Page 106 of Hook

He moves toward me and all I can think about is how beautiful he looks. The man is striking up close and those chestnut eyes never cease to amaze me, even when his expression is solemn.

“That’s no way to greet your husband, is it?” he says, the normal playfulness in his tone gone.

Did I break Cillian Hook with my rejection of his love?

And if so, why the hell does that idea make the guilt worm its way deeper?He’s the one that kidnapped me, for God’s sake.

I swallow hard as he moves closer, anticipation coiling in my stomach. Four days and I can’t deny that I’ve missed him. I’ve missed his touch, his voice, his scent—everything about him.

“I’ve got something for you,” he announces, and that’s when I notice the papers in his hands. He stops a few feet away from me and doesn’t try to touch me, which is unlike him. I’m used to his touch when we’re this close.

“What is it?” I ask.

His jaw works before he hands the papers to me. “Divorce papers. You’re free to leave when you want.”

A lead weight settles in my stomach as I stare at him blankly for a few seconds, pretty sure my brain is misfiring. “What?”

“I said, here are the divorce papers. They’re signed.” He tries to thrust the papers into my hand, but I can’t function right now. Cillian told me he would never let me go, and now… It feels like this is a practical joke.

Instead of taking the papers, I step back and meet his beautiful gaze, searching his eyes for the truth. The anguish in them is as clear as day. “You said—”

“—Forget what I said, princess. It’s clear you’re never going to feel the same way I feel for you, and I’m not the kind of man to stand by and wait for you to realize we belong together.”

I don’t know why my stomach flips. Perhaps because I’ve been wondering if that’s true lately.

“You’ve made it clear there’s no chance you’ll ever feel that way for me unless I give you your freedom.” He tries again to put the papers in my hand, and this time I take them. “So here it is.”

Why now?

I want to ask, but I fear that if I speak, I may say the wrong thing. And yet, I have to question it. Cillian doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who gives up easily. “But—”

“Look, princess, you’ve been begging me for this since I kidnapped you, so take it and leave.” His jaw clenches when he says that, those eyes flickering with what I can only describe as heartbreak. And while I did say this is what I wanted, now I’m hesitating to snatch the thing I’ve been begging him for since he stole me.

What is my problem?

I’m at war with myself. My head is screaming at me to snatch them and run for my life. My heart is aching at the thought. Reluctance is the last thing I imagined I’d feel in this moment. I can’t tell what the reason is, but perhaps it’s because I’m carrying his baby. Something he’s talked about since day fucking one—getting me pregnant. I wonder if he’d still let me leave if he knew he put a baby inside me.

“What was all of this for then?”

“I’ve told you how I feel about you, Gwendolyne. Nothing has changed, but you persistently tell me you’ll never feel the same.” He rubs a hand across the back of his neck. “I’m a greedy man and I need all of you, not just your body. I need your heart and soul.” His voice is husky. “I crave it more than anything on this planet.”

“More than revenge on Piero?” I ask.

“A million times more.”

Damn it.

I want to tell him he can have it. That I’ve already started to fall for him, but I know that nothing good can come from this twisted thing between us. Stockholm Syndrome is the only answer to what this is. My feelings seem deep and profound, but they can’t be because I’ve never been given a choice. Freedom will help me get perspective on the situation.

“I can walk out of here a free woman?” I confirm.

Cillian nods.

“And what happened to your revenge plan?”

“That’s still going ahead. It just doesn’t involve you anymore.” His jaw clenches. “If you marry that bastard, I can’t promise you won’t become collateral damage.”

I laugh. “Spoken from a man who claims to love me.”

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