Saliva pooled in my mouth. I’d let him kill me first.
“Say,yes.” Anger slipped into his tone.
I didn’t utter a word. I knew what happened when we said yes. I wouldn’t let him hurt me like that. Not ever.
“Have it your way.”
The humming started again. He jerked at the sheath, hauling it up, and then the knife slashed across my belly.
I couldn’t hold in my scream.
I jerked upright, that same scream caught in my throat. I hauled my legs up to my chest and bit my knee to keep the sound at bay. I hugged my legs with everything I had in me, rocking to steady myself.
Tears filled my eyes and tracked down my cheeks. He always won.
I might have escaped, but he still had me in my dreams. He was still out there somewhere, walking around free. I had to look at every man that passed and wonder if it was him.
I’d never seen his face. Not once. Not even when I escaped.
He’d always worn a mask when he came to get me for oursessions. Only his dark brown eyes peeked through. Then he would cover my face with a blindfold. I wasn’t sure I even truly knew his voice. It had sounded slightly different during my escape, almost like it was deeper than he’d made it out to be at other times.
I quickly shoved to my feet, struggling to get free of the sheets. They were damp with sweat, and my pajamas were practically soaked.
The tears morphed then. Turning from ones of fear to those of frustration. I yanked the comforter back and carried it to the small couch in the living room. I jerked the top sheet free and then the bottom, before roughly pulling the pillows out of their cases.
Bundling it all up, I stalked toward the stackable washer and dryer next to the bathroom. I shoved everything inside and poured in the soap. Slamming the washer closed, I hit start and stepped back.
I watched as water began to fill the machine and suds started to form. In thirty minutes or so, all evidence of my torment would be cleansed away. I wished it was as easy to do the same for me.
I pressed my palms to my eyes and then ran my fingers through my hair. It, too, was damp with sweat. I needed it all off. Gone.
Slipping into the bathroom, I shucked my pajamas and turned on the water. I set it as hot as I could stand and stepped into the tub-shower combo.
I let the stream of scalding water cascade over me to wash away every remnant of cold and pain. Lifting the shampoo bottle, I filled my palm with soap. My fingers dug into my scalp, cleansing every strand, and then I conditioned it.
Bodywash came next. I scrubbed every inch of my skin as if I could erase the thin scars crisscrossing my flesh. My fingers stilled on the brand.
I stared down at the burn—a permanent mark not even a laser could erase. It was some sort of multi-faceted gemstone. And it had been burned into eight women.
But only one had survived. Me.
I jerked my hand away from the mottled skin and stepped back under the spray. I rinsed the soap from my body and turned off the water. Pulling back the shower curtain, I stepped out of the tub and quickly grabbed two towels. I wrapped one around my hair and dried my body with the other.
Letting out a long exhale, I stared down at the pile of nightclothes on the floor. It felt like just another piece of evidence of my weakness.
I squeezed my eyes closed. “You’re not weak. You’re stronger than anyone knows.”
9
LAWSON
I kept glancingout the windows at the front of the house as I sipped my coffee, my thumb tracing circles on the mug. When I got up at five for my workout, lights had been blazing in the guest cabin. And I hadn’t missed that a soft glow emanated from the windows well after midnight last night.
A million different questions swirled in my mind. Could Hallie not sleep? Was she scared of the dark? Was it hard for her being in a new place?
“Not things you need to be worried about,” I growled aloud, forcing myself back into the kitchen.
I didn’t miss the dirty dishes in the sink caked with tomato sauce. Luke had clearly come out for leftovers after we were all asleep. I was relieved that he hadn’t gone to bed hungry, but beyond frustrated that he’d left a mess behind.
