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God, how could she get out of this?
“Why would you leave me?” Stephen asked, his voice filled with pain. He’d done this countless times before. Scared her or put his fist through walls in a fit of anger, only to twist things around so that he came out as the victim. She felt like they’d played this game so often, it was ingrained in her to behave submissively, if only to de-escalate his behavior.
Tasing him in the balls and tying him up had only been possible because she’d had the advantage. Now, she had nothing.
Nothing.
“Your dad made me come here,” she answered softly, doing her best to keep her voice steady and light. Docile and weak, just like he wanted her. “He forged documents with my signature and sent me here.”
Stephen nodded knowingly. “He told me what he did, but I needed you to tell me that you were innocent. That you didn’t want to abandon me.”
She blinked, trying and failing to process the logic in anything he’d said. “Why would he tell you? He didn’t want you to know I was coming here.” Wasn’t that the whole point of sending her away to begin with?
“Yes, but he didn’t account for how enraged it would make me feel without you,” Stephen said, the knife pressing in against her flesh harder until she winced in pain. “I was frantic without you.”
He eased the weapon back again before continuing. “It didn’t take much to get him to confess to what he’d done. I managed to convince him that he’d made a grave mistake by sending you away, and he immediately set out to correct it for me.”
An icy sensation slid down her spine. He was so calm, his tone so rational despite how wild his eyes had become. “H-How did you convince him, Stephen?”
“This newest wife was his favorite,” he said, shrugging. “I said I’d skin her alive and mail parts of her to him if he didn’t reunite us.”
Bile rose in Evie’s throat and she nearly gagged, barely managing to keep herself in check. She needed to stall. She glanced around discreetly, though she couldn’t see anything she could use to help her escape. No magical solution presented itself. All she knew was that she was terrified and alone.
“How was your dad able to help you?” she whispered, her voice hoarse from tears and fear.
“He pulled some strings. Got me put into the system under a false identity as one of these bitch’s relatives so I could come here, get you, and bring you home.”
“And he’s fine with helping you commit several crimes? This could ruin his career, his life. This could start an intergalactic war.” She knew Senator Keesler was a shady fuck, but this was insane, even for him.
Stephen laughed. “Oh, I don’t think that will matter anymore. He had a little accident the night before I left. He fell down a flight of stairs and broke his neck.”
Oh God. She’d bet her life savings that it hadn’t been an accident at all.
“And my brother?” She whispered the question. “Did you intentionally use him?”
Stephen rolled his eyes. “Of course, I did. Played him like a fiddle when I found out who he was. Imagine my luck, Evie, stumbling upon your brother on my journey here. Clearly fate wants us together, now and forever.”
“Why do you think that?” She couldn’t keep the sarcastic disbelief from her voice, and he noticed, eyes narrowing.
“I overheard you and your brother talking during the tour. I was right behind you for hours, breathing you in. Imagining our reunion. I still have your engagement ring, you know. I brought it with me, and you’ll wear it when we get somewhere safe.”
Evie blanched, her gut churning with nausea.
“I heard all about your little plans with your alien lover,” he continued. “The tour had already passed by this place earlier. I knew exactly where you were going. So when you separated from the group, I followed you at a distance until you were almost to the front entrance.”
He’d been watching her all day and she hadn’t even noticed. Hadn’t even considered such a thing was possible. If she’d just seen him, gotten a better look when Tristan had pointed him out, she could have saved Cazar.
It’s all my fault.
“I won’t blame you too much for fucking the alien. It wasn’t your fault you were forced here. And besides, watching his blood spill everywhere was his apology for taking what was mine.” Stephen slid the knife’s tip over her flesh, not enough to cut her further, just enough to amplify her fear. “But that’s in the past now, Evie. You’ll come home with me, become my sweet, adoring wife. We’ll put all this mess behind us.”
“People are going to know what you’ve done, Stephen. Coming here was a mistake. Killing your dad was a mistake.” Her voice shook with rage. “Killing Cazar was a mistake! All of the evidence is going to point to you.”
“No, it won’t,” he snapped, moving the knife from her throat and backhanding her. Evie’s jaw snapped shut, teeth rattling together from the force, and heat stung her cheek. “My dad was doing all kinds of shady shit with people back on Earth, specifically involving these alien beasts. How do you think he got you onto a ship so easily? Or me?”
“What?”
“There is corruption everywhere, and these fucking aliens are no different. My dad has been working with a few of these alien senators residing on Earth, making secret deals and lining his pockets with money at the expense of others.”
