AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His eyes flash with accomplishment and instantly remind me of all the reasons I’m holding firm.
My fingers ache as I uncurl my clenched fist before pressing my palm to the center of his chest and forcing him back.
We’re both aware that he could easily overpower me, but for some reason, he complies and allows me to put some space between us.
“Dove?” he whispers, that vulnerable lilt back in his voice again.
I never heard it, never saw this side of him downstairs. It makes me wonder what’s changed. But other than me having a little freedom, I’ve no memory of anything else.
“I don’t want you, Julian.” His expression drops and I refuse to acknowledge how that makes me feel as I deliver my next blow. “You were fun. A good lay. Perfect way to waste some time down there. But it’s done. I’m leaving here soon and returning to a man who’d never use me as a pawn in his games.”
“Dove,” he warns.
I push from the door, and he’s so lost, so desperate to hear what I’ve got to say, that I manage to back him out of the room.
“You’re welcome, though,” I say, forcing a saccharine smile onto my lips. “I can’t imagine you win a bet over Reid Harris very often. I suggest you go bask in that success instead of trying to convince me that you’re a decent human being with actual real-life feelings.”
His jaw drops, and I just catch the wrecked expression on his face before I swing the door closed, cutting off any comeback he might have had.
Long before the echo of the slam drifts away, I’ve fallen to my ass, my back against the door as some kind of human doorstop. It wouldn’t be enough if he decided he wanted back in, but as I wrap my arms around my legs and drop my head to my knees, I realize that he’s not going to even try. And it’s that realization that forces the first sob from my throat.
Clapping my hand over my mouth, I catch the sound before it can be heard on the other side of the door.
I’ve no idea if he’s still there, but the last thing I need is for him to know that everything that’s happened between us has affected me.
I shouldn’t care. He was Reid’s accomplice, keeping me down there. His form of torture might have come in a different form than the Devil’s, but he still played me. He saw my weakness and used every skill at his disposal to get my secrets out of me.
And if I’m honest with myself, the fallout of all this is hurting way more than anything Reid could have done to me with any instrument he has in his closet of tools.
By the time my tears fade, my limbs are heavy and my swollen eyes barely open. I don’t want to succumb to them, to this, but it’s all I can do to crawl back to bed.
It’s not until I sink under the covers and nestle my head into the soft pillow that I realize my mistake. This bed was always laced with Reid’s scent. But now I have JD’s to battle with as well.
Without warning, the tears come again, and they don’t stop until sleep claims me.
Maybe the next time I wake, I’ll be stronger.
Stronger and have a plan.
“Mav,” I cry as he steps into the doorway.
This time, I’m laid out on the couch. I’m not alone. They are here. Their disgusting stares burn into my skin, making my stomach churn with acid.
But their presence fades into the background as my eyes lock on those of my husband. The man who’s single-handedly saved me from these monsters. For whatever reason I’ve never been able to figure out, he took me away. He rescued me and gave me a life I could only dream of.
And he’s here now. It’s as if all my prayers have been answered and someone sent him for me.
But he doesn’t say anything. He just stands in the doorway and stares at me.
“Mav? What’s wrong? It’s me. Please.”
The dark figures move closer, lingering right in my periphery. Close yet far enough away not to be able to make out their features. Not that it matters, the men my dad brings here for me can look as sweet as pie. Often, they’re the worst ones. You always need to be the most wary of the innocent ones. The ones who make you laugh, the ones who lure you into a false sense of security.
“Take me home with you, please,” I beg when Mav remains motionless in the doorway.
The shadows move closer again and recognition flickers in my subconscious.
Mav watches them, his top lip curling in disgust.
