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His deep, velvety voice wrapped around me, grounding me in place.
I gazed at him, committing every detail to memory–the warmth of his hand, the subtle crease in his brow, the way his lips curled ever so slightly when he spoke.
I promised myself, right then and there, that I would make this worth it. That I would succeed.
I wouldn’t let him, or the Kensingtons, down.
“I’ll be waiting.” I whispered.
But I never made it to my destination
The moment I stepped off the plane, I was abducted
By the time I woke up, my wrists were bound and I was lying on a massive, unfamiliar bed. The room around me was dimly lit, its gothic architecture and heavy velvet drapes reminiscent of a medieval castle.
Panic gripped me.
My limbs felt weak, useless, as if I had been drugged. My heart pounded wildly as I tried to scan my surroundings for anything I could use to free myself.
The door creaked open. And there, standing in the doorway, was Cassian. He carried a silver tray in his hap his expression eerily composed, though his bloodshot eyes betrayed something far more unhinged.
The realization of what had happened struck me like a bolt of lightning.
My blood boil.
“Are you out of your mind?!” I spat, my voice hoarse with rage. “I’m married, Cassian! What the hell is the point of
this?!”
He ignored my words, moving closer, his every step slow and deliberate.
Lifting a sandwich from the tray, he held it out toward me with a small smile, his voice unnervingly gentle. Instead, he lifted a sandwich from the tray and held it toward me, his lips curling into a small, twisted smile.
846 AM c d
Don’t Love You Liked resterday
“You favorite grilled cheese,” he murmured. “I made it the way you like.”
The dim light cast eerie shadows over his face, his smile slow and deliberate
“Go on,” he coaxed. “Try it. Tell me if it still tastes the same.”
His voice was almost affectionate.
My throat tightened as I turned my head away in disgust, refusing to eat
Cassian simply sighed, setting the tray aside.
“That’s okay, Pixie.” He brushed a hand through his disheveled hair, his expression softening in a way that sent a shudder down my spine. “We have all the time in the world.”
His fingers traced the edge of my face.
“No one will ever find us here. It’s just you and me, like it was always meant to be.”
A slow, dreadful chill crept up my spine.
“I’ve already made arrangements for our wedding,” he continued, brushing a strand of hair from my face
“Tonight, you’ll be my bride. No one will ever take you away from me again,
My body went rigid, bile rising in my throat.
Cassian leaned closer, his breath warm against my cheek
“You love sculptures,” he mused. “I’ll bring in the best sculptors to teach you. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to
you.”
His voice was softer now, almost coaxing.
“All you have to do is promise me one thing, Pixie.” His fingers trailed down my jaw, tilting my chin toward him. “Promise me you’ll never leave me again.”
Something inside me snapped.
I forced myself to meet his eyes–those once–familiar eyes, now filled with something twisted and possessive. “Are you deaf?” I spat. “Or are you just lying to yourself? I told you, I’m married. Sooner or later, Zane will realize I’m missing and he will come for me. You won’t get away with this.”
Like a switch had flipped, his patience ran out
With a furious snarl, he grabbed the tray and hurled it across the room. The sound of shattering glass echoed through the space.
“You think I care?” he growled, seizing my wrists where they were bound. His grip was bruising, his face. contorted with fury. “I’ll keep you locked in here, report you missing under my family’s name and then… you and Zane will have nothing to do with each other ever again.”
“Your marriage won’t mean shit!”
He leaned in, his breath hot against my skin. His fingers tightened.
“You will be mine and mine alone.”
My pulse pounded violently in my ears. I had always known Cassian was capable of cruelty. But this–this was something else entirely. I met his crazed gaze, took a slow, shaky breath and forced my expression into somet
close to calm.
“Go ahead,” I whispered. “Do all you want. I don’t love you anymore.”
“You can lock me up until I rot, but it won’t change the fact that you utterly disgust me.” I seethe.
His fury ignited instantly. His hands shot up to my throat, squeezing hard.
“You don’t love me?” he seethed. His entire frame shook with fury. “You’re lying. You have to love me. I saved. your life! You owe me! You belong to me!”
“Belong to you?” I rasped, laughing bitterly even as my vision blurred from lack of air.
“You say you love me,” I croaked, “but you brought other women home.”
I gasped for breath, my voice trembling but relentless
“You say you love me, but you covered your walls with paintings of her.”
I forced out another laugh, sharp and broken.
“You say you love me, but what you really wanted was to break me–to trap me. To turn m pet you could control”
His fingers twitched, his grip loosening slightly.
I met his eyes, letting every ounce of my disgust show
“I’ll never forget it, Cassian.” My voice was nothing more than a whisper.
never forget how you and Sloane made love in front of me.”
His expression twisted in fury.
“I’ll never forget how you humiliated me.”
He trembled.
And then, so softly it was almost cruel-
care.
“I’ll never forget how much you disgust me.*
into some pretty little
“It was sickening I met Cassian’s gaze, watching as his lips parted–whether in protest or realization, I didn’t
“But you know what?” I continued, my voice steadier now, sharper. “You were right about one thing.”
I tilted my head, watching his face shift, the muscles in his jaw tightening as if bracing for impact.
“I took more than one to make a comparison.”
