Avenging (The Rising Series Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

is more of an honorary title. Recently, my father, Poseidon, entrusted the safety of all sea creatures to me—including the ones in the Pacific. My title as king is respected throughout the seas, and my name is feared by all.”
    Nicole swallowed and raised an eyebrow. “A bit full of yourself, are you? I guess you have a right to be. You are a god, for heaven’s sake.” She shook her head and dropped her face into her hands. “Oh, good grief. No wonder you can be such a pain in the butt.”
    Triton chuckled as he lifted her chin and took in the sight of her. Her makeup was smeared under her eyes, tears still clung to her cheeks, and she was giving him attitude. His smile faded as regret crept in unbidden. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”
    Fresh tears sprung to her eyes. “I’ve missed you too.”
    She pushed his hand away, cleared her throat, and wiped the tears from her eyes. Silence stretched between them. Finally, she spoke. “So. You came to see how I am?”
    He nodded. “Yes.”
    “Well…” She stood yet again. “Now that you know I’m fine, I guess you can leave. Go back to ruling the sea.” She waved him away.
    “I can’t do that.”
    Her brows pinched together. “What? Why not?”
    He stood. “I promised to never leave you. And I never break my promises.”
    “What do you mean?”
    He reached out and took her hands in his. “It means you’re stuck with me.”
    “But… I didn’t really mean it. You can’t stay here. You’re a god. You’re a king.”
    “I’m aware of that,” he said.
    “What about your father? Will he let you stay?”
    Triton sighed. “No.”
    “So what will you do?”
    “I guess I’m going to have to convince you to come live with me.”
    “What? You want me to… But I have a business to run. A life.”
    “I didn’t say it would be easy to convince you. Give it time. I think you’ll see life with me wouldn’t be so bad. In fact, you might actually enjoy it.”
    She swept her eyes over him and glanced at the door. “So where do you plan to stay while trying to convince me?”
    Leaning into her, he inhaled her alluring scent—flowers, Plumerias, plants whose roots drew life from seawater. His whiskers brushed her skin. Using a hint of power to gain her cooperation, he whispered in her ear. “I was hoping to stay with you.”
    She stiffened and pulled her hands from his. “No.”
    He froze as the blunt denial struck him. The old Nicole would have been easily influenced and quick to succumb to his power. This older, wiser Nicole stepped back.
    “No?” he asked.
    Her lips were pressed together in a hard line, her posture rail-rod stiff. She was afraid—he could feel it. “You aren’t staying here,” she said firmly.
    “I’m afraid, my love, that I can’t leave. I am bound to you. By the words of my promise, I will never leave you again.”
    “You’ll find a way,” she whispered.
    He frowned. “You have every reason to distrust me. And for that, I’m sorry.” His apology settled over the room in silence. He could see pain in her face.
    “You know my dad and I didn’t have the best relationship,” she said.
    Her statement surprised him. He wondered where she was going with this. “I remember you telling me about him.”
    “When he found out I was pregnant, he demanded I have an abortion. I refused, and he was furious. He told me if I didn’t fix the situation, if I didn’t kill my child, I was dead to him. Then he turned his back and left. I haven’t seen him since that day.”
    Triton experienced a mixture of feelings, but the most prominent was anger. How could a father demand his daughter kill her own child, and then abandon her when she needed him most? As hard as it was for her, Nicole could only be better off without a person such as that.
    “I went on to have Sara,” she continued. “She was beautiful. I loved her with all my heart, but I could barely take care of myself. I had no idea how to take care of a baby, especially one