Illicit Throne (Bound by Bloodlines Book 1) by Clarissa Bright

Author:Clarissa Bright [Bright, Clarissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen: Adriana

Tristan hadn’t killed that guy. I thought. I hoped.

There was no way I was ever going to find out. It wasn’t like I could just call the hospital and ask. “Did the random unconscious guy that was dropped off outside survive? By the way, just asking for a friend.” Yeah, that would go over well. Not to mention any inquiry would likely lead them straight back to us.

I glanced at Tristan out of the corner of my eye. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, forehead creased in an unusual display of emotion. I hadn’t expected this. Any of this. I had boarded a roller coaster of emotions with Tristan and it seemed there was no getting off now.

I turned my gaze back to the window, watching as the city lights rushed past us in a blurred kaleidoscope. We were leaving all that behind—the hotel, Dr Hawthorne’s clinic, any semblance of a normal life. All because Tristan couldn’t control his violent instincts. We would have to drive back to the clinic for my ultrasound appointment, but beyond that, I realized I had no control about where I went next.

My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the adrenaline but from something deeper, a chilling fear that I hadn’t fully understood until now. The reality of what Tristan was capable of, the lengths he would go to protect me…it was terrifying. Not just because of the violence he had shown, but because of what it meant for us.

When the baby came, would I become a threat?

Would Tristan hurt me to protect our child?

I’d heard the rumors about Malachy Callahan…that he’d had his three wives killed rather than allow them to influence his sons. Especially if this baby was a boy…

…I couldn’t think about that right now.

I needed to keep my stress levels down.

I felt my stomach clench as we passed by one city sign after another, each one a reminder of how far away we were getting from any semblance of familiarity. The lights of the city faded into the inky blackness, drowned out by the ominous shadow of what lay ahead. The unknown.

“This is why I backed out,” he said. “I couldn’t…look, you weren’t exactly excited to marry me. And I’m a Callahan.”

“You didn’t kill that guy,” I said, mad at myself for instinctively trying to make him feel better.

He gave me a long look. “But I have killed people,” he said. “You know that, right?”

I nodded. “Tristan, I’m not some innocent naïve delicate flower,” I said. “I keep my father’s books. He’s just as ruthless as Malachy.”

He sighed, his gaze lingering on me before returning to the road. “Adriana, there’s a difference in knowing something intellectually and experiencing it firsthand.”

I didn’t respond immediately, pondering his words as the car sped down the deserted highway. He was right; before tonight, I had known about the Callahan family’s reputation. I had known about the violence and bloodshed but it was always from a safe distance. Tonight, I had witnessed it firsthand and it was more terrifying than any rumor or hearsay.

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