“So why are you all dressed up?” Celia quirked up a brow at her when she got close enough. “Got a date?” She scoffed at the end of her word as if it was totally unbelievable that Savannah would get a date and not just because she was ‘engaged’ to be married.Savannah on her end was tongue-tied and the only sound she could hear was the roaring of her own blood in her ears. She began regretting that she’d agreed to Bernice dressing her to enhance her looks.“I said where are you going all dressed like a fucking clown?” Celia snapped, this time raising her voice loud enough to make Savannah freak out and yell back. “Where I am going does not concern you in any way and you should mind your business.”Shocked by her outburst, Savannah recoiled and fell back a few steps. Celia reared her head back and burst into full-blown laughter, cackling like an old witch. “The measly bitch finally grew some balls. Tell me, what’s your secret?’“Look, Celia. I don’t want trouble. I am…” her tongue twist
Her voice was barely audible, trembling as she asked him, “Who told you that? How did you find out?” she felt a surge of panic rising in her chest, threatening to overwhelm her. What was that sound? Right, it was her heart thumping and beating faster and harder while her breath became shallow. Did…he…suspect that he might be its father too?”Distantly, she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her into a solid wall. Her cheeks pressed against a warm satin-covered chest and her eyes fluttered close as began whispering soothing words in her ear. His voice was calm and reassuring like a gentle breeze. He told her. “it’s okay, Savannah. You don’t have to be scared.” She slowly relaxed in his embrace, feeling his warmth and comfort. Maybe he was right. She shouldn’t panic. The scent of his cologne and coffee drifted into her nostrils and she smiled into his shirt before pulling away from him when she was calm enough. Her eyes locked into his as she searched their depths for answers. Ryker
Savannah was the first one to kiss Ryker this time and their tongues twined in a soft kiss that they both felt all the way to their toes. When they pulled away from each other, Ryker’s eyes were wet and he closed them, pressing his forehead to Savannah as he drew in a shuddering breath. “We are going to figure this out together. I promise. My child isn’t going to be fathered by that monster. I don’t care what we have to do. I…” His breath hitched on his next words but Savannah heard them. He didn’t have to say a word before she heard him. “Let’s meet here again tomorrow. Same time.”Smiling softly, she nodded and left Ryker in the library. The smile on her face could light up a whole town as she skipped down the hall. Everything was finally going right.The air even felt a little fresher on her face as she walked by the balconies. When she reached the door, she’d forgotten to hide that smile and her chest spasmed as she ran into Reginald who was angrily perched on the bed. Her stomach
As if she was still in a dream, Savannah flung a jacket around her shoulders for protection against the cold and left the room after Rachel walked out, taking the spiral stairs that led to the parapets of the Castle. The room she shared with Reginald had become a prison. For the Goddess's sake, she needed air! space! lots of it!Breathless with pain, up she climbed, the sobs coming hard and fast as she neared the steps at the top. A cool breeze wafted past her as she stepped out into the broad walkway, snapping the Blue Valerian flags out of the way and running her hand through her hair slowly, she made her way across the parapets to her favorite opening in the wall--not exactly a window--, one from which she'd watched Lexington train Celia many times and that gave her a clear view of the working maids--while also allowing her the privacy she craved in order to shed what little tears remained in her eyes.Grains of something gray and rough were scattered at the base of the wall at th
"Why would you do that?" Ryker was pacing to and fro in the library, pausing a few times to run his hand through his hair or throw a punch at the wall. "Why in the actual fuck would you do something like that?""I had no choice. He rapes me, Ryker. he beats me. if I'd gone without telling everyone that I was pregnant, he would have killed me for trying to commit suicide which I wasn't! I only slipped and fell. He promised to do that if he learned that I am pregnant." her eyes were wet with tears as she began rocking back on the balls of her feet crying softly. "I didn't know what to do.""Fuck this." He slammed his fist into the table in front of him before whirling around and taking Savannah into his arms. He kissed her hard on the tips, tasting salty and sadness and little bit of passion.His tongue was hard and hot in her mouth and she met his kisses with every bit of passion in her. she'd missed him so much. groaning hard, she curled her hands around his neck and pressed her lips
Ryker’s expression contorted into that of a confused look and he removed his hand that was attached to her waist. “Could you repeat what you just said?”With a deadpanned expression, Savannah repeated. “You heard me right.” She swallowed hard. “The two of us. Let’s run away to a faraway place where no one would find us and we would be together, living a normal life, away from the castle, from my sister….” Her voice cracked and her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. “From Reginald.”Ryker was stunned into silence and could only stare at her. Seeing his unmoving expression, Savannah felt nausea pool into the bottom of her belly and she reached towards him, trying to press her lips to his, to convince him with her body and soul that she really wanted this, to beg him not to turn away from her or deny her this wish, but that was exactly what he did.Gently, he pushed her away from him, taking a few steps back and his head moved in a half-circle. “We can’t.” what?His words pierced right int
“Don’t move.”Savannah turned her head. Reginald had taken the gun from his mistress and pointed it right at her stomach. The sound of Rachel’s laughter faded into the wind, the sand blowing into her nostrils and face as she stared down the barrel of a gun. Terror made her cold and sweaty, but shame made her stomach split open. Of course this was going to happen. Who the hell did she think she was? She was Savannah Cruz, the cursed girl who caused her mother’s death, who brings bad luck to everything—all she had to do was just look at it. a jinx. A failure. ugly and pathetic.And with that gun glinting before her eyes, she knew running away was the biggest mistake of her life.“Let’s go,” Reginald said through gritted teeth, nodding at some shank housing that shone in the distance.Her legs almost refused to work, wobbling so hard that they barely moved forward. Fear consumed every molecule of her system and truthfully, her mind wasn’t working fast enough through the terror to think
As Reginald unleashes a torrent of water on her, Savannah felt a searing pain every inch of her skin. She gasped for air, clutching her chest as the water scalded her flesh. A faint sigh escaped her lips, mingled with tears of gratitude and agony. Her eyes fluttered shut, narrowing the world into slits of colors, before she finally collapsed into a dark abyss. Little did Savannah know that it wasn’t hot water that was doused over her skin. She was simply too shocked and filled with pain that it sank deeper even into her flesh.Meanwhile inside the shank building, was Reginald and Rachel, deep in an argument.He raised his head and glared at his mistress, his eyes red with rage. “What the hell are you talking about, Rachel? This is our only chance at getting rid of both of them and being together. Why are you changing plans?”Rachel shook her head, her hair matted with dirt and blood from where she’d slammed it on the ground. “You don’t understand Reginald. Our plans wouldn’t work if y