Page 43 of Betrayed in the Dark
Not my fiancé.
Why am I not surprised?
Eli’s hand slides protectively down my spine, his body staying right beside mine. I swipe my forearm across my mouth, unsure of how much time I have left before I get sick again. So, I need to figure out what the hell is going on since Alastor’s never made an unannounced visit.
Alastor stands there, horrified, with his hand covering his mouth. “Please tell me you’re not contagious.”
I roll my eyes, instantly regretting the motion. “Migraines are not contagious.”
“Oh.” He laughs while lowering his hand. “Thank God, it’s just a migraine.”
Just a migraine?The pressure returns to my temple, and I pinch the bridge of my nose, massaging the area with my fingers. Eli’s hand moves in slow, gentle circles, calming me. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think I was seeing you until Friday night.”
His eyes bounce between me and Eli, taking in the proximity between us, I’m sure. But I don’t have the energy to move away from him, nor do I want to. Not when he’s the only thing keeping me up. “Well, I was worried for you,darling. You never returned my messages, and I just wanted to ensure you would actually be joining us.”
“For what?” Eli asks, staring down at me.
Alastor beams. “Dinner with her future in-laws. They’re so looking forward to seeing you since it’s been a while. Not to mention, there will be a few photographers there as well to capture the moment.”
What he really means is that he wants to showcase an Alarie on his arm so the whole world can see his new powerful accessory.
I squint beneath the sun’s glare, which feels too bright even behind my sunglasses. I just want to retreat into darkness by getting under my covers and calling it a day.
“Madeleine’s not well—” Eli starts to say before I cut him off.
“Yes, of course. I’ll be there.”
“Great.” Alastor’s beady eyes move from me and then to Eli. “Well, I’ll be out of your way so you can rest. Wouldn’t want anything to cause you to miss such an important night, now would we, darling?”
“Of course not,” I answer quickly.
He hesitates for a moment, as if he might want to lean in for a kiss, but then stops himself, likely reconsidering since I just threw up—thank God. After a short pause, he nods and walks toward his obnoxiously bright-colored car, where I notice his guard, Tony, waiting for him. Looking up, I find Eli’s gaze fixed on him.
“Who’s that?” he asks, his free hand resting on the gun inside his holster.
“Tony. His right-hand man.”
I wait until Alastor disappears down the driveway before stepping inside my home, slipping out of my heels, and trudging up the stairs to my room.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t notice Eli behind me until he steps around me and closes all my drapes, shrouding my room in shadows.
He turns to look at me and takes a step closer. His hands reach out, slowly and carefully unbuttoning my jacket. It falls to the floor around me, and then, without taking a moment to overthink it, I reach for the zipper on the back of my dress and tug it down, letting the material pool at my feet.
It’s not like he hasn’t seen me like this before.
His eyes darken, and his gaze travels leisurely over my body, leaving a scorched path from my head to my toes.
I swallow hard. If I weren’t in so much pain, I might do something I’ll regret.
Or would I?
“I might get sick again,” I say.
“I’ll be here if you do,” he answers automatically.
Of course, he will be.
He’s always here.
