orst part would

he b

to marry him like my life was a bu

s wr

was the silen

ed past us. I sat trapped between two massive men in black suits,

r of the leather seat, trying t

dn't

ng to make me i

ter to

m into fists to hide it, digging my nails

k, E

in

ca

ad already tried. Quietly.

not

left had simpl

hreat

an

t f

at the back of the driver'

n

w

re

now where they

at wasn

kn

h

cided my future in le

h twisted

rain outside distorted the world, making everything look unreal,

o one eve

hit so hard

would think

ld replace

would keep

d belong t

ar sl

umped into

nt, and terrifying. Security cameras sat at ever

s opened

something waiting

rolled

trimmed hedges and black stone statues. Lightning flash

a mansion

a for

looked the grounds like watchtowers. Every light inside glow

oat we

e he lives?" I whispe

man an

ar st

se exp

t. One of the men bes

" he

el driveway. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, b

oked

here

he top of the

had been

mp, pushed back from his face. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to sh

uld feel

om a di

ed o

urin

ing

her," h

h flipped

ard because I

last. The gravel crunched under m

e bottom of the s

make myself

not

se he n

lowly, like a predator app

ath sh

I could see faint scars near his col

wasn't un

meone ha

home,"

s hit li

my home,"

ightened

is n

h my fear. "You don'

rkened - no

int

han I expected,"

e," I said. "

oo

him. "You

ke ho

is hand wrapped around

fi

essi

se wen

, guiding me to

oors opened before

e was

something from a royal palace. Expensive art covered the walls. The ai

s bea

uffoc

o pull my

tightened

d softly, witho

ur property

pped w

ed t

ntil my back nearly

d quietly. "Which means anyone who to

eath

hip," he continued.

hard. "And t

ed slowly acros

ow, "is how I make sure

so hard I thought

pproached nervously. "Sir..

uest room,

roze.

wi

er face before she qui

d down

g in your room,"

ping in my room,

flood

leeping n

ief sha

instantly.

voice dropping to a wh

ere else," he said. "An

awed up m

ieved

ned and rele

stairs," he

sita

wal

at choice

The halls upstairs were qu

side a large do

was bigger tha

e bathroom visible through another doorway. Eve

ed... p

made i

maid said softly. "Clo

ded n

le

r click

alone, stari

legs g

e of the bed, hands

is

s happ

ounded at

fr

without waiting

pped i

changed

ou'd try to

about it,"

checking for injuries, damage..

afe here,

, shaky sound. "Safe

aved

m wh

es wen

come looking for the gir

d turne

be more?"

es

filled t

oser, stopping rig

ld sleep,

an I s

e said quietly, "your

mach t

I whispe

y face for a

n s

you looked at me...

eath

ntinued softly,

nd walked t

us

oking back

to this pl

closed be

time since this ni

n more terrifying than b

n danger of los

er of losing