Page 58 of Cursed to Be Mine
Scarlett stares at me, her mouth opening further and further as she grasps for words. “I… That’s…that’s… Are you saying...you…lo...”
She falters, but I don’t look away, not embarrassed by her knowing just how much she means to me. Real men don’t make their girls work for their affection, don’t make them wonder with any doubt. They love unconditionally.
“Fuck.” She falls back on the bed, sitting on the edge of it, her words still lost somewhere inside.
I wait, not caring how long it takes. Whatever my girl needs.
My phone vibrates in the quiet, a text pinging through, but I ignore it.
She looks at me, speculation in her eyes, a want for a distraction as she’s not yet ready to deal with everything life has thrown at her tonight.
“It’s my brother,” I say, not needing to look at the phone to know Varius’ patience has run thin. “He wants to discuss business.”
“You have a brother?”
“I have seven.”
“Seven?”
I smile, liking the look of shock on her face.
“Your poor ma,” she breathes, and I laugh.
“Any sisters?” she asks.
I shake my head. A hundred years ago, mom had her first batch of children, doing her duty to create soldiers for our gang wars. Seven children –five boys, two girls– all dead before their twentieth birthdays. The next batch of kids didn’t live much longer. Mother refused to bear anymore, deciding instead to fight on the front lines. It wasn’t until a treaty was called that she had Varius and the rest of us.
“Are you the oldest?”
“Third.”
“I wish I had siblings.”A friend, us against the world –words she doesn’t say but are clearly voiced in the light lilt of her tone.
Words only ever uttered by a single child.
My brothers and I all get along for the most part now, but growing up was a bloodbath of testosterone.
“You can have mine,” I say without hesitation, and she half snorts, half giggles before she coughs, a hand flying over her mouth.
My eyes narrow on her, not liking that she’s hiding herself from me.
She drops her arm, but her laughter is already gone. Stolen from me by her bitch of a mother beyond the grave.
Still, my body relaxes because she gives me a small smile. “You really don’t mind it?” she asks.
Straightening off the wall, I walk towards her.
She sucks in a breath as she tilts her head back to hold my gaze. I stop right in front of her, nearly touching her knees. Her eyes become half-hooded. Her throat works beneath the dark purple bruises.
My lips tighten as I’m reminded of that fucker havinghis hands on her. Of Maddox holding me back as I stood outside that fucking garage and let it happen.
I want to heal her with my magic, but what I know won’t take away bruises. I can keep her from the edge of death but can’t do anything for her now. Besides, she isn’t ready for an introduction into my world, not after all she’s been through tonight... And not until after she deals with what is to come when Phil finds her mother’s body and Derek convinces her it was wolves.
Lifting a hand, I cup her cheek. My cock jerks with how close her face is to it, and her eyes dart down and linger. A low growl rumbles from my chest as I lean down and slide my hand into her hair, tugging it back with a sharp pull.
The towel falls to the bed.
Her eyes widen before fastening onto my lips. A few more inches and I –
