Page 66 of Eternal

The blow hits me harder than I thought it would. “Oh.”

“It’s a tiny portion of our business, but it’s still there. Your mother met my father and me when she approached us about being able to track your father.”

I snort. “Yeah, him and his mistresses.”

Soren stays silent, and it’s all I need to hear. She might be all cheery and happy around people, but deep down, she is a cold-hearted, hateful bitch. Always has been since childhood. Serena and I had each other only. Raised each other for the most part.

“Don’t worry. My mother did the same thing to me too. Except she made me do it when I would visit them. I was always the quickest and cleanest about it. She didn’t trust anyone else with it, but me.” Soren tries to offer some comfort, but it doesn't help. “What was it like growing up for you?” Soren asks, leaning back onto his hands, and stretching his long legs out.

“Um. It was mainly my sister and me. My mother was more concerned about her wine glass being full than being a real mother. We had nannies our whole lives.” I trail off, take a deep breath, and continue, “When it came to school, I was required to be homeschooled since it was considered more ‘dangerous’ for me to attend. Now looking at it, I’d been groomed my whole life to be this picture-perfect wife. I honestly know very little about my family’s business. But my sister went to a private school. I didn’t have any friends growing up; I had Serena. Not a single other person. When I turned 18, I wanted out desperately. So I moved to the furthest place possible, Seattle. At the first party I went to in college, I met Tristan there, and we hit it off at first.” I feel myself rambling, but I continue regardless, “You know the rest of that story.”

“How long were you out of college when I met you?”

“About nine months after. It took me a little longer to graduate since there was about a year I couldn’t even leave the house.”

Soren shutters at the thought, and I zone out for a moment as I reflect on my life and how much I have been through in such a short period. Tristan was the worst that had happened to me.

“So your entire life was based around your family. They dictated every decision you’ve made, controlled your life from childhood to now.” Soren watches Storm chase a duck into the pond for a moment before continuing. “My family did the same thing to me too. To my father, I was nothing but the receipt of a business transaction. There are reasons why I am an only child. I know my father forced himself upon my mother several times until she had me.

My father forced me out of the house when I was ten, and I attended a boarding school in Russia until I was thirteen. My mother would visit occasionally, but only when she could escape my father. Perhaps it was a good thing because, between 15 and 16, I lived at home. I found it was easier to live on my own than to live with my parents. Then when I was 21, I started my business from the ground up. It helped to have your father’s backing and mine financially, but I put the work in to get it to where it would be beneficial.”

“Wait. My father owns a portion of your business?”

“Not anymore. Frank did for a while until I could buy him and my father out.”

“And you knew my father before? How were you never told about our marriage?”

Soren shrugs. “I have other people to communicate with my father if it’s necessary. It wasn’t until a month or so before the announcement that he started reaching out to me. My mother wasn’t allowed to speak to me unless it went through my father. I think they were planning our marriage for a while.”

“Soren, how did you end up in the business of hosting these… Torture rooms?”

He sucks in a breath, “I moved around a lot because I was training since I was 13 to be a hitman. My father had me groomed to be the picture-perfect killing machine, another tool in his toolbox. But I developed my own ideas for the skills I was taught and never fit into his toolbox. Probably for the best, anyway. I was more so my mother’s tool to use. She had me dispose of my father’s mistresses. She made me into a monster. Made me feel as though this was all I was good for. That I was not worthy of love.”

“Is that how you got your scars?” I whisper as my heart breaks, hearing him say he is not worthy of love. Soren is more than worthy of love. Hell, I’m not worthy of loving him. But I do, anyway.

He sucks in a breath. “Yeah. I should’ve died several times with the blood I’ve lost. This one is from a fight I got into when I was 20.” He points to the scar running across his eyebrow, starting on his forehead right above his eyebrow and ending at his temple. It’s faint enough that I always forget about it, but I’m sure he doesn’t. “The bullet wound above my heart was the first time I was shot. I was 17. I was with my trainer on a job when the person we were going after pulled a gun out, it was aimed at my heart, but somehow he missed anything vital by half an inch. The other one in my stomach was my most recent one. One of the people in the room we had got a hold of my gun and shot me with it. He didn’t escape, but that was only a year ago. The other slashes are from various petty fights or someone’s piss-poor attempt at killing me. I forget the stories of each of them.” He lets out a dry chuckle, “I’ve always wondered why I have met death on multiple occasions and lived to tell the tale. Why I was chosen to live again, but good people don’t have the same luxury. I understand now, though. I was supposed to meet you. You are my reason for being brought back all those times.”

Soren continues, “For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t change anything that’s happened, Freya. I wouldn’t want to turn back time and try to find someone else to marry. Everyone else who has been in my life was superficial. They couldn’t look past the wealth and power I carry, but none of that matters to you. I know what I said when we first found out, but I take it all back. I want the family, the love, the white picket fence, the happiness. I want all of it with you, Freya.” He scoots closer to me, his forehead now resting on mine. “There is not a single other person I want. It’s only you, Freya. I don’t want another man’s hands on you, to kiss you, to cherish you, to love you. Unless it’s me.” He trails his hand up my outer thigh, placing small delicate kisses on my cheek and down my neck.

My breath hitches and our eyes connect. “I want this, Freya. I want you. Even if I have to follow you to the ends of the Earth. I will love you, eternally.”

He slams his mouth to mine, kissing me with so much love and passion it’s different from any other kiss we’ve shared. It’s slowed, as though this will be the last time we will ever be able to be connected. He pulls away for a moment, ripping his shirt off and pulling the top of my dress down, exposing my breasts to the cooler breeze. He pulls me on top of him, and it’s foreign to us. He’s allowing me some control over him. My body vibrates with excitement, my lips disconnect, and he groans from the loss. I pepper kisses from the corner of his mouth to his jaw and down his neck. I nip at the skin between his neck and collarbone, sucking and nibbling, leaving a hickey in its wake. Soren groans and moves his hands from my thighs to my ass, grinding me down onto his dick.

“I can’t wait anymore, baby. I need you now,” Soren pants out.

Desperation laced his voice, and his hands ran along my sides as if he were trying to memorize every inch of my skin. He unbuttons his pants and pulls his cock out, sitting up so we are nose to nose, and he guides himself to my entrance.

He bites at my lower lip. “No panties, I see. Such a naughty girl.”

He teases us for a moment, running the tip of his dick along my slit before plunging himself into me. I sink further down, fully taking him in. I let out a deep breath at this angle. Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever been on top before. It takes me a moment to adjust, and I start to rock back and forth. I must be doing something right since Soren lets out another groan as I come back down on him. His arms wrap around me, guiding me as I start to get the hang of it. Fuck, this feels so good. He suddenly hits the spot in me that causes my eyes to roll to the back of my head as I moan. He lays back completely, his hands never leaving my body. I lean back, my hands resting on his knees, and I continue to ride him like my life depends on it.

“Fuck, baby, you feel so good at this angle. But you look even better. You look like a goddess,” Soren groans.

He pauses and sits up so we are nose to nose.

“Do you trust me?” He grunts.

“Yes. With my life,” I moan out.

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