Page 326 of Hateful Games

Taking any scrapes he’ll give me.

I force myself to follow after him and round the corner to find him sitting on the kitchen island, drinking straight from the bottle of whiskey. He notices my presence but doesn’t acknowledge me.

However, when I don’t go in the direction of the exit, his body goes rigid.

Reaching his side, I tug the bottle and set it aside.

“One day you said you might do something we won’t be able to come back from,” he says quietly. “This is it. There’s no coming back from this, Rosalie.”

“No,” I gasp. The first sob escaping. “I love yo—”

Grabbing the back of my neck and tilting my chin, he bends to press a harsh kiss on my lips. When he rips his mouth away, his eyes show me the first glimpse of the pain I inflicted and the vicious anger of my betrayal. “You don’t taste like mine anymore. Maybe you never did. Maybe you enchanted me like an enchanted rose.”

“I’m sorry.” I cry harder, my knees giving out as I clutch him. “I’m sorry.”

Abruptly standing, he angrily flings the bottle past me.

I flinch as it crashes into the wall.

Nova’s livid face glaring down at me.

“Get the fuck out, Rosalie,” he shouts. “We’re over.”

Chapter Eighty-four

Rosalie

I run down the hallway, sobbing as the elevator descends.

Nova not stopping me.

I’ve lost him.

I’ve lost my entire world.

The doorman calls out my name as I rush past him but I don’t listen. My vision blurry as I make it to the waiting cab. Unlocking the door, I slip into the back seat and tell him Bianca’s address.

I’m still going to out my father.

Nova is safe. No way I’m letting my father come at him or another person ever again.

“Didn’t believe you, did he?”

Fear paralyzing my body, I sharply look up into the malicious eyes of my uncle. He sits in the passenger seat, pointing a gun at the driver’s head, who appears seconds from pissing his pants.

Our palpable fear mingling.

“Did you really think I’m stupid enough to let you sneak out, kid?” he sneers before shaking his head. “At the first chance of freedom and who do you run to?”

Words escape me while terror takes ahold of me.

With the threat of the gun, I don’t make the mistake of reaching for the door. He won’t hesitate to shoot either of us.

Shrewd gaze on me, he barks at the other man, “Drive.”

I stare longingly at the window as he switches on the ignition and watch the building disappear. My gut screaming to jump out, but where am I going to run? As if he can read my mind, he hits the driver. “Faster.”

“Pity about his mom, isn’t it, Rosalie?” he muses once we’re on the highway and he relaxes against the seat. Weapon still drawn on our companion. “Did you know she called Mihir to inform him she was coming to meet you?”

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