Page 44 of You Found Me
As if someone had wanted to slice him into pieces or wipe him from existence.
“Sweet Jesus,” she whispered.
Why do this? Why leave a bunch of destroyed pictures of a man she barely knew all over her bed?
Her gaze fixed on the envelope.
The rose lay against it, deep crimson against pale white. It looked fresh and beautiful, and the thorns looked sharp.
Somewhere, a door slammed. She jerked at the sound, but she couldn’t drag her eyes away from the envelope with her name on it.
Slowly, she reached for it.
It wasn’t sealed.
The letter was printed, just like before, in a plain, neat font that was completely at odds with the slashed handwriting on the envelope.
The words on the page turned the chill in her veins from icy to arctic.
Sweet Della,
The flirting thing needs to stop.
I try to be understanding, I really do. I know how lonely you are. You long for me as I long for you and it makes you act out.
I love your free spirit, and women are wired for entertaining. But when I saw your legs wrapped around him…I have to confess it made my blood boil.
The only man who should ever be between your legs is me.
The way he looked at you. The way he touched you.
Fondled you.
It’s disgusting.
Your perfect match stood right there in front of you. We had a connection.
Then he got in the way and dazzled you.
Don’t worry. He’s been dealt with. He won’t disrespect us like that again.
They locked you away. Hid you from me. But they can’t keep my songbird caged forever.
I won’t let them.
I’m everything you need and everything you will ever want. I struggle with your behavior, sweet thing, I really do.
When we’re together, you’ll see.
I am patient. I’m going to provide you with the perfect home. It’s private and beautiful, and it’s all for you.
We’ll spend the rest of our lives there, together.
Not long now.
“Oh God. Oh God.” She slapped a hand over her mouth to stop the hysteria building in the back of her throat, but all it did was turn her chant into a low moan.
She stared at the lines that struck her like slaps to the face.
