Page 92 of Redemption

In horror at my violence?

I stiffen. I shouldn’t be affected by her fear. She should be afraid of me.

I’m the monster out of her worst nightmares. I always have been.

“Dane…” My name is slow and oddly slurred.

I whirl to face her, panic spiking through my system. Did I injure her somehow when I tore that bastard off of her? Even in my rage, the thought makes my stomach lurch with a surge of nausea.

Her lovely eyes are unfocused and strangely dull. It’s inherentlywrong.She’s peering at me like she can’t quite see me.

She’s sprawled out on the couch exactly as she was when I stormed in. She hasn’t tried to cover herself. She hasn’t moved at all.

Her hand twitches toward me, and her soft whimper of distress shreds me.

A red haze descends over my vision.

He drugged my Abigail. He touched her. He violated her.

And I failed to protect her.

So many men have wanted my beautiful pet. Sick bastards who would do anything just to touch her. Taste her. Fuck her.

Whether she wants them or not.

I may be a monster, but I’mhermonster.

I grasp her chilled hand and brush my lips over her knuckles.

“I’ve got you,” I promise. “You’re safe.”

Behind me, Stephen groans through his broken jaw.

I carefully button her blouse so that she’s covered, hiding her from his covetous eyes.

The eyes that I’m about to pluck out.

“Don’t watch, Abigail,” I command softly, stroking her hair back from her cheek. Her lashes flutter. “That’s it. Close your eyes for me. I’ll take care of this. I’ll take care of you,”

I drop a kiss on her lips, and they’re far too still beneath mine.

Rage surges back to the fore, and I round on my enemy.

He’s crawling away from me, dragging himself along the aged cream carpet with his unbroken hand.

I smash his delicate bones with my heel, ensuring he’ll never hold a pen again.

Not that he’ll need to.

He’ll be dead within minutes.

A savage rush soars through my system, and if it weren’t for Abigail’s distress, I would bark a cruel laugh at the incredible high. As it is, I focus my righteous fury on the only thing that matters now: making him suffer in the short time he has left.

I surrender to the red haze, and I take out my retribution in blood.

When I return to Abigail, my hands are coated in gore. I frown down at them. I can’t let his filthy blood mar her body.

Now that I’m coming down from my vicious high, some of my rationality is returning.