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Closing my eyes, I breathed in, taking a long, calming breath before letting it back out.
My eyes flew open, and I stared at my father-in-law.
“Let’s go get my wife.”
CHAPTERSIX
Istartled awake, gasping for air. My fingers clawed at my neck, struggling to tear away the invisible noose wrapped around it.
It was dark outside. Slivers of the moon’s rays danced along the floor as clouds shift along its surface. I could barely pry my eyes open—my eyelashes were stuck together, a thin layer of crust running along the edge. My face was swollen, and the metallic taste of blood lingered inside my mouth. I felt lethargic, and my body ached something fierce.
It took me a second to orient myself. I was still locked inside my prison cell. The manacles gripped my wrists tightly, chafing the sensitive skin. My dress was torn. The velvet was dirty and ripped in several places. It was held together by only a few seams along the top and one long seam at the skirt.
I had to get out of here, but the thought of escape sent a horrified shiver up my spine, causing my heart to race. The manacles were hammered into the concrete wall behind me and barely allowed for any range of motion.
The last time I was chained up like this, Neil was holding my head, forcing me to watch Christian rape my best friend. The faded imagery caused my gut to protest as bile surged toward the surface. I barely managed to hold it back.
Matthias, where are you?
Why haven’t you come for me?
I leaned my head back against the wall, silent tears tracking down my dirt-marred cheeks as I sent a silent prayer out to the universe. Was I still pissed off at him for pretending to be dead all those months? Fuck yeah. Was I planning on making him work to earn back my trust? Hell fucking yeah.
But did I really need him to burst through the door right now like the monster he was and take me in his arms?
With all of my heart, yes.
Was he out there looking for me? Wondering where I was? Worried about me?
I scoffed.
Who knew if he was even alive?
He is alive.
I repeated the mantra in my head like a broken record.
It was such a ridiculous thing to do that I started to laugh, and immediately stopped as my chest twisted painfully. I was going to kill them all.
Every motherfucking one of them.
Teach her a lesson.
What lesson? Was my cold-hearted grandmother planning on selling me to Kellan? Or was Kellan the proxy? I could briefly recall seeing him at the gala. His eyes had been trained on Bailey as she’d danced with my brother on the floor. After that, I couldn’t remember seeing him again.
Would he take me away? Sell me? Use me? The icy, cruel smile he’d worn when he’d held me down for the guard to beat on spoke volumes about him. I had no doubt that he would do everything in his power to break me.
I let out a soft cry when I tried to move my feet out from under me. The pain in my ribs was intense. Fire licked up my body, and I let a few more tears leak down my face.
For the first time in years, I wanted my mother. She wasn’t coming, but he would. The man who’d rescued me from the clutches of Christian. Who showed me immediate, unconditional love. He would come for me like he had before.
Matthias was my monster. The demon lurking in the darkest corners of my soul. The man who forged me from fire.
But my father was my knight in shining armor.
The man on the white steed.
He was the hero I never knew I needed.
