy thoughts. “I think it’s best if we hurry. We have a helicopter flight to catch. It’s the only way to reach the property in the winter.”
Kill smiles at me and winks. “Will you get jealous if I sit next to the pilot?”
I snort. “Not at all. You may even give him a blowjob,” I say, very satisfied with myself.
He walks in silence for a few seconds, then gives me the side eye. “You’re the pilot, aren’t you?”
I don’t answer, just offer him a wide smirk, because yes, I hate putting my life in someone else’s hands.
And yes, I’m a certified helicopter pilot.
Killian shakes his head. “That is really hot. Anything you can’t do?”
I’ve not been able to tell my parents I’m bringing a man over for Christmas, but even that will soon change.
Chapter 7
Killian
I keep staring at the chunky ring on my finger. I’m still shell-shocked about its price and the fact that I’ll be allowed to keep it. I’ve been snatched out of my old life as if I secretly have a pedigree when I’m really the runt of a stray’s litter.
The incredible piece of jewelry stands for a lie Damen intends to throw into his family’s face, but whenever I look at it and remember he was the one to put it there, I’m overcome by a sense of belonging that feels foreign yet is so very welcome.
He did spank me as if I were a misbehaving child earlier, but I can’t begrudge him or mind the bruises surely forming on my ass. The men I’ve previously been with would get violent, dismissive, or hurtful whenever I broke unspoken rules they had for their partners, but Damen isn’t like that. He remained calm throughout the punishment, and now that it’s over, he’s happy to offer me another chance at his side. All is forgiven. Not only is he not holding a grudge, but he’s even showered me with expensive gifts.
This isn’t love-bombing. It’s a nuclear-level threat, and I’m powerless against it, so I might as well close my eyes and let it radiate through me.
I’ve never been in a helicopter, so it’s another exhilarating new thing Damen has introduced me to. I don’t see much in the darkness below, but we must be reaching our destination as I spot a large building with lights glowing in many windows. Just like Damen said, it’s the only one we’ve seen after flying over swaths of snow-covered forest.
It’s so hot that he’s the one flying us here too. My exes could claim being proficient at breaking into people’s homes, fighting, or finding drug dealers in any new area, and here Damen is, landing us on an illuminated helipad with the same ease most people park their cars.