Page 71 of Danger Close

The last word slapped me in the face.

“I made her a promise. I intend to keep it.” He shook his head, his fists clenching and unclenching. “We’ll make some excuse to leave early, but we're showing up for her.”

Raymond was watching. Raymond was here. I knew it. If he wasn’t actually in Mourningkill then he would be soon. His cruelties, his taunts, had escalated over the past year.

He only liked me isolated, alone, afraid. The more time I spent around people, the more insistent he became. He would have no issue crashing the wedding just to hurt me.

Hurting his toys brought him happiness. And I was his favorite.

“You don’t understand.” My voice was a whisper, because why would I bother to speak up? No one ever heard me anyway. “I can’t go.”

“Youdon’t understand. We’re goingtogether.” He stood and walked away.

His hand ran through his salt and pepper hair as he paced like a lion in a cage.

“I thought you’d be the kind of mother to walk through fire for her. That would do everything to make our child happy. You won’t even sit for an hour to watch her get married?” His eyes were laced with accusation. “I get you’re hurt. I get you’re in pain. Sotell Trinity what happened.”

His eyes were fiery, like our child’s every time she defied me.

“Tell her, for God’s sake, so she doesn’t think you’re making a point of showing your disapproval. Don’t make her think you’re rejecting her.”

“I’m protecting her!”

“From who?”

Chapter 31

Some Cheese Dick

Cobra

“I’m going to ask you again, sweetheart.” I leaned into her space, barely repressing the rage in my gut. “I need you to be very specific.Whoare you protecting our daughter from?”

I boxed her in, one hand on each side of her on the head board. I towered over her. She didn’t cower. She stared me in the eyes. I was surprised, because she’d recoiled when I raised my voice. Now she was standing up for me. For our daughter.

Or, at least, that’s what shethoughtshe was doing.

“Talk. To. Me.” I’d given her ample opportunity to tell me what the problem was.

The more and more I pried, the worse the picture got, but only she could fill in the blank spaces on the canvas.

“Who are you protecting her from?”

“From me!” She brought the blanket to her mouth, putting fabric between us. “Please, don’t ask me. I…”

She shook her head. My eyes fell to her pouty, beautiful lips, and the swollen, bleeding part from where someone had hit her. Desperation to protect was mixed with the overwhelming need to taste her lips, as bruised as they were.

“I’m asking, Princess.” I didn’t kiss her mouth. Instead, I lightly touched my lips over the bridge of her nose where I knew there were no cracks, cuts, or bruises.

“I can’t tell you.” She was struggling, same as me. Struggling against our magnetic pull.

I wanted to draw her in, and she wanted it as well! She needed to let go, and let this be what it needed to be.

“Why not?” This was the point of no return.

I traced my index finger over her bruised cheekbone, where the blue skin was fading to a green. I grazed the back of my knuckles over the swollen side of her jaw. It looked a lot better than that first night, and she didn’t even wince that time.

First, I had to go in and make a big ask. My opening bid. “Tell me what’s going on.”