It takes me another half hour to drag myself into the shower. Even then, I spend most of the time admiring the bruises painted over my body. Killian’s teeth have left various small, dark blotches around my throat and over my breasts. There’s a particularly large bite on my inner thigh. Blemishes circle my wrists, and my body heats up at the thought of how he pinned me down, how he buried himself so deep inside that it’s hard to believe he’s not still there.
Every time I move, itfeelslike he’s still there.
I dress in some grey pressed pants and a loose coral blouse that I find in one of the wardrobes; not my usual style but none of my clothes are here, and the fabric is rather gentle against my bruises. I can’t stop thinking about them, not with the ache that constantly exists between my thighs. It’s a good pain, though, one that I find myself pressing into as I move around the house. Every step sparks the ache, a reminder of what I asked Killian to do to me and all it does is make me want more.
As I peruse the safe house, I find the other rooms are decorated much like our bedroom; cozy and understated with simple wooden furniture, but a hint of elegance remains. The study has floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with more novels than I’ve ever seen. There are two other bedrooms and one that looks like a child’s playroom. All in all, the house looks untouched, and a faint musty smell stings my nose as I finish my exploration and head downstairs.
Taking the stairs is hard when your insides were rearranged the night before, I muse as I descend slower than usual.
Archer is seated in the lounge reading from a tablet when I make it downstairs, he greets me with a faint, tight smile.
“Are you going to stay here all day?” I ask before I can stop myself, cursing silently that I sound rather ungrateful when Archer helped save me yesterday. He ignores my question and nods to a box resting on the coffee table.
“Killian had some things brought from his apartment in case you needed them,” he says, “your phone, clothes, toiletries. That kind of thing.”
“Oh, thanks,” I mutter and Archer returns to his tablet. I open the box to find the mentioned items inside, and a smile creeps up. It’s sweet to think he thought of this. The first thing I grab is my phone and charger then I head into the kitchen to find a socket. There’s one next to the coffee pot against the wall, and as I head towards it, I can’t keep my eyes off the opposite counter.
The counter where I spread myself wide and begged for Killian to take me.
My heart skips a beat, and an aching clench sweeps through my core.Is this normal? To want him again already?I shake my thoughts free as I plug in my phone and scour the cabinets for dishes so I can make myself a cup of coffee. The first sip burns my aching throat, but the next soothes it, and my nerves calm a moment later.
Then my phone lights up and dings with a notification. Then another. Then a flood that makes my stomach clench and my heart plummet down to my gut.
I set my mug down and grab my phone to see the screen light up with various missed calls and texts from Kimmy and Sadie. It hits me like a freight train, and I wobble back to lean against the counter.
Of course. They’ll have heard about the attack on the school! My best friends are a slice of my normal, ordinary life that seems so alien to me now. I scroll slowly through the messages as they both grow increasingly anxious about where I am, have I heard, and did I turn up to class that day.
Poor girls.They probably thought I was dead.
I’m okay, I type out into the group text.I did turn up for class that day, but I didn’t really see anything. Killian’s taking me away to a spa to calm my nerves. I’m sorry I didn’t text sooner, love you!
It’s not afulllie, I tell myself as I hit send. Kimmy responds immediately, calling me a bitch but the emojis let me know she’s not serious. They’re glad I’m okay, and then the praise floods in about Killian being such a considerate boyfriend.
Yeah, so considerate he helped me break my promise,I think bitterly and set the phone down.
The bitterness surprises me. I can’t blame him for what happened last night, but the more I’m awake, the more it dawns on me just exactly what I’ve done. If anyone were to find out, my father would likelydisownme. He’d be so ashamed. They’ll see me as tainted and not worthy of Irish representation, and then what? Would they ask Killian to marry someone else? Toss me out onto the street?
A bubble of anger ignites in my chest. Why should I even care what they think? What my father thinks? They’ve rarely had my best interests in mind when making all the decisions that sent us down this path.
I turn back to my coffee, attempting to quell the anger sweeping through me.
Then the doorbell rings.
Archer’s on his feet in an instant, a gun drawn from his waist, and he sends me a hard glance. He motions with one hand for me to duck, and I crouch behind the counter as chills steal over my body.
Has someone found me? Has something happened to Killian?My mind steals away from itself as so many horrible scenarios bounce around my head, muffling the world around me. I have to clutch the cup to my chest to stop the coffee from being poured all over the floor, not feeling the scalding heat of the ceramic.
“Cara?”
A woman’s voice floats over me, and my brow pulls down. I know that voice… something about it is familiar.
“It’s okay, Cara,” comes Archer’s voice, “it’s just Sienna.”
Oh.
I stand up abruptly, feeling a curl of shame sweep up my spine and nestle around my throat. How ridiculous did I look just then?
Sienna’s eyes are soft, however, and she smiles apologetically.