Page 37

He allowed another moment to pass, just one more moment to savor the feeling of having his wife safe in his arms—and then they moved.

He didn't even have to tell her what to do. It was as if they had always been designed to work in tandem, with his wife knowing instinctively when to help...or when to step back and get out of his way.

They retreated deeper into the cave, away from the entrance and the voices. The passage narrowed, then widened again, revealing what he'd suspected—this was no natural formation. The smooth walls, the even floor...all carved by human hands, and eventually, they found a light at the end of the tunnel, figuratively speaking.

Liana had already pulled a pin out and made short work of the lock. In moments, the metal door swung open, and she stepped back, letting him inspect the bunker for traps.

He nodded.Clear.

They moved from room to room, finding supplies that had been untouched for decades, but still usable. Only one other area in the bunker was inaccessible, its lock more complex than anything he had ever seen.

Something about it made his gut twist, but when his wife asked if he wanted her to open it...

"Only if you want to."

He could not find it in himself to stop her from doing so. It was as if a part of him somehow knew this was meant to happen. That the monsters inside of him had to be exposed, one by one—

'Gotcha,'Sylvain heard his wife whisper as the lock gave way under her skilled fingers.

—if he wanted to deserve a girl like her.

He watched her take a step forward and her face lose color.

And when she turned to him, her eyes once again haunted...

Sylvain's heart was already pounding as he stepped past her.

S'il te plaît, mon Dieu.

And then he saw what she saw.

A wall of photographs. Women's faces staring back at them. Dozens of them. All different ages, backgrounds, circumstances.

All the women he had been with throughout the years.



















Chapter Eleven