Page 16 of The Devil's Wrath

But our relationship wasn’t without its challenges. His father, Senator Charles McKinley, was a strict and imposing figure. He had plans for his son, plans that didn’t include a broken girl with a tragic past. When he found out about us, he was furious.

“She’s beneath you, Connor. A charity case,” he snarled. “I won’t have you throwing your future away for some orphan.”

Connor stood his ground, his jaw clenched in defiance. “I love her, Dad.”

The senator’s face turned an alarming shade of purple, his eyes bulging with rage. For a moment, I thought he might strike his son. But instead, he turned his fury on me.

“You,” he spat, jabbing a finger in my direction. “You’ve ruined everything. I won’t let some gold-digging whore destroy my son’s life. You’ll regret the day you ever set foot in our lives.”

With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rattle the windows. I stood there trembling, tears streaming down my face. Connor pulled me into his arms, holding me tight.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “I never wanted you to see that side of him. But I meant what I said. I love you, and nothing he says or does will change that.”

I knew his father could make my life a living hell, but all I cared about was soothing the ache in my soul, even for just a moment.

SIX

WRENLY

As I walked across the manicured lawn, unease clung to me like a second skin. The bruise on my cheek throbbed, a reminder of Connor’s rage. I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with the other students milling about, their laughter and chatter grating on my nerves. The last thing I needed was for the rumor mill to start churning.

St. Mary’s was a beautiful campus with gothic architecture and manicured lawns, but it was a hotbed of gossip and scandal beneath the surface. The children of the elite attended this university, and they brought with them all the drama and secrets of their privileged lives.

I slipped into my first classroom of the day, where I was a teaching assistant for an advanced literature class. As the professor discussed Shakespeare’s sonnets, my mind drifted back to Theo: his green eyes, the way his tattoos snaked up his muscular arms, and the unexpected gentleness in his voice when he’d spoken to me this morning.

“Ms. Morgan?” The professor’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. “Could you share your thoughts on Sonnet 116?”

I blinked, my cheeks flushing as I scrambled to recall the sonnet. “Um, it’s about love. How true love is constant and unchanging, even in the face of obstacles.”

The professor nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. “Indeed. Shakespeare posits that love is an ‘ever-fixed mark’ that can endure any tempest. A fitting sentiment, don’t you think?”

His words struck a chord within me. An “ever-fixed mark.” Was that what I was searching for? A love that could withstand the storms of life? One of my patients had given me a book of Shakesphere’s sonnets, and Sonnet 116 had stuck with me.“Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom.”To me, that spoke volumes about how love is constant and doesn’t change. It doesn’t fade like physical beauty but instead endures until the end of time.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I went through the motions, taking notes and answering questions, but my heart wasn’t in it. I was relieved when my last class ended. I gathered my books and hurried out of the classroom, eager to escape the confines of the university. As I stepped outside, a wall of cold air hit me, the sun just starting to drift toward the horizon.

I was almost to my car when a familiar voice called my name. My heart dropped into my stomach as I turned to see Connor striding toward me, his face twisted into a scowl.

“Wrenly!” he called out again, his voice loud and aggressive. “We need to talk.”

I quickened my pace, fumbling with my keys as I tried to unlock my car door. But Connor was faster. He caught up, grabbed my arm, and spun me around to face him.

“Let go of me,” I hissed, trying to free my arm. But his grip only tightened, his fingers digging painfully into my skin.

“Not until you listen to me,” he growled, his face inches from mine. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and see the bloodshot veins in his eyes. “You think you can just dump me like that? After everything I’ve done for you?”

“Everything you’ve done for me?” I scoffed, anger rising in my chest. “Like what, Connor? Hitting me? Controlling me? Making me feel like I’m nothing without you?”

His face reddened, his jaw clenching. “You ungrateful bitch,” he snarled. “You think you’re so much better than me now, huh? Now that you’ve got that tattooed freak sniffing around you?”

I tried not to wince as his grip tightened even more, but the pain was becoming unbearable.

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Theo. “He’s none of your business. This is about you and me, Connor. No one else. And you can’t seem to accept that we’re over.”

He let out a harsh laugh. “Over? We’re not over until I say we’re over. You belong to me, Wrenly. And I’m not letting you go.”

With a sudden burst of strength, I wrenched my arm free from his grasp. “I don’t belong to anyone,” I spat. “Least of allyou.”

As I moved to get into my car, Connor seized me once more, this time by my hair. He violently pulled me out of the vehicle, causing me to gasp in pain. He shoved me against the car, and agony erupted at the base of my skull as it collided with the window. My vision filled with stars as Connor's face hovered above me, twisted with anger.

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