Page 15 of Wild Devil

As he leaves, my mind reels. It’s the second time he’s called me by my mother’s name, a coincidence I’d be a fool to overlook. There’s something important in that slipup, and I doubt that Colton’s wedding plans are at the forefront of my father’s mind. He’s planning something else, and I need to warn Daze. But how?

“It hurts me to see you like this, do you realize that?” The voice is Colton’s. I didn’t even see him come in, but he’s kneeling beside me, dabbing at my face with a handkerchief.

I cringe out of his reach, biting back the pain. “Don’t touch me.”

He sighs. “Frances. I will admit that I find your newfound rebellious streak enticing, but remember that I will have years to break you after our wedding. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were destined to be mine. From the start. I’ve bided my tongue and been patient, but now…” He sneers, and for a split second, I don’t even recognize him. “Now I see that the only way to make you mine, is by demanding it. No matter what you or your father or anyone else thinks!”

“Will you?” I counter. Somehow, I manage to keep my voice flat and neutral. Inside, I’m shaking. This man before me is a stranger, capable of anything. Even so, provoking him is my best shot at gaining the upper hand. “My father didn’t seem to think so,” I add to twist the knife.

Predictably, Colton’s eyes narrow, and he draws back, wringing the bloodied kerchief between his fingers. “You were always a righteous little bitch,” he snarls. “But you were never one for riddles. What exactly are you implying?”

“Nothing,” I say, thinking quickly. “I just wonder if you realize who is really in control. It isn’t you.”

He scoffs. “Frances, petty, childish, mind games are beneath you. Besides, should your father want to ‘be in control,’ as you put it, he would still need me.” He smirks, his eyes gleaming with a smugness that makes my skin crawl.

“How so?”

He looks me up and down, deliberately pausing over my breasts. When I cross my arms over my chest, he finally meets my gaze. “Because the only way to fulfill the terms of your inheritance requires that you either reach the age of twenty-five, or are legally married first. In case of the second scenario, you’d only get fifty percent, unless, of course…” He leans in to mockingly whisper, “You have a child soon after. Your father needs your husband if he wants to fulfill the terms of the contract.”

“What contract? What the hell are you talking about?” I demand.

“Your mother’s will,” he says. “Hale would have been eligible for his share, but your father took care of that, didn’t he? With the eldest of her two children dead, the full bulk of her inheritance goes to you. I’m sure you realized that. It’s why you’ve been poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, pretending that you were doing it out of righteous love. I’m sure the truth is that you just wanted to make sure that his death wouldn’t affect your half of the fortune.”

“What fortune?”

He raises an eyebrow. “I’ve found the feisty version of you tiresome, but I will admit that I prefer it to the innocent little Frances who always looks at the world with that wide-eyed naivety. You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

I can sense his irritation. If I want him to keep talking, I need to tread carefully. So, I face him and let myself visibly wince.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I do know, but my question is, how do you plan to circumvent that. Once I’m married, there is no use for you anymore, is there?”

He frowns. “Don’t play coy, or did you not hear the second part of the stipulation? Your father already gets half of the money once you say, ‘I do.’ Unless he plans to keep you around for another two years, then you need an heir sooner rather than later if you’re to receive the full inheritance. Nine months may seem like a long time, but I’m sure seven or eight will do. Then, if anything happens to either of you, the money goes to your husband. Your father has no ties in any case. Your mother made sure of that.”

My mother, the woman I spent so much of my life believing had abandoned me. What if that, among almost everything else, had also been a lie? She hasn’t been living out on her own all this time, and what if her addiction hadn’t been her own choice? What if, just like Hale, her supposed downfall had been entirely manufactured for one purpose only?

I lick my lips, still tasting blood. My bottom one must be split, and it stings like hell. It’s getting harder to keep my left eye open. The pain hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’m well aware of the fact that time is running out. Somehow, I need to free myself and warn Daze. There isn’t even time to agonize over a course of action. I just need to do something.

“You’re right,” I say thickly. “No matter what, he’ll need you. But I don’t think he’s in his right mind anymore, Colton. Have you stopped to think about that?”

He laughs. “Do you really think I’m that much of a fool? That you can just bat your eyes at me, and I’ll come running. You aren’t that good of an actress, Frances. Besides, I saw the way you looked at him, that cretin.”

My entire body reacts to the mere hint of Daze. I can’t help it. I know the longing for him shows on my face, and I can’t even begin to hide it. Instead, I meet Colton’s gaze directly and try to hunt for some small shred of emotion I can use to my benefit. Beneath the hate and anger, I find a glimpse of something useful.

Lust.

“You don’t want to hurt me,” I tell him. “You don’t.”

“I would beg to differ, Frances.” He reaches out to stroke my hair, only to grab a handful of strands and yank. “After the humiliation you’ve put me through, before your father. Before the entire congregation. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? My own father can barely look at me, and yet here I still am, sacrificing my integrity to save your honor. I think that’s earned me a bit of a reward, wouldn’t you say?”

He presses his mouth cruelly to mine in a painful, sloppy imitation of a kiss.

I can’t silence a cry, but I don’t pull away. Eyes streaming, I meet his gaze directly until he’s the one forced to look away first. As he releases me, I bite on my swollen lip just to keep from whimpering. It hurts. Every part of me is on fire, and I know at the back of my mind that I won’t be able to handle this kind of treatment for very long. Sooner or later, I’m going to break.

I hear a voice in my head that sounds suspiciously like Daze say, Do something about it. Fight. You don’t want me to save you, princess? Then you better fucking get a move on saving yourself.

“You want me,” I say, changing tact. “I know you do, and I still want you too. You can’t blame me for trusting the first person to give me answers, can you? You know how worried I was about Hale. You know that all I wanted was to find out why.”

“And have you?” He’s smug again, his smile a sneer. “I don’t think you have, Frances. Because there is one part of your role to play that I don’t think even your father has told you yet.”