Sleep, sleep—he's been in my room watching mesleep.My blood runs cold, body limply falling back against my chair in shock, tethered to reality only by the shackles of his hands. I can't believe it. Never would I have thought that—
"A-a-amos?" I whimper as I search his eyes that light up in happiness at the sound of his first name leaving my lips. Did he rape me? I don't feel sore, but—"W-w-why would you d-do that to me?" The break in my voice shames me.
“Because I’m a Shay. We take our brides, willing or not.”
Be strong, Mercy.I belatedly snatch my hands away only to be scooped up into his arms and plopped onto his lap. "What about work? I have to go to work...y-you have to run your company. You've got to let me go!"Focus on the marriage part later.
A rough palm cradles my entire face, tilting my eyesight to his as he caresses my cheekbone with a warm thumb. "I heard you, you know. Heard you tell Eliza about how you grew up. I'm so sorry about that, baby, but you don't have to be alone anymore. Don't worry your pretty little head about a thing. I'm retired, remember?And you've moved to a job out of state. Last-minute thing, but the money was too good to pass up. Don't you see? I've thought of everything. You're mine, sweet Mercy. Only mine."
"No... Elizaexpects me to show up. I can't just—"
"No, she won't. I sent her an email from your work account. You resigned. You no longer work at Shay Construction."
I...Ican't believe it. He—he's completely isolated me and no one, not one person, even knows. "I...can'tb-breathe..."
Hyperawareness magnifies my surroundings as my breaths come in pants and gulps that are too quick to properly distribute the oxygen my body needs.
I see and feel everything and nothing.
The curly salt and pepper hair on his chest tickling the corner of my mouth.
The beams of sunlight streaming through thefrenchwindows and dancing on the light gray walls.
The steady pulse in his throat carrying life to his villainous body.
The hum of the oversizedstainless-steelrefrigerator.
The manic look of love in his eyes as he peers into my soul and dips his head toward mine.
"Mercy," he whispers against my lips.
"No! No..." My protest is muffled by his mouth and my vision goes black as unconsciousness mercifully reaches for me.
Chapter seven
Amos
MypoorsweetMercy.She weighs next to nothing in my arms as I carry her to our bedroom. I wonder how long it will take her to think of it that way—ourbedroom. But it doesn't matter, really. She has all the time in the world to come to grips with it. She's not going anywhere. Now I understand why my dad was always dragging my mom to their room fornapsin the middle of the day. My innocent mind couldn’t find any logic in it then but I certainly do now. I can’t wait to takenapswith Mercy.
Laying her down once again and slipping my too-big robe from her limp frame, I sit next to her and admire how her ebony hair contrasts so beautifully with the pewter-colored bedding as I draw the covers over her naked form. The room was still too dark early this morning for me to fully appreciate it.
This wasn't quite the way I wanted her in my bed, but when life doesn't follow the plans you set, you have to go with the flow. Rest is what she needs. I'm sure her psyche has handled all that it can for the moment, but the reality of her circumstances hasn't truly sunk in yet.
It will, though. Especially when she discovers the biometric locks on the doors and windows to ensure she can never leave here on her own. Never leaveme.Not like my mom did, although she didn't mean to.
And not yet, at least. Maybe in a few years when I know she completely accepts that she is mine, for now and always. And I will never let her be anything other thanmine.
A mesmerizing lock of her hair escapes from her bun, begging me to touch it. Wrapping it around my finger, I think of what I still need to do. Her phone is safely tucked away—sans SIM card—as is mine. Her car and all her things in her house need dealt with, just in case someone goes looking. But I doubt they will. Mercy's a loner, and other than a little bit of shock and a lot of annoyance, Eliza will take her absence in stride and move on, looking for the next temporary receptionist.
I remember when I first saw her. It was her first day at Shay Construction, my company that I'd built from the ground up. Eliza had been looking for a receptionist to replace the three who had quit before and Mercy Callahan had appeared from nowhere to apply.
At least a foot shorter than my own 6'5", with jet black hair and mossy green eyes, she caught the attention of my dick first. Let's be honest. I'm ared-bloodedman. But she caught the attention of my heart, too, and I knew she was the one for me within mere moments. Just like every Shay does.
When Eliza tugged me aside and told me Mercy was absolutely perfect for the position but was staying in a motel until she could find a house, the idea hit me.
I had several rental houses my father and I had bought and rented out under our partnership, AMS Holdings. Why not rent one of those to Mercy? Ineededher to be in one of my houses. I'd keep the utilities in my name, say they were included in the rent. Anything to tempt her into choosing me.
And she did. She chose my house, not knowing I came along with it.
