Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
I don’t know what he means, but I can imagine after spending the day reading about this asshole. She looks down at her hands and says nothing.
“You don’t get to control my life,” she finally says, her voice thin. “Whether Adrian is here or not, the two of you don’t just get to make decisions on my behalf.”
“Even if those decisions keep you safe?” he asks. “You know I would be devastated if anything ever happened to you. Would you really put me through that just to protect your autonomy?”
She still doesn’t look up, and she doesn’t answer him.
Adelina comes out to ask what we want for dinner, but otherwise no one speaks.
“I don’t think I’m going to stay,” Nico finally says. “It’s like arguing with a brick wall.”
“No one told you to come anyway,” she answers coldly.
He stands up and walks over to her slowly, placing a brotherly kiss on the top of her head. “You can be mad at me all you want, Val, but it’s not going to stop me from doing everything I can to keep you safe.”
He walks out without another word, leaving the two of us alone. Once he’s gone, I take a moment to really look at her. She looks wrung out. Too tired to keep fighting and too proud to show it.
“If you’re really not hungry, you should get some rest,” I tell her. “But if you’re just trying to get away from me, Adelina can bring a meal to your room.”
That finally gets a response. She looks up at me, searching. “Was it you or her who left me that tray last night?”
“Me,” I tell her. “When you didn’t come down all day, I figured you were probably avoiding me.”
“That didn’t bother you?” she asks suspiciously.
I just shrug. “You aren’t a prisoner here, Val. This isn’t a situation where you have to be on my schedule. You’re here for your safety, not for my ego. So, if you want to completely ignore me and take all your meals in your room, I’m not going to stop you. As long as you understand that I’m going to make you travel to work in an armored vehicle and insist you keep a guard with you at all times.”
“So generous of you,” she mutters.
“I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that your ex has deep ties to some pretty dangerous people. So it’s only right I’m honest with you about something. I’m also a pretty dangerous person.”
She lets out a quick laugh. “Yeah, I figured that out pretty fast,” she answers, surprising me. “Why do you think I’ve been keeping you at arm’s length?”
Her vulnerability shocks me, but not as much as the sob that rips through her a moment later.
“You don’t get to control me,” she says through tears. “I’m not going through that again.”
I move around the dining room table without thinking too hard and sit in the chair next to her. I rest one hand lightly on her back first, waiting. When she doesn’t pull away, I slide the other arm around her and bring her against me carefully. She folds forward into my shoulder with a broken sound.
19
VALENTINA
Idon’t know how long I cry against him. At some point Adelina comes in and silently leaves two plates of food, but she doesn’t disturb us.
Eventually, the worst of the panic drains out of me. The hard knot in my chest loosens just enough that breathing doesn’t hurt. When I finally pull away from him, I don’t feel the shame or embarrassment I’d expect. It’s actually kind of nice to be this vulnerable with someone.
It’s just strange that, out of every man I could have opened up to, it’s one who’s even more dangerous than Adrian. His words, not mine. At least he’s been upfront about it.
I stand too quickly and immediately regret it when the room tilts. Sebastian is on his feet at the same time. His hand finds my elbow automatically, steadying without gripping, there and gone so fast I almost miss it.
“You should get some sleep,” he says carefully. “You look exhausted.”
I roll my eyes. “Just what every woman wants to hear.”
“I’m just worried about you,” he answers, and I look up long enough to see that he’s completely sincere. Which is a mistake.
I don’t know what I’m doing until I’m doing it. I grab his collar and pull him closer, until his lips hover just inches from mine. It’s so, so stupid, and I give him enough time to decide not to kiss me.
Then his hand comes up, very slowly, and brushes a strand of hair back from my face. Such a small, gentle touch, but it completely undoes me.
“We should go upstairs,” I murmur, feeling completely out of control. “Maybe I’ll sleep better if I’m not alone.”
He nods and follows me silently as we climb the stairs, close enough that I can feel his body heat the whole way. When we reach my door, I turn to him. He braces himself on the doorframe, looming over me like he’s torturing himself with indecision.