She remembered what Ally had said when Evan’s employee had beaten her nearly a year ago. She had said she wanted to keep him talking so he wouldn’t rape her, that a beating was far preferable to having that slimy wretch inside her body.
Sophie felt the same way. No one would touch her except her true love, Zach.
“Come to think of it, I don’t think the boss would mind if I took a little taste of you. After all, we are the ones who took you and brought you. We will be handsomely compensated, of course, but what better compensation than a little taste of the goodies?”
“You will not touch me,” Sophie seethed through her teeth.
“And exactly who is going to stop me, my dear?”
The doorknob clicked, and another masked man entered, eyes glowing.
“I will.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Jake turned, his cheeks red. “There you are, boss.”
“Yes, and none too soon. You were really going to touch my woman, were you?”
“No, of course not. But the little lady has a mouth on her, see, and she was pissing me off. I was just trying to scare her little.”
“Scare her? My true love, the love of my life? Why would you want to scare her? This woman is above you in so many ways.”
Sophie furrowed her brow. Who was this? It wasn’t Zach. She would recognize his voice. Yet the voice did sound slightly familiar. She couldn’t place it.
The boss jerked Jake out of the way. “Leave us,” he said.
Jake walked obediently out the door, closing it behind him.
The man sat down on the bed and trailed a gloved finger down her cheek. “You are so lovely, Sophie.”
Again the voice. Familiar, yet different.
“Mr. Bertram?” she asked.
The boss shook his head. “No, Mr. Bertram is innocent, as he proclaims.”
“Then you have to get him released.”
“I don’t have to do anything. I have come to claim you. You have always been mine, Sophie. I have been worshiping you from afar for nearly a year now, waiting for the time to make my move. I should’ve made it long ago, before you got involved with Zachary Newland’s theatre. Before you got involved with Newland himself. But I had to cover my tracks. I had to make sure no one would trace this back to me.” His jaw tensed. “And in the meantime, you let him soil you, you little whore!” Suddenly the lines of his chin softened, and he let out a breath. “Forgive my hasty words. I know he forced you. Someone as perfect as you would not willingly submit to him.”
Sophie’s mind raced. What to do? This man was insane. “Who are you?”
“I will reveal that in time.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead.
Sophie shuddered. “Leave me. I cannot bear your touch.”
“That will change, I assure you. One day, you will realize we are meant to be. That you are mine and no one else’s. That on some plane of existence, you always have been mine and I yours.”
“You’re insane,” Sophie said. “Show yourself. If you do not show yourself, you’re nothing but a coward, just like your friend Jake out there.”
The man stood and stomped his foot on the ground, making the room shake. “You dare speak to me that way? After all I’ve done for you? I got rid of that stupid suitor Van Arden for you. It certainly wasn’t difficult to find a commoner to seduce him and claim to be with child. I killed that harlot Nanette Lloyd for you, so she would no longer bother you. She had the nerve to actually put her hands on you, Sophie. Well, she has met her demise now, has she not?”
Her skin turned cold as ice. “You’re a murderer.”
“I’m not a murderer. Everything I do, I do for you.”
“I never asked you to kill anyone. Who are you?”