Page 22 of He Will Come for Me

“Yet you were there,” I whisper. He lets out a breath that ghosts over my lips. Just a centimeter and his lips would touch mine. I swallow.

“I was.” It’s the only reply he gives me. “And your father hated it so much that he took you from me and kept you chained in that hole.” I close my eyes and try to block out the pain those words bring.

His grip on my neck loosens, and he cards his fingers through my hair. “Go get ready, McKenzie. Or I’ll take you in your pajamas.”

My muscles loosen in defeat, or maybe it’s surrender. “Where are we going?”

“I have business to attend to, and then we’re going out to eat.” I nod once. He takes a step back, dropping his hands, giving me the chance to escape.

Forty-five minutes later, I’m seated in the back of a black SUV I’m pretty sure is armored. The tint on the windows is so dark Iknow it can’t be legal. Rex is in the driver’s seat, and Phoenix is sitting too close to me.

It’s freezing outside. So, I’m wearing black leather pants that fit me like a glove. How he guessed my size I’ll never know, with an ivory cashmere sweater and some black ankle boots. I flat ironed my hair, put on some makeup, and finished it off with some red lipstick.

I stare out the window and watch as the scenery changes. Rex pulls out onto the highway and heads toward downtown Savannah. I try to pay attention to the turns, but lose track after a while. Even if I didn’t, from his house to the main road it has to be at least two miles.How many acres does he have?

If I were speaking to him, which I’m not, I’d ask. The entire ride to River Street Phoenix is either texting or taking phone calls. It’s convenient for me. It’s giving me time to think about what he said earlier.

Why was he at that party? Or auction… whatever it was. And why did he buy me? The way he made it sound, it was like he was trying to save me from a worse fate.

I lean my head against the headrest and take a deep breath.

Why would my father sell me? Was he in debt? Did he get into trouble? I’m sure he’s been to these parties several times because I was always forbidden to go.

My whole world has been flipped upside down this past week. I was convinced thehein my mantra was my father. Now, I have no idea ifheeven exists.

And what about Phoenix’s wife? Where was she during all of this?A thought hits me square in the gut.How long ago was his wife kidnapped? Did he think someone kidnapped her, and she was going to be sold at the auction? Maybe he was there to rescue her, but he wound up with me.

Turning my head in his direction, I study him as he types away on his phone. “Your thoughts are very loud over there,” he says without looking up from his phone.

“I’m just trying to figure you out.”

He finishes his message, then pockets his phone, turning his attention to me. “Good luck with that.”

I shake my head and take a deep breath. I don’t know what to say to him.Thank you for buying me, so I didn’t wind up with someone worse? Thank you for saving me again when I was kidnapped? Thank you for saving me from my father?

“How are you feeling?” he asks, interrupting my thoughts. I shake my head and lift my shoulders with a hard sigh.

“Like I have whiplash.” I gather my courage, then let all of my thoughts out. “I wish you had told me. I wish you had been up front with me about why I was in your house. Instead of making me believe I was your prisoner. Why did you do that? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He raises his hand and rubs his knuckle along my cheekbone before dropping it again.

“How do you think that would have gone? You remembered the party, but you couldn’t remember why you were there. I could tell you didn’t know what your father did, and I didn’t want to disrupt your world completely again. You had just come out of some horrid conditions, and I was trying to make you feel as comfortable as possible.” He runs his hand along his jaw. “I wasn’t trying to hide things from you.”

“You were trying to protect me. Again.” I clear my throat and run my hands down the smooth leather on my legs. “I’m grateful and angry at the same time,” I admit.

He chuckles and taps his pointer finger and middle finger on my thigh. “I can live with that.”

“Of course you can.” I decide to table this discussion for now. I’m still not 100% happy, but I feel better than I have this past week. “You know you handle my anger well.”

He smirks at me and arches an eyebrow. “Is that a compliment?”

“It’s just, growing up, especially when I became a teenager, I was not allowed to disagree with my father in any way. Yes, I remember the father from my childhood that was doting. But as I got older, he changed.” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth. “I didn’t realize he’d sell me, though.”

“Is that why you went home less and less during breaks when we were at the academy?”

I nod. “He changed when my mother got sick. It was hard being around him. She brought a softness to him that completely vanished when she died.” A huff of laughter leaves me. “I didn’t even realize what my father did until I went to the academy. I was so naïve.”

I give him a sad smile and he tilts his head at me. “Yeah, I tried my best to stay out of this life. I hated that my dad loved it and turned out to be good at it,” he admits.

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