Page 14 of His Dark Purpose

Her flushed face and bloodshot eyes conveyed how awful her performance would be for her health. No doubt her heart was racing, and her blood pressure would be through the roof.

“You’re going to make yourself ill, little girl.” He lowered to one knee, resisting the urge to reach for her, even though every fiber of his being yearned to do so. “Please stop.”

If the fallout of all sincerity was a shitshow like that, then he was glad he’d opted for guarded duplicity most of his life.

“Fuck you!” She heaved in a breath, her dark hair clinging to her wet face. “I don’t have to listen to anything you say anymore… not after the way you’ve behaved, not after the things you’ve done.”

“Amy.” He sighed, not wanting to be the one to reiterate the reasons why shedidhave to listen to him.

For one, she was confined by his personal cuffs—a set to which only he had the key to release her—and secondly, she was still in his home. The way she behaved, what she said, and whether or not she listened to him absolutely mattered.

“Don’tAmyme!” She’d never acted with such venom before. “And don’t you dare call me your little girl. I’m sorry I ever laid eyes on you, sorry I came here and let you into my life.” She seemed close to hysterical.

“Don’t be foolish.” He couldn’t believe she genuinely felt that way. “If you hadn’t come here, what would have happened to Jonah?” Perhaps it was wrong of him to play the wealth card again—especially in the circumstances—but indignation compelled him to speak.

“Without me, where would he be?” He stared her down, demanding an answer. “He wouldn’t even have made bail without my money.”

The glint in her red, swollen gaze spoke of the unspoken loathing she evidently felt for him at that moment. Her expression jarred, forcing him to rise and take a step back.

“How fucking dare you!” She tried to climb to her feet again, but wobbling, she only made it to one knee before she collapsed back in an awkward heap.

Guilt and concern propelled him forward to help her. “Hey, be careful.”

“I said, stay away from me!” Her free hand rose, presumably in some futile attempt to knock him away, but poised for such a response, he captured her wrist with ease.

“I’m going to stop you from hurting yourself.” He didn’t know exactly what he’d expected when he’d decided to tell the truth, but it wasn’t anything that had transpired in the last few moments. “Because I love you.”

“Love?” She scoffed. “You wouldn’t know love if it slapped you in the face. You only know how to use your money to dominate other people.”

Flinching at her harsh assessment, he dropped her wrist and turned away.

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” He was loathed to admit it, but her accusation had really stung.

“I don’t believe you’re ever truly sorry about anything,sir.” Her stare was withering as she pulled against the cuff. “Your actions have made that abundantly obvious.”

“You obviously need some time to calm down.” That was one way of putting it. “I’ll leave you for a while.”

Backing toward the door, he realized he was frowning. Running away from a problem wasn’t usually his style, but her attack had thrown him for a loop. He wasn’t lying when he expressed his love for her. He’d never known an emotion as consuming before. To look at her then, he’d have thought she was nothing but his captive, a woman he kept bound to the bed for unsavory purposes.

Pressing his temple against the door, his lips twisted wryly. If he’d kept her there as his prisoner, she’d have tangible reasons for her hysteria. As it was, while he could understand her upset, her response was absurdly overblown and all he was doing by remaining there was heightening her frenzied emotion.

“Oh, that’s right!” Her voice had a snide sing-song quality about it. “Keep me cuffed here and disappear. Good call, Mr. Kyle. This is definitely your style.”

His eyes fell closed at her taunting tone. She wanted him to stay, then? At least so they could continue the argument, but he couldn’t see any positives to his presence. Better that she had space to calm down. Maybe she would sleep, and then they could sit down later and have a rational discussion about what happened next.

“It’s for the best, little girl.”

She’d asked him not to use the term anymore, but the endearing sentiment was second nature to him by that point. Shewashis little girl. There was nothing either of them could do to alter that. Her wild display changed nothing.

He’d love her whatever she said.

“I’m not your fucking little girl!” He didn’t need to open his eyes and turn to feel the waves of hatred rolling from her. “Get that through your…” She paused, the strain in her voice heightening. “Oh my God!”

The resonance of her voice shifted, insisting he spin to see what was wrong, and what he found sent his pulse racing. Sprawled out on the floor, with her one wrist still connected to the cuff at his bedside, was the woman he adored.

“Amy!” He moved toward her reflexively, falling to his knees and reaching for her. “Amy, are you okay?” It was an irrational thing to ask when it was obvious she was unconscious, but he needed her to know that he was there for her—even if she wasn’t awake—just in case she could still hear him.

Grabbing the arm draped by her side, he felt for her pulse, his heat sprinting with intensity until he sensed its rhythmic cadence.

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