Page 70

“I saved her life.”

He stops with his back still facing me, so I continue.

“I saved her fucking life. Did you know that? Did she tell you, or were you two too busy berating her for her love interest to even check on her?”

Her mother is on the verge of tears, and her father slowly returns to our conversation.

“What the Hell are you talking about?” Her father stares harshly into my eyes.

“She was kidnapped. Chained to a fucking wall. Naked and alone.” I step into him, letting him know that I will do anything to protect his fucking daughter.

“She had no food. They kept her drugged. Hell, she didn’t even know if they raped her. She was fucking wishing for death. And do you want to know who the fuck saved her?”

I glare into his eyes, fury blazing beneath my skin at the reminder.

“Me.”

He stares at me in shock. His wife covers her mouth in disbelief.

“You mean to tell me that my daughter was kidnapped and didn’t have the police intervene— or tell her own parents?”

“Yes, Mr. Blackwell.”

Herolls his eyes, not believing a word I just fucking said.

“That doesn’t sound like my daughter. Now tell me, Dante, why wouldn’t she tell anyone?”

“I told her not to tell anyone because I killed the men who kidnapped her. I skinned them alive and fed them to fucking dogs.”

The air falls silent once more. I have never confessed to any murder I have done, but he needs to realize that I will do anything to protect her.

“And you decided now is the time to tell us? My daughter could have fucking died!”

“But she didn’t! I FUCKING SAVED HER!”

I’m about to beat this man to fucking death. He could never protect her like I can. I take a deep breath, calculating my following words.

“I am telling you now, so that you always have something over me. If you ever believe I have failed your daughter, you have blackmail.”

He nods slowly, understanding this information I am willing to offer, in hopes that my protection of his daughter is enough to sway them.

He looks back at his wife, who is trembling, and shifts his attention back to me.

“If you fucking cut into her skin again, I will personally kill you.”

“Of cour—.”

He holds out his hand, stopping me as he continues.

“You will protect her, love her, and always be faithful to her. And I will only honor this if she tells me this is what she wants. I need to hear it from her.”

The wordlovehas my mind reeling.Do I love Evelyn? No. I don’t love anyone. Could I live without her? No. She is my obsession. She is Mine. That doesn’t mean that I love her; I just can’t let her have anyone else.

“You have my word.”

He nods, and his wife joins his side, and they walk back into the house.Now I have to talk to my father about this stupid fucking job.

* * *