Page 55 of Cruel Proposal
When the sunlight streams through the windows, and we have to face the problems of a new day. When I can't keep running from my problems and hoping that things are going to get better when I know they're not.
I let out a wavering breath, my gaze drifting to a picture of Noah, Gia, and Zoe on the bookshelves just below the TV. "Have you ever thought about living a different way of life?"
He shifts on the couch, his body pressing closer to mine, his fingers on his own leg only inches away. "Who hasn't? This lifeis what it is, and I have to take care of things around me. Your brother is a focus, but there are other factors too, and life is exhausting."
"You could just leave him alone."
"He killed my father."
"And you've killed more of my family members than I care to think about. Both of you are giant assholes." I get up from the couch, my hands curling, nails biting into my palms. "I'm no saint either, but at least I'm not trying to keep this shit going for as long as possible with no good reason."
He gets up, looming over me, heat filling the room, his eyes dark with something that looks like it can't quite be controlled. "No, you're just a pawn. Your job is to be used, and I think you like it."
I flip him off again, and he smirks, shaking his head. "Keep going and see where that attitude is going to get you."
I swallow hard, at war between the fear in my mind and the arousal currently coating my panties. "You're not going to lock me up again, are you?"
Noah studies me for a moment, his eyes shifting around my face before he finally shakes his head. "No. As long as you stay in the house, I don't care where you are or what you're doing."
This might be it. This might be my chance to escape.
Things are starting to fall into place, even as I turn out of the living room with nothing more than a nod, climbing the stairs and heading to his room instead of one of the other ones.
And though I know it's stupid, I pull a book down from the shelves, pretending to read while working on my escape plan.
People are going to be in place, but Noah is starting to trust me to some degree.
Which means that if I can pull this off, I might just be able to get out of here.
Chapter Seventeen
NOAH
I knowit's going to be a shit morning when Robert storms into my office, slamming the door shut.
"You need to kill Summer."
The hair on the back of my neck stands straight up.
"You need to kill her, and it's time you stop pretending that you can keep her around as your little plaything. This needs to end. Now."
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" I'm calm when I speak, at least outwardly.
Inwardly, I'm thinking about pulling his teeth out one at a time until he learns how the fuck to speak to me.
He paces back and forth across the floor, looking out the window before turning to face me.
I glance up from my computer, raising one eyebrow. Whatever this shit is, it's going to piss me off. "I'm waiting for an answer!"
Robert stops and leans forward, his hands coming down hard on the desk. "That bastard just burned down another warehouse and sank a fucking yacht filled with drugs."
"He sank a ship?" I lean back and pinch the bridge of my nose, a headache already starting to form. "How the fuck did you manage to let him get close to the boat when you know he's looking to cause problems, and you're supposed to be making sure those problems don't happen?"
Robert pales and walks over to one of the cabinets, pulling out a bottle of rum and pouring himself a large glass. "Because I had no way of knowing this was going to happen."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't have a fucking crystal ball, Noah. I knew they were going to attack, but who the fuck would think they're going to go out and sink a yacht? That draws a lot of attention. A lot of people looking who might not just look the other way."
