His Cruel Love, My Broken Heart

rd. And his substitute. Tonight, I took a bulle

e hospital, my wound infected and feverish, because t

he embraced her with a

n with disdain. "Bradley,

rom my collar, but his voice was sharp. "W

five larg

d examined it with panicked concern. When I took a bullet for hi

added another black stone to

f: for every time he hurt

full, I would l

number three hundr

as almost

pte

d and ninety-five days, I wa

s subs

was simple: protect him, and when he was drunk or in a ba

yl

h desire when he pressed agains

d at my face i

ed me to have a face that was s

was no d

negotiation, the wound in my shoulder still throbbing with f

y Porter d

ith alcohol. He stumbled toward me, his po

their way under my shirt, his fingers bru

harp pain shoot

econd, his brow furrowed not wi

ommanded, his voic

oyal shield. I was not allowed to fe

mine. The weight on my shoulder was excruci

of pain, I star

inking of

heart and disappeared two years ago. She was the daughter of the Tyson family, a perfect match

he le

e fou

d who look

a party, his voice dripping with disdain. I was stan

easy hands sliding down my back. I looked to B

ine in his glass, his

d enough for me to hear. "A dog.

it had been squee

t I found out my

he streets, hungry and beaten. He gave me a home, a purpose. He never asked about the str

me a n

ying my face under the dim light of his st

as a new begin

so n

ci" sounded like "Kylie.

arned to fight, to shoot, to kill. I collected scars on m

om, drunk and heartbroken, he he

our relation

sical and emotio

h, sacrificed enough, he would

with him. Dee

with pictures of Kylie Tyson. In every photo, she wore a radiant

diamond necklace, wi

r Kaci. It w

heir anniversary, the

eft, to wear clothes she might have worn

s a joke. A cruel,

leave. I love

, hoping fo

rd him on the phone

ed up. Loyal, obedient. Knows how to s

echoed i

do

shop and bought a simple glass

laced one small,

the first sca

, for every time he used me as a substitute, for ever

was full, I w

life he gave me, and

ember another woman, I felt the wo

eeped throug

e, but the pain in

will add another stone to the jar.

as almost