Page 43 of Cry, Little Dove

He probably won’t notice I’m gone. Not whensheis with him. All it took for Cain to forget about me is a glossy smile and pretty hair.

This is a good thing, I tell myself.I dodged a bullet.

With all his fake kindness, the gifts and the jokes and the mind-blowing sex, Cain has already gotten too far into my head. He made me complacent and soft.

How fucked up is it that I want to stay with my kidnapper? Why am I sad when it turns out I’m just a way for him to pass the time?

Cain is a murderer, for Christ’s sake! A full-blown, real life serial killer, but here I am, crying my eyes out because he doesn’t want to marry me after all. I should feel sorry for the leggy blond. She has no idea what a monster he is.

But Idon’tfeel sorry for her.

I want to take a knife from the kitchen and carve out her perfect doe eyes, cut off those ridiculously plump, heart-shaped lips so Cain wants me instead. So he’ll forget about her and—

“Get up, Erica,” a dark voice growls, and at first, I think I imagined it. Then a twig snaps and my head jerks up.

Cain stands a few feet away, his revolver aimed at my face. His chest heaves with irregular breaths.

“You lied to me!” I bite out, a torrent of fury pushing away the sadness and fear like a monsoon. He can shoot me if he wants to.

“What the hell are you talking about? You ran away. You decided you had enough of me, huh?” His laugh is bitter. “But that ain’t how this works, darlin’. I told you I’m gonna keep you, dead or alive. That’s your call.”

As if to make a point, his finger tenses on the hammer of the revolver. My throat tightens with a slew of emotions, but my rage wins. Words flow like sour venom from my tongue.

“Why don’t you leave me alone and go back to your perfect influencer girlfriend?”

His jaw drops and he lowers the gun. “Mywhat?”

I jump up, leaving my handbag in the grass. I stomp toward him and poke my finger against his annoyingly muscular chest, one poke for each word. “Don’t. Play. Dumb.”

His gaze narrows into green slits and he flicks my forehead. “Stop poking me!”

“Only if you stop lying!” I poke him again. “You’re insulting both of our intellects with that stupid act.”

“Erica, I honestly—”

“I mean the gorgeous blond in your office! But you know, I get it…” I drop my hands, slapping my thighs. “I’m just an average, boring, normal woman—”

His head jerks, eyes rounding. Then he laughs, properly. His whole body shakes with laughter. “You got it all fuckin’ wrong. She’s not my girlfriend! That woman is myyounger sister, Amanda. Mandy for short. And I don’t like you talking badly about yourself. There is absolutelynothingaverage or boring about you, darlin’. You’re the most stunning, exceptional, clever, funny, and smart woman I have ever met. You set my heart racing with a single word or a passing glance.”

His unexpected compliment drives a flush up my neck. I have a difficult time focusing on the topic at hand.

“You have a sister? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You didn’t ask.” He shrugs.

Heat spreads to my face, too. Oh my God, I’m a bigger dumbass than I thought.

“Your sister…” I echo. “So, you really don’t have a girlfriend?”

“No, I do have a girlfriend.” He waves the gun at me, a grin sneaking onto his lips. “And she’s being a real fuckin’ idiot right now. I’m a killer, but I draw the damn line at adultery, and I’d rather blow my brains out than cheat on you.” He taps his temple with the barrel.

I huff. “This isyourfault. How should I have known?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Erica,” Cain says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Maybe you could’ve come in and asked? That would’ve been nice. I wanted to introduce you, but when I realized I had to track you down, I sent Mandy to a hotel in the next town over. Figured you might find it awkward if she stays in the house. You’ll meet her next time, I guess.”

I cross my arms, shushing the giddy voice inside me squealing with maniacal joy. Go me, the psycho killer wants to introduce me to his family! And why am I happy about that?

“But if she’s your sister, why did you sneak around in the office with her?”

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