Violent Ends

“Nothing. I don’t know what to think right now. Did any of them want to go out with me?” she asked.

“Of course they did. I paid them more to do what I wanted them to do. Money pays well.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to talk to you right now.”

She got to her feet and was about to move away when he caught her hand and held her in place.

“Don’t go.” He caught her hand, stopping her from leaving.

He stood up, and she tilted her head back to look him in the eye. “I don’t know what is happening right now.”

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“Gideon, I’m just going to bed.”

“Letting you go on those dates was so hard for me,” he said. “I wanted you to be happy because I knew you weren’t ready for me yet.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.”

“And I’m happy to take time. To allow you to get to know me.” He placed her hand over his heart. “I want you to know that there’s nothing else in this world that I’ll ever want more than you.”

He cupped her cheek, and there was no getting away. She was wrapped up in his gaze, completely taken over, in love, and as he lowered his head, she didn’t fight it.

She wanted to run from him.

She wanted to stay and see what this would feel like.

As his lips touched hers, she felt on fire. The first touch deepened as he kissed her, his tongue tracing along her lips before plundering inside. She moaned his name. Unable to stop herself, she wrapped her hands around him, sinking her fingers into his hair, kissing him back with a passion that surprised her.

She released a little moan as his hand gripped her ass, and she forced herself to pull back.

Staring at him in shock, she placed her fingers to her lips. “I need to sleep.”

“Then we’ll sleep.”

Gideon turned off the light, climbing into bed behind her. His hand curved around her hip, drawing her back against him.

She didn’t fight him. She liked being close to him, which of course, scared her. The more time she spent with him, the less likely it would be that she’d want to leave. She no longer knew what she wanted anymore.

****

Gideon stood at the stove the following day and handled breakfast. He’d left Emma sleeping, and wanted her to wake up to a good breakfast. Also, he needed some time to think. With Landon on suicide watch and his father already planning his future, Gideon didn’t know what the next step was.

He wanted to be there for Landon and also to keep his father away from Emma. Maddox always came across to the women as being this sweet, caring man, but he wasn’t. There was a reason he led the Denton family and not just because he was the eldest son, but because he always made the right decisions. He didn’t care who he hurt in the process.

“Making breakfast,” Tamsin said, slumping down into one of the seats at the counter.

“That I am.”

“You might want to take it up to her if you don’t want her to talk to Dad.” She released a yawn.

“Didn’t sleep well?” he asked.

“Kind of hard to sleep when you find out your dad is going to sell you in a marriage you don’t want.”

“He’s not decided, and you’re too young yet.”

“Last time I checked it was still legal for me to have sex at eighteen, when I actually reach that age. I don’t imagine he’s too concerned about my welfare.” Tamsin shrugged. She climbed off the stool and grabbed a coffee mug.

He didn’t comment as she poured herself out a cup of coffee before taking another seat.

“I feel like I suck right now,” she said. “How is Landon?”

“Still out of it.”

When he walked into the room, Landon had been tied to the bed this time, and there was no way for him to get anything that he could kill himself with.

“Poor Landon,” she said.

“Agreed.” He poured himself a cup of coffee. “Dad won’t give you to someone who he thinks will hurt you.”

“No. He’ll probably give me to someone who’ll do everything he can to keep me barefoot and pregnant. It sucks. I’ve spent most of my years being seen and not heard, and now he’s going to get rid of me. It fucking sucks.”

“Language,” he said.

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like my bad manners are going to stop what is happening.” She stared down into her cup.

“If I could stop this for you, I would. You know that.”

“If being the operative word,” she said. “I know you can’t stop anything. That’s our dad for us. When he wants something done, he’ll go out of his way to get it.” She shrugged. “Not a lot I can do to stop it. Is there?”