Page 36 of The Hunted

16

Raven

Knox watches the video from earlier, and I’m paralyzed with fear. What must he think of me now? What will he do? His muscles tense under me. I can feel the anger consuming him as I sit in his lap. He swipes items from his desk, they crash into the wall, and clatter to the floor. I tense in his one-armed embrace and bury my face into the crook of his neck.

“Sorry, baby,” he says as he strokes my back.

I can hear the weakness in my voice on the video. I hate it. Just hearing it again takes me back. My heart beat rattles my ribs. I didn’t even know he had so many cameras, everywhere. I realize now I should have anticipated that. Of course he has cameras everywhere. I think back on all the nights I left my suite, wandering the grounds and the manor. Maybe my sneaking around didn’t go as unnoticed as I thought. I should feel violated, but I can’t bring myself to even care at this point. He has all of my secrets now.

He rises from the chair and carries me from the room. I burrow my head deeper into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent, spicy and all man. I try to relax.

A few moments later, I feel the mattress under my back and loosen my death grip around Knox’s neck. He toes off his boots and scoots in beside me, cocooning me in his embrace. He makes me feel so safe. As if he can fix all my problems. How do you feel safe in the arms of a killer? I just want my sister back, and I want to be out of this nightmare.

I inhale a breath as I lie with my head on his chest. I listen to the steady rhythm of his heart as he combs his fingers through my hair.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to stop him. He will never have the chance to get close to you again.”

“How will you stop him? You can’t be with me all the time.”

“No, but I will handle him.”

“What does that mean?” I ask as I raise up on my arm to stare into his amber eyes.

Brushing the hair from my face, he tucks it behind my ear.

“There are many things you don’t know about me. I want to tell you, but I don’t want you to be afraid of me. My job makes it difficult to have or keep people in my life.”

I continue to gaze into those eyes that trap me in their depths, and I see secrets. They’re there, and he wants to give them to me. I’m not certain what those amber pools hold, but I want to know. I want his good, bad, and ugly. The memories that make him happy. The secrets that taint his soul. I want to know this man. I want more with him, and that realization terrifies me.

“I care for you, Raven. I haven’t allowed myself to grow close to anyone in a long time.”

---