His tongue slides over my skin.Goosebumps scatter along my arms, and I forget for several seconds what I’m supposed to do, distracted by the way his tongue lights me on fire.His eyes never leave mine, like they are holding me in place.Fuck.There’s something almost ...almost erotic about this moment.
I’ve never been touched by a man like this before.
Fuck.No.I’m supposed to be escaping.Shaking my head, I take one deep breath.Now or never.He’s focused on cleaning up my bloody palm, so I reach for the razor with my other hand.If I can just move one more inch—it’s so close.I feel the edge of the blade, and it pricks my finger.
Move.Now.
I fall sideways, grabbing the razor and wrapping my palm around it.Pain bites into my skin, but I ignore it.Twisting back around, I stab the razor blade into his chest, and it bites into his already wounded torso.He moans.I kick up my foot, connecting with Bear’s balls.He stumbles back slightly, and it’s all I need.
I roll off the counter and run toward the bathroom door.Pain erupts in my scalp as I’m pulled backward, hitting a wall of muscle.The razor blade drops from my hand, and Bear kicks it out of reach.No!
His breath tickles my neck.I squirm, trying to break free, but I can’t.His grip on my hair tightens and my vision blurs.If I can just make it out this door, I’ll be free.
Ignoring the pain, I slam down my foot, connecting with his boot, and launch forward.I get one step before his hand wraps around the back of my neck and he shoves me forward.My forehead smashes into the wall.
Pain bleeds through my scalp, and my vision blurs at the edges.
Just before I lose consciousness, a voice reaches me.His voice.
“Bad little princess.Say good night.Your fairy tale starts now.”
Chapter Three
Before-TenYearsOld
Amirah
She’s gone.She left me, us.Why didn’t she want me anymore?What did I do wrong?
I thought Mom loved me, but she didn’t.Not really.She always looked at me with sad eyes.She didn’t want to be here with us.Ever since Daddy died, she’s been different.He always made her cry, but she never left him or us—until now.If Mom is gone and Dad’s dead, am I an orphan?It doesn’t feel any different than before.She’s never been around for long; it’s always been Gage and me.
She went away for short trips, but this time when I saw her bags packed at the front door, it felt different.When she told my nanny, Lily, to keep me safe, my heart hurt.No one can truly keep me safe here.
My big brother Gage always protects me from the bad guys, but he can’t be everywhere.They still come in the night.Hurting me.Telling me to be quiet and not to scream.I want to.It always hurts.Nightmares aren’t real, buttheyare.
As the door to my bedroom opens, I sit up straight, my shoulders tensing, and I rush to wipe away my tears.I relax back into my pillows when I see Lily, my nanny.She never judges me; she loves me.Everything is better when she’s here.
A mop of red hair peers out from behind her, and I smile.
“Jewel,” I say, and she pushes past her mother and jumps onto my bed, falling next to me.I giggle, and it feels good.
Lily shuts the door and comes over and sits on the edge of the bed.“You okay, sweetie?”she asks, and memories of this morning flood my mind once more.Of my mother walking out the door.More tears leak from my eyes.She left me.
Lily pulls me into her arms.I rest my head on her heart, listening to the soft thumping.Jewel kneels in front of us, resting her hand on my knee.
“Is she ever coming back?”My voice wobbles, my chest burning.
“Not this time,” Lily whispers, and more tears soak into her shirt.She continues to hold me for what feels like forever.When my tears dry, I pull back, and Lily places her hands on my shoulders, looking at me with a sad smile.
“You will always have me,” she says, and I believe her; she’s always there for me.
The bed shifts.“And me.”Jewel wraps her arm over my shoulder, pushing me sideways.I fall onto my arm, a tiny laugh escaping me as she tickles me.
“You two play.I’ve got some cleaning to do.Okay?”Lily tucks a piece of my dark hair behind my ear, and her palm rests on my cheek.I don’t want her to leave, too, but I know she’ll be back.Still, it’s hard not to clutch her hand tight, to keep her here with me.Instead, I nod, and she leaves.
Jewel bounces off the bed, pulling me with her toward the corner of my room where all my dolls are.We love playing with dolls, creating stories about princesses and nice princes.
It helps me forget about the bad guys in my real life, because princesses and princes don’t exist here.
