Page 38 of The Author

Of all the fucking audacity for him to say that to me was truly astounding.

“And where is your book?” I asked hoping it was a flop.

He pulled his head back to look at me.

“Number one, of course.”

I tried to stand up again, but he only chuckled and held onto me.

I cursed the day that I heard this man's name.

???

“We are thinking of settling down in Devon. It would be a wonderful place to raise a child.”

I almost snorted at his words. An electric fence was so safe for a child. My mother was lapping up all his lies. We met at a writer's retreat and fell in love only to run away to his holiday home in Devon.

I ignored the pair of them.

“Faye, what's wrong?” my mum asked.

I glanced at Kyle before shaking my head at my mum.

“It might be her hormones she is much quieter than usual,” Kyle said with fake concern.

I rubbed my head at the lying bastard. He had even bought my mum a Christmas present. I wondered how many personalities Kyle had. So far, I'd seen around five.

I stifled a yawn. I’d been feeling so drained, and all this thinking didn't help.

“Ah, we had better make a move. Thank you so much for having me over for Christmas dinner, Mrs Saunders. I know I came as a surprise, but your generosity had been truly humbling.”

All tiredness vanished at his words. He was playing my naive mother like a fiddle. My eyes narrowed on him. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. It dawned on me why he called me his lamb.

Chapter 24

Kyle

She sat in stony silence all the way home. I hadn't planned on telling her everything all in one go, but it had felt good getting it all off my chest. She was taking it all in her stride. Admittedly, I may have laid it on a little thick with her mother, but I couldn't afford to get on her mother's wrong side. All my efforts had to remain on Faye.

When we entered past the electric gates and parked the car, Faye tried to do a runner. I grabbed her hand and kept her there while I pulled the ring out from the side compartment of my car door.

I didn't say a word until I slipped it onto the right hand on the right finger.

“Merry Christmas, Mrs Mathers. I told you nothing will change our future. Not even you.”

“I reject this non-proposal.”

“It’s too late. It’s now a legally binding contract,” I replied cheerfully.

She pulled her hand out of mine and got out of the car. There was no way for her to leave the property. Her mother had been dealt with. All I had to do was calm her ass down.

I thought of her reaction when she thought I was done with her and I was taking her back to her mother's house. I couldn't give a fuck if it was Stockholm Syndrome or not. No matter how our story had started, I would dictate how it ended.

???

After I locked up, I went to our bedroom, which was still her old captivity room. She was lying on one side, punching her pillow furiously. I washed up, switched the lamp off and climbed into bed. She was wearing a T-shirt. I gripped the neckline and ripped it down her back. I heard her gasp, but she never said a word.

“Are you going to be mad at me on Christmas Day? It's not a great start to our marriage,” I said with a snigger.

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