“You could be tied to a bed with a man twice your age thrusting inside you. He wouldn’t care if he made you bleed. He wouldn’t care if you’d be haunted by him for the rest of your days. He wouldn’t care how he hurts you.
“And oh, how he would hurt you. He’d defile you; make you wish you were dead instead of having to deal with the unending pain. Even if we were to rescue you, you wouldn’t ever escape the nightmares, not really. You’d heal—but never fully. You’d carry that with you forever. Is that what you want?”
I let my hand hover over the slit between her legs. For a second, I want to touch her. I want to make her feel good and forget about all the pain she’s caused me. For a second, I don’t see her as the naive young woman who doesn’t truly understand the risks of this dark world. Instead, I only see the sexy woman tied up in front of me and feel desperate to fuck her.
She shifts, and my hand rests between her legs, feeling the warmth of fire there.
My eyes widen at the realization that I’m not in control at all. Rialta may have her arms tied behind her back and be wearing nothing but my soaked shirt, but she won’t go down without a fight. She called my bluff.
I won’t rape her. I won’t take anything from her. And yet, I don’t move my hand away.
“You think I don’t know what I risked?” Her eyes light up as she speaks.
“I don’t think you have a clue what you could have lost. You’ve lived in your seaside mansion with your perfect adopted parents, private school, and preppy clothes. You expected to go to college, find a wealthy husband, and spend your life traveling—living your cozy little life. You never thought you’d have to return to this world. When you left, you were a child. You didn’t understand the risks then, and you still don’t now. This is the world we live in. We are all one second away from torture, rape, and death.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” she barks back.
“I do. I know everything that’s important. If you don’t change your behavior, you’re going to be the death of us all.”
She shakes her head. “I didn’t live in a cushy mansion. I didn’t have rich adoptive parents. I didn’t attend a preppy school. I lived in a tiny two-bedroom house. I’ve known what it’s like to go hungry more times than not. I know what it’s like to be touched by a man against my will. I’ve worked every day after school since I was thirteen, hoping to have enough money to feed and clothe myself.
“My adoptive mother was nice, but she worked three jobs and was never around. My adoptive father makes Vincent look like an angel. Vincent had no choice but to let me grow up this way. He couldn’t send money if he wanted to keep me hidden. He hid me with a poor family in the middle of Mississippi, knowing I wouldn’t have the best childhood, but I would survive. Living that way made me a survivor; it made me strong.”
Her eyes flick back and forth over mine, surprised at herself by telling me her story.
“I’ve always known my life is at risk. I’ve always known I could be raped, tortured, or kidnapped again. My life is fleeting, and I’ll be lucky if I see thirty years on this earth. I don’t need you to tell me.” The fury in her voice vibrates between her and me. Clearly, I’ve judged her wrong.
“I can’t protect myself. You can lock me in a cage and throw away the key so no one can hurt me, but that’s not a life. That’s not what I want. I want tolivewhatever life I have left.”
I hear the truth in every word, and I finally hear her. I finally understand her.
“But I don’t want to risk innocent lives, especially not River’s baby. I don’t want to risk Kit. So you don’t have to worry about me running off without security again.”
I watch her closely, but I believe every word she says. Call me naive, but apparently, her weakness is caring too much about others and not enough about herself. I know how that feels.
“For the record, I did announce my intentions to the hallway security camera. I assumed Hayes and Gage were watching. But in the future, I’ll make sure I have protection with me, and you know exactly where I’m going.”
I nod, not sure what else to say.
“I’m not the selfish, spoiled brat you think I am. I’m not an asshole like you, Lennox. I’m just a woman trying her best to live with what little life she has left without hurting anyone she loves in the process.”
She licks her lips. “Stop playing games with me. Remove your hands from my body, and never touch me again without my expressed permission. And then untie me.Now.”
I remove my hand and take a step back, then pull a knife from my pocket. Slowly, I walk behind her and slice through the rope that has rubbed her skin raw.
I want to scoop her in my arms, carry her upstairs, and bandage her wounds. But I know that’s not what she wants. It’s the part of me that cares too much about other people begging me to take care of her. It wouldn’t matter who is standing in front of me—if I see someone hurt, I want to fix it.
I frown, hating the way I am. I hate the burden I carry and how ill-tempered it makes me.
She doesn’t seem to notice my inner conflict as she wordlessly heads upstairs, leaving me with more questions and confusion about who Rialta Corsi really is and how I’m going to marry her without ending up dead in the process.
Chapter10
Rialta
Three daysuntil I get married. I thought I’d feel more anxious the closer we get to the day, but after talking to Lennox, after what happened with Kit, I realized it’s better if I stop fighting and just accept this situation. In the span of one night, I’ve gone through all of the stages of grief and landed at acceptance. I’ve accepted my fate. I still have hope for the future, but for now, I’m to be married to a man I hate. But he’s also a man who has given me more freedom than I expected to get.
For now, my only job is keeping everyone I love safe. And that starts now.