"What do you plan to do to him?"
"Do not ask me that again." The warmth drained from my voice.
I didn't want to scare her, but she needed to understand how serious this was.
Her teeth sank into her lower lip. She nodded, then looked up at me through her lashes.
"Tell me his full name," I demanded.
She clamped her lips shut and shook her head, lilac hair falling across her face.
My patience snapped.
I took the plate from her hands and set it aside, then leaned over her, caging her in with my body. When I spoke, my voice was dark and dangerous.
"I have asked you nicely—twice. If you make me ask again, I won't be so nice."
"Peregrine Montgomery." The words tumbled out quickly. "His father is a CEO and a major donor for politicians. He's untouchable."
I pressed a kiss to her forehead and stood, reaching for my shoes.
"No one is untouchable from me. Rest now. I'll be back."
CHAPTER 30
ANNA
The door clicked shut behind him.
I sat frozen on the bed, my fingers flying to my throat—searching for the familiar weight of the diamond necklace.
Finding nothing.
My hand pressed against bare skin, feeling for the band that had become as constant as my own heartbeat.
Gone. The collar of death had been removed.
A strange hollow opened in my chest.
Not relief. Something else. Something that felt uncomfortably like loss.
Was he done with me now? Had I served my purpose?
The thought twisted my stomach in a way I didn't want to examine.
I pressed my palm flat against my breastbone, trying to understand why the absence of that threat felt worse than its presence.
Why did the idea of him walking away make me want to curl into myself?
Focus. I needed to focus.
I stood slowly, the blanket falling away, and caught my reflection in the mirror. Completely naked except for the bruises coloring my cheek and the red stripes from his belt painting my ass. The ointment he'd used had taken away most of the sting, but a deep ache remained, a reminder with every movement.
Why had he soothed the pain he caused? Why had he done something so kind?
My mind swam with questions, theories spinning faster than I could catch them. I knew better than to believe it was out of genuine concern. I was nothing to him. Just a pawn on the board. He'd admitted the only reason he'd gone after me was because he thought I was one of my mother's weaknesses.
Maybe after the altercation at the Kennedy Center, he'd finally realized I meant nothing to her. That she wasn't capable of caring for me like a mother should.
