“He would catch me by surprise, close his hands around my neck, and squeeze while touching me.” Her voice cracked. “He would tell me that with a little pressure, he’d get rid of me, that he enjoyed controlling the life flowing through me. It happened a few times, enough to scare me to death.” Another sob cracked out of her. “On those occasions, he found his release when he was choking me.”
Ethan sat so still she wondered if she’d shocked him into silence. “I’m going to kill him.” It wasn’t a promise or a menace. He sounded as if he’d taken an oath.
She had to admit a dark side of her enjoyed the thought of Jacob dying and getting what he deserved, but no. She didn’t care if he lived or died. She just wanted to be free from him and to keep David safe. “Don’t kill him, please. For David and me. Don’t do it.”
He clenched his jaw. A tendon in his neck beat a fast tempo.
“I don’t want you to become a killer for me,” she said.
“I’ve killed before. I’ve killed men less despicable than Roxbury.”
Goodness. The way his gaze darkened chilled her. She caught a glimpse of the ruthless warrior inside him. He had to be terrifying on a battlefield.
She leant against his touch, now careful and gentle. But it wasn’t difficult to believe those strong fingers could deliver a merciless death. “I don’t care about him. I only want to move on with my life with David.”
His wrath thickened the air between them to the point it pressed against her skin like the humidity in summer. She had no doubt he would kill Jacob and leave no trace of the murder. He would never be accused of the crime if he wantedto. But revenge had little meaning for her. She wanted freedom. Everything else didn’t matter.
A hint of warmth spilt into his hard gaze. “Let me bandage your wound. I won’t touch your neck.”
Except that after the moment of truth they’d shared, she found uncovering herself difficult. “I…”
He hunched his shoulders. “I’ll do it later if you feel so inclined.”
If she were bolder, she would hug him. “Thank you for understanding.”
He closed his eyes. “I’ll keep my eyes closed and help you put your nightgown on. Without the bandage, you’ll have to pay attention to how you move your arm. You might open the wound again.”
She dropped the blanket and guided his hands over the neckline of her nightgown. She grimaced as she slid her arms into the sleeves. Yes, the lack of bandage made her arm heavier and caused the tender flesh around the wound to pull.
She tugged at the lapels until her chest was covered. “You can open your eyes.”
“May I?” He pointed at the front of her nightgown.
“Please.”
He made short work of buttoning the nightgown. Something had changed between them, and she wondered if she would regret sharing her most vulnerable part of herself with him.
“Mama?” David’s voice shot a burst of energy into her.
“Darling, come in.”
Ethan rose from the bed and gathered his medical supplies. His hard and cold expression softened only when David entered the room. An understanding passed between them, a secret pact Cora couldn’t decipher. The connection between Ethan and David seemed a partnership. Or maybe a solemn promise.
“Mama.” David hugged her gently, and the tension in her body eased as she held him with one arm. “Lord Stark and I talked.”
“About what?” She tried to fix his wayward curls. She could bet he hadn’t combed them in days.
Excitement brightened David’s face. “Lord Stark will find a tutor for me to teach me languages. He said I can learn to read well with practice.”
His happiness was contagious, but she couldn’t deny the flare of concern. Ethan shouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep.
She kissed David’s cheek. “I’ve always told you that you can read, darling.”
“I’m going to read every day.” He beamed at Ethan, who smiled back.
“My library is at your disposal.” Ethan pointed a finger upstairs. “You can choose whatever you want. I have books in French and Spanish as well.”
“Thank you, sir.” He jumped off the bed and hugged Ethan in a surprisingly familiar fashion. What had happened between them while she’d been unconscious?
