Chapter 350
Chapter 350
“Put me down p>
There was nothing but rejection in her eyes. From her body to her expression, she resisted him completely.
Chris’s arms went rigid as he held her tighter, pulling her into his chest. He buried his face against her and breathed heavily.
“What do you want for your reward?” he asked, his voice rough.
“Let me go!” Winter snapped.
A low laugh slipped out against her.
“That works too p>
He loosened his hold as if to set her down, but she flared up. “Chris, are you seriously playing games with me right now p>
The sun was setting, casting a warm amber glow across the island. Clouds drifted low along the horizon.
Chris lifted his head. The light brushed over his face, giving his features a burnished edge.
He set her down.
His dark eyes fixed on her. “What do you want p>
She didn’t hesitate.
It was as if she had decided long before the match even began.
“I want Skyla dead p>
The last of the sunlight slipped below the horizon. The wind off the sea turned colder.
“I said a reasonable reward.” He stood with his back to the fading light, his face half in shadow, his expression unreadable.
But she heard the chill in his voice.
So everything he said before the match, making it sound like she mattered more than Skyla, had been nothing but an illusion.
Good.
She hadn’t taken it seriously anyway.
She had only been gambling.
If she won, she would take Skyla’s life.
If she lost, she would settle for something else.
A sharp sting hit her chest, but she brushed it off.
“I’ll think about it,” she said lightly.
“I’m going to eat p>
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She turned and walked toward the house, her steps quickening.
Suddenly, a hand caught her wrist.
“Winnie p>
“Stop!” She yanked free, her eyes red. “Don’t call me that p>
She didn’t look back. She ran toward the house.
Behind her, gunshots rang out in rapid succession.
At twenty-five meters, the black center of the target was blown straight through.
The repeated impact snapped the target in half.
Night fell quickly over the island.
Moonlight spread across the crescent-shaped lake among the flowers, ripples catching the light as they moved with the wind.
By the time Chris walked back inside, the dining room was empty. The dishes on the table had already been used.
“Where is she p>
“She went upstairs after dinner,” the maid replied.
He nodded.
Late into the night, the bedroom door on the second floor opened quietly.
A faint floral scent lingered in the room. The essential oil had been specially prepared to help with sleep, mild and unobtrusive.
Winter was already asleep. She didn’t hear the sound of the shower running.
Winter was fast asleep, unaware of the shower running in the bathroom.
After a while, the corner of the duvet was lifted.
Chris lay down beside her and reached out, turning her gently onto her back. In the moonlight, he studied her face. Her brows. Her closed eyes. The delicate line of her nose. Her slightly swollen lips.
His gaze lingered, moving over her features again and again.
The world felt completely still. So quiet it was as if only the two of them remained, with nothing else and no one in between.
At last, he tightened his arms around her, pulling her into his chest and resting her face against his shoulder.
The next second, he heard her murmur in her sleep.
“Little Crescent p>
His arms stiffened.
It was the name she had once given the lake on the island.
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Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.