Page 27

Chapter 26

F uck . What am I supposed to do now? This is why I avoid relationships. I knew better than to get involved with Eli. His military background makes him more attentive to detail than most people. I knew the risks going in, and I should’ve been more careful. But somewhere between it being just sex and letting my guard down, I allowed him to creep his way into my heart. Does he hate me? Is he completely horrified by what he’s discovered about me? What if he turns me in to the police? I can’t go to jail, but I don’t think I have it in me to hurt him.

I feel his stare before I see it. When I finally meet his eyes, they’re stormy blue, filled with a depth I can’t quite decipher. I study them, trying to figure out what he’s thinking.

“Well, first of all, as incredible as that was, and as much as I enjoy these handcuffs—” He smirks, desire flickering in his eyes. “Not to mention that the memory of this tree will be imprinted in my head forever—do you think you could release me? We can go inside to talk. ”

His voice is low, teasing, but there’s an edge to it that puts me on alert.

I keep the pocketknife in hand as I grab the key, unlocking the cuffs with a reluctant flick. He rubs his wrists, still watching me with an intensity that unnerves me. Honestly, I’m shocked he’s still standing here. He could’ve tackled me and turned the tables at any moment. Why didn’t he? I would have, if the situation had been reversed.

He reaches for my hand, his grip firm yet somehow reassuring, and leads me inside. We enter the living room, but I’m still on edge, unsure of what’s coming next. Something inside me trusts him, though. I don’t know why, but I do.

I sit on the couch as Eli pours two glasses of what looks like scotch from a decanter. He sets them on the coffee table before sitting beside me. I eye the glass warily. He wouldn’t poison me, would he?

Noticing my hesitation, Eli raises an eyebrow and takes a long swallow of his drink. Seeing this, I follow suit, needing something to steady my nerves. The burn of the liquor slides down my throat, and I slam the empty glass onto the table.

“Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

“I need to know who the fuck hurt you,” he demands.

The words hit me like a punch. I freeze, shock flooding my system. Of all the questions, that’s the first thing he asks?

“Tessa, answer me. Who. Hurt. You?” His eyes flare, intense with something between anger and concern. “You didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to kill people.”

A cold knot of nerves tighten in the pit of my stomach. “P—people?” I avert my gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

“The fire at Conrad’s. That was you, wasn’t it? You were there the morning after his house burned to the ground. The day I first laid eyes on you and knew I had to make you mine.”

I laugh bitterly. “I bet you’re rethinking that decision now.”

“You are mine.” His voice is low, possessive, his eyes burning with something that could be called love, if it weren’t so intense. “I don’t care what you’ve done—or why. Nothing would change my mind about the fact that you belong to me.”

“You can’t promise me that.” My voice cracks, and tears fill my eyes. They spill over, streaking my face as the dam inside me threatens to collapse.

He cups my face in his hands, his touch gentle but firm. “Yes, I can.” His lips brush against mine in a soft kiss. “Start from the beginning. Leave nothing out.”

This is it. The truth—the raw, exposed truth—is about to spill out, and I know he’ll finally understand how broken I am. He doesn’t know it yet, but once he does, he won’t want me. Who would? I’m damaged goods. Losing him... that might break me completely. I don’t know if I could handle it. My heart is already a crumpled mess, and he’s the last thing holding it together.

I shove the fear aside and close my pocketknife, placing it carefully on the coffee table.

“It all started when I was twelve.”