AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Was this what was happening? Was he only remembering herwhilehe was on drugs, forgetting the following day when they wore off?
She tried to remember what she’d read, but she came up blank. She could only recall some mention of PTSD and how traumatic events could have an effect on memory, not erasing it, but simply making it so it’s not as accessible whennotin the same traumatic state. If that was similar to what was happening here, then it meant that the drug created a new state for Raf, one where he was not only different, but he stored memories differently. And that meant… her entire plan was moot.
“Raf,” she squeaked as she found herself face to face with him, his hand around her throat like last time.
“Speak then.” He smirked. “But I doubt there’s anything that will make me change my mind. You’re mine tonight, Noelle. And this time I’m not letting you go,” he rasped, his breath caressing her ear.
While under any other circumstances she would have loved to hear her name on his lips, or the promise of being his, this time though she knew exactly what he meant. He truly meant to harm her.
Her pulse flickered as he tightened his hold on her throat.
“Cadmium Quercitron,” she whispered, bringing her gaze to his.
At first, he frowned. Slowly, his eyes widened.
“What?” he croaked. “What did you just say?”
“Cadmium Quercitron. It’s my favorite color.”
“How… How do you know that? Only curiouscat would know that…” he whispered, bewildered.
“Yes. You’re looking at her.”
They were both breathing hard as they stared at each other—Noelle defiantly at him, Raf in shock at her.
Suddenly, he released her, stepping back.
He paced around the room, his muscles straining under his loose linen blouse.
“Explain,” he snapped, giving her a harsh look.
“I’ve known you for years, Raf. I’m not trying to make fun of you—never.From the beginning, everything I’ve done has been to protect you,” Noelle started, slowly going back to their first online meeting and recounting how they’d gotten closer over time. She shared things only the two of them could know.
As she talked, she studied his reactions intently, wishing she knew his thoughts. His expression was as taut as before, giving nothing away but anger, and her hope slowly flickered out.
“I saw you once. At the mall,” she continued, relating how she’d come to know what he looked like. “I’ve been in love with you for years, Raf.Years.I wanted to meet you that day more than anything, but my family found out what I was about to do and they locked me in my room.”
She told him about the circumstances of her marriage and the fact that she’d been forced into it. She didn’t go into too much detail about what had happened to her as Sergio’s wife, not wanting to bring up that painful conversation at this time.
“I never forgot about you. And when I heard you were missing, I did everything in my power to find you. And I did. I found you. And I brought you here.” She paused, taking a deep breath as she watched his reaction.
He was with his back to her, and he stood unnaturally still.
“You brought me here?”
“I bought you at that auction so that no one else would. I…”
He turned, his eyes flashing as he pulled her towards him.
“You what?”
“I’m going to get you out of here, Raf. That was the plan from the beginning. I’m going to getbothof us out of here. It just might take me a bit of time since Sergio can’t find out who you are to me. If he does…” she swallowed hard. “If he does, he’ll kill you.”
He continued to look at her. She didn’t know what he was seeing, but she didn’t have the courage to ask. She’d told him almost everything that had happened—all their history. It had to count for something, didn’t it?
A shiver went down her back before her limbs started trembling.
God, she hated the uncertainty of the moment, this deafening silence that made her pulse spike up with fear.
