Page 12 of His Paradise

“Liv? What is it?”

“He said that Aden isn’t looking for you. That he’s given up already.” Her words are strained, but they still hit me as if she’d screamed them. I shake my head, standing to pace. For the first time in days, a giggle bubbles from my lips as I grip my elbows.

“Aden would never give up.” I stop pacing, glancing at Grayson and decide not to say anything else.

He quirks a pierced brow while staring at me. “To David, it looks like Aden has given up. But a real man would scour every inch of the earth to find the woman he loves.” He looks away standing straighter when we hear footsteps outside. Olivia and I quickly sit on the bed and I take her hand in mine. David steps into the room with a yawn, wearing black silk pajama bottoms as he tilts his head.

“I’ve never had two sisters at once.”

“No,” The word rushes from me before I can stop it. Olivia tenses, her eyes wide as she stares straight ahead while holding her breath. David barks a laugh, shaking his head as he drops onto the bed next to me.

“Of course my girl doesn’t want to share me. Have it your way, baby. I wonder which one of the men wants a turn with her tonight.” He leans around me to grin at my sister and her hand shakes in mine. My mind races as I try to think of any way to protect her from this, from those monsters that wait just beyond the door.

“She hasn’t been married off yet, I bet the boys would tear eachother apart to get her as a wife.” He reaches forward, but I take his hand in mine and turn to block her from his view.

“I’m not sure she is ready for that.” I say, rubbing his hand between mine. Percy returns at that moment, bringing in multiple bags with labels from different clothing shops.

“Percy, take Olivia to your room. She’s yours for the time being.” David waves his hand. Percy no longer has the soft kindness in his expression as he grins, his eyes tracking Olivia with each step. My heart thunders in my chest, but Olivia stands and walks to him willingly without daring to lock eyes with me.

At the last moment, with Grayson following behind him, Percy catches my eyes, nodding once. My moment of relief is short lived as David’s hand lands on my thigh, sliding towards my crotch. I stop his movement with my hand, blocking him from reaching any closer as I try to stand.

“I’m just really exhausted,” I say. David stands up, wrapping his hand around my throat as he slams me backwards on the bed.

“I’m not going to be fucking patient forever, Nina. It’s been too long since I’ve felt your legs wrapped around me.” His grip on my throat isn’t painful, just enough to keep me pinned in place as he forces his body between my knees to grind against me. I turn my face away, tears brimming my eyes as he presses his hard length against me. His free hand palms my breast over my clothing while his tongue brushes across the shell of my ear.

He stops, dropping his head to my shoulder with a sigh as I wait, my body shaking as the moments tick past.

“You’ll beg me to fuck you, Nina. When you finally do, it’ll be the sweetest reward I’ve ever earned.” His voice is soft, kind as he kisses my cheek and climbs off. He pulls out a matching pair of silk pajamas, lifting my ankle to pull them up. He peppers both legs with gentle kisses, his hot breath fanning over my thighs as he tops, staring up at me with his mouth inches from my core.

With a crooked grin, he pulls the pants on and holds his hand out. I take it, allowing him to pull me to my feet as I wait for his kindness to end. He takes my dress in his hands and pulls it over my head. I quickly cross my arms to cover my chest, but his eyes are glued to the scar between my hips that was mostly covered by my pants.

“What happened to you?” He asks, pushing the top of my pants down to get a better look.

“It’s from when I had my son,” I stare up at the ceiling. He hums, nodding as if it makes perfect sense.

“I won’t let that man ever touch you again. He tainted you inside and out.” David spits the words as he pulls the shirt over my head and pulls the covers back.

“You’ll sleep in my arms or you’ll sleep on the floor,” He tells me, rounding the bed as I crawl under the blankets. His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me to his chest as his fingers lazily brush across my hip.

“Sleep, my love.” He says, rubbing his nose along my neck. In the dark, with the blankets covering us and the sound of our breathing, I can almost imagine it’s Aden holding me. His warmth pressed to my back, protecting me. Keeping me safe.

Chapter ten

Aden

Sweat drips into my eyes, but the pain radiating from my ribs is the only thing I can focus on. Each breath hurts and I’m sure I’ve broken at least a rib, but I won’t let that stop me. I stand taller, swiping a hand across my brow as I throw aside my ripped shirt. Markus rolls his eyes, licking the blood from his split knuckles as he watches me.

“I’m not going to fight you naked, no matter how much you beg.” Markus grins.

“Shut the hell up,” I snap, launching myself towards him. He catches me, side stepping and using my momentum to twist and throw me to the floor.

“You’re fighting with emotion, Aden. This is senseless and helps neither of you.” Alec says, sitting in a lawn chair as he sips his whiskey with a bored expression.

“He told me to give up!” I roar, jumping from the grass to tackle Markus. He lands under me with a grunt, driving his elbow back to land on my tender side. The air rushes out between my teeth with a hiss as I roll away from him. The two of us are breathing hard, and Markus shakes his head as he stands and brushes his pants off.

“I told you to stop looking in obvious places, you shitstain. Whoever has her, has taken her somewhere secluded. Her useless father still hasn’t found any trails on where Olivia is or who could have taken her. Considering he didn’t want you two to be married in the first place, have you considered daddy dearest?” Markus holds his hand out, helping me stand.

He has a point, Nina’s father has never liked me or my family. We aren’t high ranking leaders, like Alec and Markus. But I shake my head and dismiss the thought, especially since Nina’s sister Olivia is missing as well. Luna rushes out the back door with her laptop in her hands, interrupting us.

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