Page 20 of Redemption

His beautiful face hardens to a grim mask. “I am not a normal man. I thought you knew that. I thought you accepted me, just like I accept everything that you are. You’re perfect for me, Abigail. Why are you denying us now?”

I shake my head. He’s clearly insane, completely deluded. He seems incapable of understanding how stalking and assaulting me was a violation on the deepest level.

“There is nous.” I try to speak as calmly as possible when my heart is hammering against my ribcage. “You’re not the man I thought you were. Your belief that I love you won’t change that.”

He bares his teeth at me like a cornered predator, and for a moment, I think he’s going to hurt me.

I cringe, and suddenly, his weight is gone.

He’s standing three feet away from where I lie sprawled on the bed, completely disoriented by his abrupt decision to release me.

“You’ll want to get freshened up before I show you around the estate,” he says, the perfectly composed, genteel host. He tips his head in the direction of an ensuite bathroom. “Go on. I’ll wait here for you.”

Now that he’s mentioned it, I become acutely aware of the fact that I’ve neglected my basic needs. How long was I unconscious?

My cheeks heat, and I duck past him into the bathroom.

Once I’m a bit more composed, I splash cold water onto my flushed face. The awful weight of my new reality presses down on my shoulders like a ton of lead, and it’s all I can do to keep my shaking knees from buckling. I grip the sink for support. My knuckles are almost as white as the porcelain.

I’m alone with a madman on a remote estate. He’s already proven that he’s so much stronger than I am. Fighting him had only given him an excuse to pin me down and attempt to coax shameful pleasure from my unwilling body.

I won’t make that mistake again.

Dane doesn’t value my consent. That much has become painfully clear.

He thinks I love him. If I can convince him that I will never feel a shred of affection for him again, he might let me go. He seems obsessed with his misguided belief that I belong to him. Once he accepts that I will never surrender my heart, he’ll grow tired of me. He’ll release me, and I can return home to Charleston.

I straighten my spine and face myself in the mirror. I take several deep breaths and convince myself that my plan will work.

It has to work.

Because the ache in the center of my chest is from more than just the fearful pounding of my heart. I did love Dane, and theloss has shattered something inside me. Being near the monster who wears his face will be agonizing, but I’ll have to bear it.

My freedom depends on it.

His soft knock on the door draws a shocked yelp from my tight chest.

“Let me in, Abigail.”

“I’m coming out.”

I don’t want him to break down the door to get to me.

I slide the lock back, and he towers over me. I swallow hard and edge away from him. He follows my movement, staying resolutely in my personal space.

“What are you doing?” I demand breathlessly.

He gingerly touches two fingers to the bloody cut on his brow. “I need to get cleaned up. Stay.”

He issues the command like I’m a wayward pet. I grit my teeth against the tirade that teases at the tip of my tongue.

I will remain compliant. I won’t give him the excuse to manhandle me again.

My wits will get me out of this. I have to keep them sharp, and I know his unwelcome touch will devastate me.

He hisses softly when he cleans the cut I inflicted, but he doesn’t rebuke me for attacking him. I’m relieved he doesn’t lash out in reprisal for the pain I caused him.

My heart breaks all over again. The Dane I loved would’ve done anything to protect me. He cherished me, and I trusted that he would never harm me.

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