Love's Ashes, Archer's Regret

most instantly. They flanked Francesca,

one of them said

cold fury. "I was going to let you have some digni

o be Mrs. Sterling? Fine. But you will learn your place. And your f

d, her own voice eerily calm, "I'

ing in his eyes, a tiny crack in his righteous anger. But it was gon

been..." he s

ear the lies, the twisted justifications he ha

usion. He genuinely believed she was the villain of his story. He sa

ice. She clutched the broken pieces of the locket in her hand

aid, her voice devoid of

nt surrender. The guards grabbed

er said, and

For a second, she thought he might see reason, that

damage her face," he told the guards. "We have an enga

walked away without

n, hollow sound. Of course. It was all part o

They drove her to an abandoned-looking house on the outski

s. "The boss said to teach you a l

thing. "Plenty of other

l it bled, focusing on the pain to keep herself from shattering completely. S

rd the men talki

's doing this to

the other one. The sweet-looking

said to keep going u

tilted and

d another argument, years ago. Amelia had "accidentally" spilled ink all over Francesca's

here. He hadn't s

pointing a trembling finger at a wee

voice laced with disappointment. "Why are y

?" Francesca had aske

her to comfort Amelia. "And I see you yelling at a girl

ever seen in her. Any act of kindness from her was twisted into malice, wh

weakness she rarely showed. But now, i

It was becoming a familiar place.

The broken pieces. She looked around frantica

reaming pain from her bruised ribs and the d

t, and she crump

d in. He looked down at her, his

ing now? Trying

hispered, her voice

"Oh, for God's sake, Frankie. It's g

m, her eyes wide

ulling out his wallet. "A better one.

ld went