Faithfully Yours

4 (~1,2

n the stillness of Lucas's apartme

e before sh

at the screen

couch, felt her stomach

st stood there, thumb hoverin

id more sharply

creen toward he

age again. Her heart thudded

mia

that?" she whispered.

and threw the phone across the room-it h

and through his hair

knees. "I left e

t of Wolfe's cage and not leave a trail? He doesn't need phones

face in her hand

ou trust me. Like you shou

oked up

tense. Familiar

d quietly. "Before I ever did.

see it for yourself. If I told you he was a monster, you would've defended

rd. "What does h

. "Control. Obedience. Worship. Whatev

kled. "And what

"Then we make sur

elve hours

a man who apparently specialized in

f the Jersey shore. It'll take us to a safe house

ke she was s

wasn'

e man into the arms of another. She wasn't caught

et-sh

elf in the mirror o

pale. Hollow-eyed. No lo

ger in

ant? That he would show

e, Lucas drove them in a black SUV down th

l bag. The USB drive was still tucked into her bra.

gently touched her thig

orced

skin was

o long beneath fear and de

asn't

s bein

e by the doc

qu

utside smelled of salt and rust. E

it?" sh

ead-tall, broad, waiting near a black s

on the water, Damian won

him warily t

gure t

art st

sn't

as A

er arms crossed, dressed in sleek

, voice like silk.

ze. "What

mall pistol and leve

k," she s

s hea

ng on?" she

r, his voice sharp

elf why Lucas had this boat ready and not one registered under your n

inked.

and pulled out a second ph

ges. You'll find

hesit

ocked th

made her bl

messages f

to D

rting to

ing the jo

de. Keep playing your pa

opped t

ees bu

ression did

n't de

try to

h something between

king with him

ighed.

y. "You said w

protect you. You

im? Or

at Alina. "Put

o know. She thinks you're her savior. But y

ice crack

y looked her

I loved

breath

said I would. But I was too late. By t

oice

you, I could make him pay. Make him feel som

M

t I didn't expect

heart t

ade sense

round her

d

ust the g

pa

nce was

a violin with invisible strings. First Damian, now Lucas. Both

inst the dock with s

leave," Emm

cas said

a said at t

to glare a

rd. "You don't get

narrowed. "Ne

don't owe either of us a goddamn thing. B

r, numb. "Why are

m helping him. But unlike the men in y

quietly. "Damian doesn't want t

n't flinc

bli

en

e, protection, control... they're all the same currency in

voice shaking. "He

lickered, just

t belongs to him," she said

s screeched in

ulled into the shad

t leapt int

oor o

olfe ste

. No en

t h

iet, terrifyi

allowed the spa

instinctively-but Alin

till," s

. "This wasn

pproache

a drumbeat.

front of them, he l

, unreadable-lo

an," h

ly rose above a w

his head

at and pulled out the U

't look

n't ne

die," Emma sa

xed, but his ton

de her

gged fo

then she betrayed me. I didn't kill her, Emma. B

ma's eyes. "Yo

n't de

d you wh

go of Em

n them-but Damian's eyes fl

ou," Damian said

you," Lucas said bitt

him without even a g

run-but Damian

wasn't

as w

as g

he didn't nee

elong out he

ng to you," s

softene

here you'

ept off his jacket and wrap

d like him-ambe

t, Emma felt the

was a knife

hate

still

eacted

her, his breath in her ear,

d at Lucas.

ard, jaw clenched.

why did she come back

fli

ched-but Alina ste

pped. "This is al

blink. "Take him.

s widened.

've seen what betrayal looks

t hur

d, but it didn'

won

pau

sure he can neve

s lu

Desp

ian was

th Lucas's jaw befor

as he fell, groanin

at Damian.

he undercellar

ped. "Th

t her. "Your l

. "Not all cages have chains,

cas was dragged of

Em

ne with the

back to the pent

ast in dark smears

t the window,

was a lie,

look at her. "

groom

tched

nipulat

hose

hy

he glance

e saw the truth flic

uldn't control," he said. "An

turne

her cheeks, but sh

him

see what

into the penthouse, past the t

a velvet-covered t

ini

paintin

ke

ner

uis

shoulder, her body curl

r eyes were pai

me like this?"

N

en

ause I know every inch of y

osed he

that it wa

beautiful-thr

n he wh

e things than b

efore the painting,

d not her. Captured through Damian

rned s

ssion unreadable, hands clasped behind his

without askin

use I couldn't

low, steady. A

ened. "You painted

are m

pped ba

ssession. You can't keep me

d. "You think th

ds shook.

rd her-slowly

t surrender. Love is fleeting

he edge of the

n trembling. "What if I don't

already gave it to me th

ck," she snapped.

y touched. "And yet, here you are. In my home.

"You mean like

g the gold chain at her throat-the

uits

ff and threw it

your c

ng out lik

didn't

cked up the necklace, and

. As a r

ring chain in her palm, t

run, no matter who you tru

, she coul

bedroom, but it felt like a ca

Lucas's betrayal, Alina's warnin

sa's

the hallway, past the lib

as d

le

door w

ipped

sk was empt

d it, the

always ke

. The file she had viewed before-the footage of

o the desktop tower

older pop

erce

cli

rooms, metal doors, narrow hallways. One showed a long corri

stomach

licked ano

footage from

ca

ouse. Speaki

istance act. The more isolated she fe

n't forget

get your promise. When this is

'll get what

the USB and st

th felt li

w felt like

she t

standing in

adable, but something f

gr

sem

point

be in here,"

back, clutc

saw

kno

e you going t

side and closed t

ng. You still would've tried to leave.

dn't

arms of a man who

"Tell me, Emma-what do

t says I was desper

were

orward, towe

you walked into my world with your eyes wide o

N

up. "And now that you've been shatte

her face f

t stayi

nowhere el

ind som

xpression

et you lea

rned t

was f

not hard, not bruising. But immov

u, Emma," he said. "But

ready h

tened. "Not l

e pulled he

o res

to k

sn't

sn't

was

imi

orror-her bo

d screamed, no,

in her eyes, her arms w

from her fingers, she le

e he k

omehow, in ways she co

back, breathing h

e, Emma. But you

lappe

a

slightly-but h

mply

he step

ave a

t pounde

, I'm calling a p

owned.

et and retrieved a folder.

papers. Lega

se," he said. "

a f

re in

ady living here. Wearing my

m n

u w

d the door. "You

But if you want protection-if you want my

breath

if I s

ice dr

re anyway. But you'l

ned fo

yes-you'll be

rst into

ke the noose feel more like a necklace. The silence betw

fter everything? After you lied, after you used

is isn't a wedding built on fairytales

cage," sh

elvet growl. "It's the only o

heart t

need your nam

en watching you now-trying to get to me through you. A contract marriage giv

our army," she

take

. "That's not love,

sweetheart. Ask any man who's b

k, staring at the papers. They were per

name

date:

g this on me whether I f

d be in bed when I asked. But y

t signi

es and placed both hands on the

n everything t

inked.

ally. I'll make sure there's nowhere left for you to hide. Not out of

ruin your em

dn't

k I'm still at war with Lucas? I let him l

aid n

ma. I can't breathe without knowing where you are. I can't sleep if I

d. "It's not real

are you st

it like a t

he was st

e pen

is s

is w

but she wasn't

t

he knew there w

ecause she di

enti

ir," she

and for the first t

where the

contract with shaking f

t from the rain, b

hair, cold and stinging, as s

sed and flickered l

loomed-Damian's fortres

n at the paper

ace Lan

an W

nd an

orn in lies.

somethi

she coul

sn't

n't not lo

knotted between

aked in fir

eaked open

idn't

as soft this tim

orce you t

slowly. "You

iving you

as windswept, his shirt slightly o

I imagined my

alked to

fire until it tou

and pressed somet

pe

. He

und it before she real

be mine in every way. Or you can thro

red at

w if I can s

er face wit

. Just endure me.

eyes

nted t

ted to

and make the decision for her,

ew what th

owa

fo

oken by a man who never

ook t

s breat

e didn

t

ow everything. No more secrets. Not about Vanessa. Not about Alina. Not about Lucas o

ared

ded once

he line meant f

Grace

lf

d like a

pro

overed ove

th

rash ech

ou

sho

d snapped up

e pen and follo

o the lobby floor-where the

d the white

an's guards

tween the shatt

n in a w

nni

ng a

ranger said. "Heard yo

a f

gaze sli

is the

t of her instantly. "Y

-Victor

don't t

, more men

me

ici

essi

e shot thro

ad slightly, murmuri

back of his shi

der. "Oh, Emma. D

sed hi

amian Wolfe be