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handed it to me.
Snatching it from him, I turned back to my packing. Time away from me.
 You need time away from me, too. He fell silent then, and I bit my lip to
keep from picking up the thread of the argument. I zipped the bag closed.
Whatever I might have forgotten, I could pick up inChicago . Right now, I just
wanted to get away.  You should leave, I tried for the last time. He hadn t
been swayed before, so I don t know why I bothered.  It s not safe for you
here. Max says Dahlia is still in town. The Soul Eater had men here. You ve
got to get out.
 No, he said quietly, shaking his head.  He s taken everything else away
from me. He s not driving me out of my home.
 You re so stubborn. He d be willing to get himself killed just to prove to
his sire he wasn t afraid? We definitely had different ideas of winning.
 I know you don t understand. His expression softened.  I ve been here
fifteen years, Carrie. It s the first thing I ve ever truly owned. This
apartment has everything I ve ever cared about. This is whereZiggy grew up.
This is where I met you. This is our home.
A small sob escaped my throat, and I covered my mouth.
His hand closed over my wrist.  You re still my fledgling. Don t forget
that.
 How could I? The tide of hurt in me surged, spilling cold tears onto my
cheeks. He tried to take me into his arms, but I shook my head vehemently and
jerked the strap of my bag over my shoulder.  I m your fledgling. But that s
not enough for me, Nathan.
I didn t kiss him goodbye. That would have confused things in my heart, the
traitorous organ that frequently won over my mind. If I kissed him, I would
tell him that I wanted to stay. I d convince myself it was worth the pain of
staying by his side, knowing he would never choose me over the woman he could
never have again. And I was afraid of believing that.
Max waited for me at the car. He pasted on his stock, carefree face for me.
 Ready?
I nodded. As I ll ever be.
Tossing my bag into the back, I climbed into the passenger seat. Low-riding
cars made me motion sick. This was going to be a long five hours.
 You think he s going to be okay? I mean, what about the Soul Eater s guys?
They could still  he began.
I shook my head decisively.  He wants to stay.To stand his ground. And he
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wants me to go.
 He ll come to his senses, Max said with forced certainty.  You wait and
see.
Wait and see. The question was, for how much longer?
How long should Nathan wait for his sire to call him back home? The Soul
Eater wouldn t give up after just one setback. No, he would regroup and come
back stronger than before. And the Movement wouldn t give up looking for
Nathan. And he would be waiting for them both, too brave to leave, too weak to
protecthimself against the threat.
How long would I wait before my sire was dead, my heart broken all over
again? How long until the next calamity would come to test me?
Wait and see. We could start now, stay on guard,be ready for whatever came at
us. Or we could lie down and wait and see.
From where I sat, we didn t have that kind of time.
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