Page 25 of Where We Ended

He twisted, catching me as I stared.

“Don’t fret over my scars, Artie. Your precious Silas got more than me, and on occasion took my share because he’s an idiot.”

Tears edged in the corners of my eyes because Silas wasn’t an idiot; he had a good heart. He was good. Regardless of all the dark that his father poured into him, he remained steadfast in his goodness. I didn’t want to talk about him right now, not as I was about to debase myself in front of his brother.

“Remove them.” I held up my wrist as if I wasn’t bothered by the abuse he’d obviously endured.

Alec’s eyes, so much darker than his brother’s, seemed to soften as he let out a sigh. Maybe I wore him down, he was likely just as tired of being chained together as I was. I watched as he produced a key from his pocket and my heart soared as he unlocked our wrists. I rubbed the redness around mine, muttering a reluctant thank you as Alec moved around me. “Just get undressed, Artie.”

Assuming he’d give me privacy and freedom was too much to hope for, so I turned away from him and slid out of my t-shirt and jeans, feeling my fingers shake as I slipped off my bra and panties. I knew Alec was watching me, and I knew, as much as he might care for me, he didn’t really give a single fuck that this was making me uncomfortable.

I faced the shower, covering my chest with my arms as I stepped inside, but Alec was right behind me a second later, stripped naked. The sound of metal clicking filled the space as he grabbed my hand and cuffed my wrist once more.

“What…” I looked up as my abductor connected the adjoining metal to his wrist, glaring down at me, while completely naked. His chest was packed with muscle, and he had more hair than Silas did, but any lower than that, I refused to look.

“You need any help washing that gorgeous hair of yours, just ask.” He winked, moving under the spray, making his black hair skew to the side.

A dark rage barreled into me, so dark and fierce, I screamed. Shoving my arm up, my wrist was at his throat as I pushed against his windpipe with all my strength.

“Fuck you!”

Tears gathered in my eyes as spit flew against his cheek. I didn’t care that I was naked, or that he was.

I had hit my limit.

Alec had kept me from Rachel, or anyone else who might see me, talk to me or help me. He had brought me my meals and uncuffed me long enough to secure me to a lead pipe in the bathroom; otherwise, I didn’t leave. Finally Rachel came and he wouldn’t even let me out of the room to go to the kitchen. I needed out of this house and away from him.

It seemed to line up with what Rachel had said about Fable just wanting me alive and here to taunt Silas or draw him out. I assumed he’d either give me to his second born son as soon as Silas was dead, or just kill me himself. One or the other, either way, my life was looking dim and so fucking small if I couldn’t get free.

Alec’s free hand wrapped around my hair, gently tugging until my head was tipped back.

“So fucking gorgeous.” His eyes darkened as he suddenly moved us backward, as if my hold on him was nothing but air. My back was against the wall within seconds, and he was standing over me.

“What is it my brother calls you?” His lips moved against my ear, his erection was hard and slick as it slid against my abdomen. “Heaven?”

My eyes pushed close; my lips trembled as the hand holding my hair moved to my hip.

“Should I taste you, and see why he calls you that? Or is it something I could only discover by fucking you?”

He wouldn’t rape me.

Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t…still, fear gripped me painfully tight as my voice shuddered. “Let me shower in privacy.” With one last quick breath, “Please.”

Tense eyes assessed me then an odd emotion flitted through them as his gaze dropped to my lips. “I will, Artemis. I promise…Just give me this one thing, don’t make me take it from you.”

My chest felt tight at the reminder of all he’d taken so far. At the realization that there wasn’t much left remaining.

“What?”

I didn’t want to give anything more, every piece of myself that I had left, I wanted to hold tight and hide from anyone else who would force it away.

“Kiss me.”

That was one thing I wouldn’t give him. “No.”

My head shifted, trying to move away from his gaze, but he moved with me. “Then tell me why you’re still waiting for him…I don’t understand it, Natty. He left you…and then you were traded like a fucking baseball card to a different club, and he still never reclaimed you.”

I turned my face. “Stop.”