Page 18 of Darkness of Mine

The thought of Zach seeps into my mind, memories of his hands on me creeping through my body. Suddenly, I’m a child again and I seize, panic flaring before cutting off like a power outage. I go dark. Blank. Numbness spreads through me and when River flips me over onto my back, I’m just a shell.

A shell who’s pressing a knife to River’s throat.

He goes still, his hard cock still buried inside of me.

“You can’t be here,” I say, my voice robotic.

River pauses for a moment before he pushes his neck into the knife, his steady gaze settling on mine. “I’m exactly where Ineed to be.” He runs his thumb back and forth on my hip bone. “Freya, darling, put the knife down.”

I blink.

“Come on now, darling. You’re safe. It’s me. It’s River.”

He gives a shallow thrust. A reminder of who he is, of who’s inside of me.

A shudder rolls through my body and my fingers shake.

River’s hand dips between my legs and he finds my clit. He rolls his thumb in small circles, sending tingles cascading through me like warm rain.

“That’s it. Let yourself feel it. Come back to me.”

The pressure builds and my mouth parts as my climax rolls over me like a wave. I wet my lips, my chest rising. River’s form becomes clear above me. His coal black hair shadowing his face. The severe line of his jaw. Dark eyes not at all concerned about the blade at his throat.

Warm blood drips onto my cheek and it’s only then I register what I’m doing. I drop the knife like it burned me.

River winces as he catches it by the blade, not letting it fall onto my chest. He chucks it behind him, the metal skidding across the concrete, and brings his bleeding hand to my cheek.

Tears stream from my eyes, mixing with the blood. “You shouldn’t be here,” I sob. “He’s going to hurt you.”

River presses his forehead to mine, his distinctive cedarwood scent wrapping around me. “I’m exactly where I need to be,” he says again. “No one will hurt me. Or Jude, Eli, or Oz. I won’t let them.”

My eyes blur. I want so badly to believe him, to let him take care of me and make it all better, but it’s not that simple. “You can’t control everything, River.”

His face darkens. He moves his hand, capturing my wrist, and something cold and smooth clicks around it. “Watch me.”

I tug my wrist from his hold, my stomach twisting. “What did you just do?”

River doesn’t answer me. He pulls out, leaving me empty and aching, and buttons my pants back in place.

I sit up and stare at my wrist. My arm is scraped and bruised from where the hoodie tore but I’m more concerned with the thin, silver bracelet around my wrist. It’s a solid band with no clasp and I can’t see where it connects. I try pulling it off over my hand but it’s too small to fit. I tug at the metal, searching for a hidden hinge, but there’s nothing. The locking mechanism must beinsidethe bracelet and all pulling at it is doing is bruising my wrist.

“What is this?” I ask, suspicion crawling down my back.

River stands up and dusts himself off. My clothes are torn and bloodied. I hurt from the inside out, but River looks like he just walked out of The Lair.

“River,” I snap. “What did you put on my wrist?”

His dark eyes flick down to me. “Just a little something to make sure I don’t lose track of you again.”

Anger surges inside of me but then I catch sight of the thin cut on his throat and any rage is doused by a flood of guilt.

Tears push at my eyes again as I stand up and hover my fingers over the red line. It’s barely a scratch really but I can’t believe I cut him. “I hurt you. I didn’t— I…”

River folds his hand over mine. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.” My eyes drop to where my knife lies on the ground, the blade coated in red. “I pulled a knife on you, River.”

“Pretty sure we’ve been there before, darling.”