“I’m just not sure what you want with me.” My voice comes out weaker than it should.
He uses his grip on my wrist to pull me to my feet, then roughly squeezes my cheeks in the arch of his hand, in a way that’s already become familiar.
The tension in his grip feels like it might crush my jaw.
“You wanna talk. Ok, then talk. Why did he send you?” He asks with little patience in his tone.
“To take the butterfly,” I answer, I’m sure he’d figured that out by now.
“Maybe for the others, Lysa... but not for you. You were sent here to taunt me,” he says coldly.
“Why would you think that?” I muffle through my squashed lips. Noticing how his face looks tortured, and although his nostrils are flaring with rage, his eyes seem so full of sorrow.
“Because, you look just like her,” he tells me as if I should know what he’s talking about.
“Like who?”
“What is this all about, because whatever it is it has nothing to do with me?”
“Sorrento wanted to torture me, by bringing you here, and I fell right into his game when I kept you,” he admits. “It's what he’s wanted all along... For me to come face to face with my past,” the way he looks at me is new. I can't describe it, but it makes me almost feel sorry for him.
“I don’t understand.” I try to shake my head but it remains still in his hold.
“He wants me to spoil you.” His thumb presses hard into my bottom lip, smearing the red lipstick that I’d applied so precisely across my lips, so it bleeds onto my cheek. “He sent you as a test of my restraint, and Lysa I’ll be honest…” His eyes drop to my lips and he swallows hard. “I can see myself failing.”
He’s practically telling me he’s going to destroy me, and yet all I can think about is his lips touching mine. And when he releases me, so suddenly I stumble backward.
“Go back to your room, Lysa,” he tells me coldly, his chest heaving like he’s fighting to hold back, ready to lose control at any moment. Intuition tells me I don’t want to be around when that happens.
I scurry backward, then turn and run. The hall is empty, no sign of Buddy or Mrs. Pritchard, and the front door isn’t far from the staircase.
Ethan has been careless in his anger, letting me leave the room unattended. There is every chance that the door is unlocked. I could race toward it, at least check. But I don’t, fear stops me, and instead, I let my bare feet patter back up the stairs. Across the landing, and I shut myself away in the safety of my room.
Eight
ETHAN
My palms fist at my side as I watch her run from me, fear etched on her pretty face as she glances back over her shoulder and her hands fumble with the door handle.
She’s fucking beautiful.
Soft blonde waves touching just below her shoulders, perfectly structured curves enhanced by the fabric, and cut of the dress I’d chosen for her, Her makeup so striking, and yet not overdone.
I’d purposely not bought her any shoes during my shopping trip, her feet are far too dainty and pretty to keep hidden away.
Hell, if I had my way she wouldn’t hide anything away. That being said, I didn’t want to share my treasure with anyone else. That part of her is for my eyes only, not Buddy or Mrs. Pritchard, and definitely not Joel and Tristan.
I look down at my hand, the red lipstick I’ve smudged onto her cheek still stains my thumb.
I feel the instinct to chase after her, to pin her down and make her understand why she stirs up so much frustration whenever I’m near her. How just her being close ignites a hunger in me that wants to devour her completely. And those big wide eyes, even when pleading with me not to hurt her, hold a strength in them superior to any man I’ve ever encountered. And believe me, I’ve met some nasty fuckers in my lifetime.
I march out to the hall, immediately greeted with Buddy, racing toward me in a flap about something.
“Did you hear the news?” he asks, looking as if he’s afraid to tell me what that news is.
The girl, of course, there would be family, friends, and people looking for her. Her pretty little face is probably splashed all over the news by now. Posters pinned to every lamp post in the town that she’s missing from. I was stupid to think otherwise.
“No.” I shake my head, not having the patience for this right now.
