Page 71 of Absolution

“That’s a long story,” he says, his back still to me as he pours water into the kettle.

“The night is long.”

“I found a house. I almost died. It’s been a long road to recovery.”

“Who… who was in that house? Did he survive?”

Christian stops for a moment, becomes absolutely still, and something goes cold inside me.

“She did.”

I exhale a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Why didn’t you get in touch earlier?” I ache to tell him about my pain, about how out of my mind I’ve been, but I swallow the words. I fear making myself vulnerable to him again.

He finds two bright yellow mugs in my cupboard and then tea bags to put in them. The sound from the water boiling increases and then, with a sharp snap, it abruptly dies out.

“I thought you’d be happier without me.”

I snap my mouth shut. “But you came anyway?”

“I wasn’t left with a choice,” he grits out.

My stomach plummets. “Your uncle.”

Christian spins around. “My uncle is a selfish piece of shit. He also considers Cecilia close family, and he will never let you go, Kerry. Never. He wanted to rein you in. I had to step in.”

Fear crawls along my spine and it feels as if my skin shrinks. “He’d do that?” I croak.

He raises his eyebrows as he places the steaming cups in front of us on the table. “Salvatore does what Salvatore wants. He’s really not pleased with you.”

My whole face feels numb. “Why? But he’s stayed away?”

“Because I told him to.” Christian sets himself in front of me, the cup untouched before him. He licks his lips and looks away for a moment. Then he looks back at me, his face serious.

“Why?”

“Because you deserve to be happy, and being in the clutches of Luci does not make a person happy.”

Warmth spreads in my chest as I take him in. I can’t believe he’s here, that I’m looking at him again, that he’s alive. What does this mean to me? To us? Then realization hits me.

“Am… Am I in the clutches of you now?”

Christian looks at me for a long while, then he stands and moves toward the door.

“Christian,” I half-shout.

He spins around, his face darkening, his eyes suddenly reminding me all too well of the killer.

“You are,” he says. Then he pulls the door open and disappears.

I stare at the door as it slams shut, all I hear is my own heartbeat roaring in my ears.

You are.

What am I? A pawn in these people’s game? I’m nothing, nobody, Salvatore made that clear. Only my daughter is worth something to them. Is that why Christian came back? To claim what’s his?

My head spins and I have to support myself on furniture and walls as I make my way to the door and lock it.

Walking up the stairs on trembling legs, I realize I forgot to ask him about Chloe. I stumble, and fall to my knees, moaning from the pain of the impact. Chloe. He hurt Chloe. I know it. Oh my God.

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