Staring at him, I realized that where he ruled my fear with his presence, Xavier commanded the air to my lungs with a smile, possessed my body with a touch, and dominated my soul with just one look. Fear I could overcome, but my love for Xavier would follow me to my next life.
The knowledge gave me courage. “No.” I braced myself for that slap. It didn’t come.
“I’m fucking impressed.” Slowly he circled me. “New clothes, new hairdo, and a whole lot of attitude. Hmm.” He stopped behind me. “Dare I say a new cock, too?” he snarled in my ear. “Did you give the man my pussy, kitten?”
The longer I stood there, the tighter my lungs grew with the lack of air I was afraid to inhale.
Breathe, Cinder. He can’t hurt you anymore.
“Yes.” Simple, straightforward, and unbelievably steady.
All I heard was a sharp inhale before he came around to face me. Those green eyes bore into me. Strangely undaunted, I stared right back at him. The slap was fast, hard, and resounding, snapping my head to the side. If he expected tears, they didn’t come. My laugh, though, surprised him as much as it did me. I rubbed my cheek and lifted my head again to look at him.
Eyes narrowed, he took a step back. “He broke you.” He shook his head. “He fucking broke you,” he repeated, his smirk replaced by sudden agony I’d known all my life yet never witnessed on this man’s face. “My perfect kitten,” he whispered more to himself than to me. “He broke you.” The abrupt sadness in his words confused me.
I frowned, not understanding this weird feeling in my chest. Why was I feeling sorry for him?
“You might’ve believed you loved him too...It’s only natural you’d respond to him...”
Mark’s words sprang to my mind again, and I tried to force them back. No! I don’t love him.
“Of course you do, kitten. You just need to be reminded how much.”
I gasped, not realizing I’d said the words out loud. Kabir’s smile returned, stronger and harder, making me believe I’d imagined his pain.
He stepped back, his eyes traveling the length of my jeans and t-shirt-clad body. “And I’ll spend the rest of your fucking life reminding you how much.” He laughed. That ruthless sound took me right back to the green room, threatening to debunk the courage I was clinging to with both hands. My heart rate sped up. My chest tightened, and nausea swam in my throat before my vision blurred. I looked down at my hands. They were shaking. My knees wobbled. My body dipped like it was ready to give up standing.
Oh, God, what’s happening?
I turned my head, searching for Luke and blinked several times as my vision danced, not focusing.
“Oh, kitten, look at you. You look lost.” Kabir’s voice sounded like an echo in my ear. I heard myself whimper. My gaze drifted between him and Luke. “Don’t look at him, kitten. He can’t help you. He never could...” his words trailed off as silence descended over me.
Unable to process what was happening, I heard myself whimper again a second after I felt my body falling before darkness took over.
Chapter 54 – Xavier
