71.2
His warm, woody scent with a hint of vanilla teases at my nose. If I could breathe, I’d breathe him in like an addict. Hazel eyes glint at me, reflecting the warm light from the desk lamp enough that the golden flecks around the outside of his iris sparkle. Dark curly hair frames his face, curling just below his ear. His golden skin, a few shades darker than Orion’s, carries the wrinkles of age around his eyes and the corner of his full mouth. A soft five o’clock shadow hugs his sharp, angled jaw, and even now, I yearn to know what it would feel like to have that brushing against my skin.
Shadows dance lightly across his face, melting into the floral tattoos that cover his neck like a collar. They bleed down across his shoulders and vanish under the straps of his tank top, the only fabric preventing the leather of his suspenders from imprinting into his skin. Lucian stands a full head above me and his muscles are so thick that he dwarfs me with just a look—that’s always made my mouth water. Carrying the extra curves that I do, I’ve never doubted that Lucian could throw me over his shoulder like I was weightless.
“Aurora.”
His voice is so deep that it vibrates through me.
“Care to explain what you think you are doing in here?”
Oh. Right.
In just a few seconds, he distracted me enough that I forgot about my mother and my ability to breathe.
“Um,” I gasp, suddenly conscious of how my breath might brush against his skin with how close we are. “I need to nip out for a bit.”
“Out?” Lucian’s grip around my wrist tightens, firm but not painful. “Has Selene eaten?”
Of course, his first thought is his daughter. If I’ve learned anything about Lucian Hawthorne it’s that his daughter is the most important thing to him.
“No, but Orion is dealing with that.”
Lucian’s grip tightens further, then he releases me and steps away. The rubber band around my chest suddenly releases as if Lucian’s lack of presence has finally given me permission to breathe. I turn on the spot, following him with my eyes as he returns to his desk.
“You can leave once Selene has eaten and gone to bed.”
Knowing Selene, there’s no way I can get her to eat her dinner, shower, get in bed, and then go out to meet my mother. Not in two hours.
“I’m sorry but I can’t. I really have to go.”
His leather chair creaks as it takes on his muscular bulk. Lucian rests his elbows on the desk, clasps his hands, and stares at me over the top of his knuckles.
“It’s snowing.”
It sounds like concern, but it’s really just another way to say no.
I take a deep breath, and my tongue trembles from how hard my heart thumps against my ribs. “I really must insist. I’ve taken care of Selene, and I—well, I’ve never asked you for anything, have I? But I have something I really need to take care of—a family thing.”
Lucian’s dark brows twitch ever so slightly.
“And I can take one of your cars, which will be safe in the snow. So… really, I’m here telling you that I’m going out. I’m not asking for permission.”
An amused glint sparks in his eyes and I swear the corner of his mouth twitches.
“Fine. Orion will escort you.”
Fuck.
Argument rises on reflex but I catch myself. Permission is what I needed, and I have it.
“Thank you, sir.”
I rush out of the office immediately, pushing all lingering thoughts of yearning desire from my mind. I have to get to my mother and I can’t have Orion by my side, no matter how important Lucian’s requests are.
“Orion, I need you to watch Selene until I’m back, okay?” Waving at Selene who is now free of both pigtails, I hurry away before Orion can respond. Not that I need him to. Selene is his charge and he will stay with her regardless.
With the keys to one of Lucian’s jeeps in hand, I throw a coat around my shoulders and hurry out into the snow without much thought. Never before has my mother threatened to come here. She’s always been so adamant about making sure we meet up outside of the property that her change in heart must mean something is wrong.
Or she’s just growing impatient. Something I find quite ironic, considering she’s been waiting over twenty-five years for her plan to come to fruition.
The snowstorm is a second thought as I race out of the estate, waving as casually as I can to the guards at the gate and taking the left road through the forest. It’s the quickest route back into the city and I’m already cutting it close. Windshield wipers squeak and scrape as they fly rapidly over the windshield, and snow falls in thick clumps around me. I can barely see five feet in front of me, but at this time of night, it hardly matters.
There’s never anyone on the Hawthorne Estate other than Lucian and his people. He’ll likely be pissed that I left without Orion but I can deal with that later. My mother takes priority.
My phone blares into life and the shrillness cuts through the dull silence in the car, drawing me out of my thoughts. Slowing down a little, I glance away from the road and reach for my phone in my pocket. I really should put it in the hands-free slot on the dashboard.
Suddenly, the entire jeep shudders backward and I lurch forward, caught by momentum.
Before my face can slam into the steering wheel, the airbag deploys and bursts in my face. It softens the impact, but a searing pain still shoots through my nose. I slam on the brake, causing the jeep to lurch left, and my head whips against the door window. Sharp heat stings my scalp as I cling to the steering wheel, and the jeep finally comes to a halt.
My heart races, my head spins, and my stomach churns.
What just happened? Did I hit something?
Please don’t tell me I ran over a deer.
Shock sets in, numbing the pain, and even the cold air around me fades. I fumble for the door handle, my nails scratching against the wood until I find it. Pulling the lever free, I struggle around the airbag to get out of the jeep, but misjudge the height and end up falling.
A soft cry escapes me as I hit the ground hard on my hands and knees. My head spins wildly, and my vision blurs as a dull silence surrounds me. Snowflakes drift around, unaffected by the crash, and confusion washes over me when I see some of the snow between my hands turning red.
I've never seen red snow before.
I lift my head and freeze.
A few feet away, surrounded by snow and lit by the jeep’s headlights, lies a body.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
