AllFreeNovel
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I lift my chin and grind my teeth as I glare at a knee-length, sleeveless, high-split, ruby red dress he's holding.
"And these are also for you." He displays an impressive pair of black Louboutin heels.
Usually, I’d fall in love with those kinds of footwear, but not this time.
Suddenly, my eyes flash up when David lays the gown on the table and draws out a buzzing phone from his pants pocket.
"Hm, I have to deal with this. It can take a while. Change your outfit in the meantime." He turns and walks off, but near the door he halts, pulls out the remote control and opens the gate to Cole’s space.
"Be a good girl and give him a drink." He points to the water jar standing next to his plate. "I want him to be hydrated and aware. But remember, no talking."
The door falls in its lock after it closes behind him. A few seconds later, I rise, clutch my quivering fingers around the bottle, and rush over to Cole.
I remove the fabric by loosening the knot in his neck. The material drops, but he stays quiet. I bring the bottle to his lips, and as I help him take a few sips, I inspect him. The bruises on his face are black and purple, and the hard crust of dried-up blood still sits above his eyebrow.
When he retracts his head, I lower the water. With small steps, I move until I'm standing in front of him, and when his eyes find mine, my pent-up tears fall. I disconnect and squat to place the bottle on the ground next to his chair.
"Alex, look at me."
My eyes trail upward until there, back, connecting with his.
"Come here," he whispers in a raspy voice.
I lean forward and caress his battered skin with my trembling fingers. "You must be in pain."
He sighs. "I’ll live."
I tear up again when I observe the whirlwind of emotions in his deep oceanic eyes. Without thinking, I plant myself sideways on his lap, and in one unexpected motion, his lips find mine, and we let out a profound sigh. Just being in this man's aura comforts me. He affects my soul, and kissing him calms me in a way no tranquilizer could ever accomplice. Not wanting it to end, I cup his face between my palms.
"I love you," I mumble against his mouth. He pulls his head back.
"Listen to me, Alex. You need to stay strong. Don’t let that bastard break you. You’re stronger than him. You’re doing so well."
My breath hitches. "We need to get out of here. But I don’t know how."
"Alex, you need to promise me that if you have the chance to get out of here without me, you’ll take it."
I open my mouth to respond to his ridiculous suggestion, but he leans in and shuts me up by kissing me.
When he disconnects, and I'm still enjoying the after-effect, he speaks. "Alex, I’m serious. David is unstable. He will go to extremes to punish me. He’s infatuated with you, and you need to use that against him. Even if that means leaving me behind."
"No! I’m not leaving this hell hole without you, period. I—"
"For fuck’s sake, don’t challenge me on this. Whatever happens to me, I want to know you’ll be taking care of Sam. She can’t lose both of us; it will tear her apart. She needs a mother figure in her life. She can live without—"
With a rough kiss, I stop him from finishing his sentence. "Don’t you dare finish that goddamn sentence, Walker!" I growl after I pull away and remove myself from his lap. I glare at him while brushing my hands over my outfit.
"Alex."
I stare directly into his eyes.
"No! We’re in this shit hole together. And we're going to leave it. TOGETHER."
I plant my hands on my sides and glare at him through narrowed eyes. When he lets out a long huff, I bend and pick up the water bottle.
"Now, please, drink more before I switch into that dress. We have to figure out a way for me to get my hands on that remote control and deal with that psycho. You saw that his phone worked in the basement. If I can get it, I can call for help."
After helping him drink some more, I walk out and change before David returns and makes me do it in front of him. Cole’s eyes burn a hole in my skin as I do, but he doesn’t speak. With my dress in place and my heels on, I pivot around and meet his gaze.
