The realization that I broke her trust hits me with physical force. Not that she had much trust in me to begin with. Still, I’ve crossed a line that I can’t uncross and in doing so, shattered something inside her. Extinguished more of that light I was initially so desperate to reignite.
I could do this again. Force another reaction by demanding her attention. I could rip down her walls through sheer persistence. Dominance. Violence.
Over and over and over.
But each time would erase a little more of her, until the woman I brought here disappeared completely.
Regret cuts through the last vestiges of my anger and desire.
I fucked up.
I can’t apologize. Those words don’t exist in my vocabulary. Not that an apology would do any good. I can’t threaten her into happiness, can’t intimidate her spirit to return.
Somehow, I need to find a way to repair what I’ve ruined. Bring back the brightness in this spitfire of a woman.
My gaze darts around the room as I search for answers, for clues as to what might reach her. As if the solutions to this problem might be scattered among the minimalist furniture in my sterile, empty space that houses me but has never truly been a home.
The photo of her sister…and the cat…were the only belongings she tried to protect in her ransacked apartment.
Family. Connection.
The things that keep her going when everything else falls apart.
The realization washing through me cools the heat of my anger and clears the fog of my desperation. I know what to do.
Without a word, I cross to one of the barstools, where I left my jacket and keys. As I shrug into the leather, the familiar weight settles on my shoulders like armor. And one of the pockets has just what I need.
As much as I want to see the spark return to her eyes, I know better than to leave her here unrestrained. She watches me in silence, face impassive as I sit her at the kitchen table and zip-tie her to a chair.
Once I finish restraining her, I move back. “Consider this your punishment for escaping. Try it again, and you won’t like the consequences.”
Chapter 19
Aurora
The minutes tick at a torturous pace, each one extending longer than the last. My back aches from the awkward position I’m sitting in, and my wrists are chafed from being zip-tied behind me.
How long has he been gone? Two hours? Three? The massive wall of windows shows only darkness, the city lights twinkling far below like fallen stars.
Why did he leave?
The question circles my mind like a shark, every rotation bringing it closer to the surface. Did I do something? Say something? The memory of his angry, demanding mouth on mine burns across my skin. The way I responded in that split second before reality returned.
Did I disgust him? Disappoint him? He’s obviously punishing me by restraining me and leaving me with nothing but my spiraling thoughts and hunger pains for company.
Is he coming back at all?
“He’s coming back. He wouldn’t just leave me here.” But even as the words tumble from my dry throat, cold doubt creeps in.
Why wouldn’t he? I’m nothing to him. A problematic witness. An inconvenience he’s already tired of. Maybe he decided to cut his losses. Maybe right now, men are coming to clean up another mess and dispose of another body.
Mine.
A fresh wave of panic rushes through me when I realize I’m truly trapped.
Unbearable silence stretches until I think I might scream just to hear a voice. Even my breathing sounds too loud and intrusive in this perfect, empty space.
Then I hear a mechanical sound. Distant at first, then growing louder.
