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I don’t believe that for a second.
He examines the burns around my wrists, the marks irritated and red from pulling against the restraints. “I’m going to kill my brother for doing this to you.” He slices through the ropes binding my ankles next, and he rotates each foot in a circle, and it relieves some of the aches from being tied for so long.
I groan because it feels so good, and Dri inhales, staring at me with dark, stormy eyes. He clears his throat and gently places my foot down on the bed.
“I never would have dreamed of doing this to you, Mable. Will you let me help you with your wounds or are you going to fight me?” he asks, sliding his palm up my leg.
I’m not sure if he knows he is doing it, but I don’t like how the touch of his calloused skin against mine causes my breath to catch.
“I don’t have the energy to fight you,” I reply honestly, my voice hoarse with exhaustion.
“Yes, you do,” he says, opening the first-aid kit. “You’re stronger than you realize. You don’t give up easily.”
“You act as if you know me,” I say, hissing when he takes the tweezers he has pulled from the first-aid kit and plucks a small piece of the vase from my skin.
He drops the sliver on a piece of gauze and hums but doesn’t look at me as he continues to tend to my wounds.
I’m not sure why his silence is grating, but there’s no doubt he and I know each other. His eyes don’t lie. I know this man.
And no matter how much he tries to make me feel safe and no matter how hard he causes my heart to beat, nothing in this world could ever make me stay here.
“You know, people will look for me. I have people who care about me. People who love me, even my husband.”
He plucks a piece of the vase out of my arm with more force than usual. “Don’t test me, Mable. I’m not the man you need to try to anger right now. I am in charge. I have the power. I know for a fact you don’t have a husband.”
“How? Because I do. I can tell you anything you want to know about him.”
Dri curls his lip but doesn’t say a word, but I can tell he is seething. He is still gentle with me, dabbing each small cut with alcohol before slathering antibiotic cream over each one, then a band-aid.
“He’ll miss me. I check in every night with him, and he is going to turn this world upside down for me. And you and your brother are going to be screwed.”
Dri stands quickly, tossing the tweezers across the room. They hit the wall before clattering to the floor. Like a madman, he runs his fingers through his hair, and the dark strands hang to the side of his face. He places each hand on either side of my head, lowering his head until his mouth is just an inch away from mine.
“I don’t care if you are married and have a family, Mable. You’re mine now.” He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear, and his hand falls to my throat, lightly wrapping around it. “You’ve been mine for a very long time, and it’s fate that you’re here. Keep testing me, Sweetness, and you will fail. I might be kinder than my brother, but when it comes to you, I have no limits on what I will do and who I will kill. You have fallen into my lap, and I will not let you go.” He presses a kiss to my cheek, and my body betrays me. The nerve endings in my skin come alive and fire back and forth.
Whatever the connection is between us, it’s simmering, and I can’t allow it to boil over.
He pushes from the bed and stalks to the door, slamming it behind him as he leaves.
I hear the lock click in place, and I know I’m trapped. I’ll take this one night to myself. I’ll sleep, heal, use his shower, and tomorrow, I’ll figure out a way to get out of here.
I don’t care what lies I have to tell.
I’m going home.
And I don’t care what I have to do to make that happen.
Chapter Six
Adrian
It’s the next morning. I’m tired and still too furious to rest.
She lied to me.
Me. Of all people.
I’m staring at my bedroom door, my breath reeking of whiskey, and all I want to do is march inside and prove to her that I’m the only man she’ll ever need.
