Page 262 of Heart of Frost and Scars

He’s insane. It’s right there in his wide, unnervingly alert, deranged eyes.

As his stare fixes on me, it doesn’t waver, as if he’s in a trance, lost in the fantasies of his obsession. The edges of his eyes twitch, a small, involuntary signal of the madness and chaos twisting beneath the surface.

He knows what I endured in this cabin. I confided in him, trusted him, and he listened with compassion.

All the while, he was stalking me and planning this.

He brought me back to the nightmare I fought so hard to escape.

On this day, of all days.

Exactly one year ago, I watched Denver rape Wolf. Then I walked down those stairs and made the devil’s bargain.

Does Rhett understand the significance of this date?

Does he know winter is rapidly approaching? Does he know what that means in the hills of shivers and shadows?

Does he intend to keep me alive long enough to find out?

I direct my eyes to my unresponsive arm on my chest, narrowing my gaze on the IV port.

“Succinylcholine.” He stares at his phone again. “It’s temporary but necessary. The only way for you to stay calm and listen.”

I’m not calm.

I’m the fucking opposite of calm.

Succinylcholine can be used to induce short-term paralysis. An injection wears off in ten or fifteen minutes. But he modified it, controlling the dose through the IV drip to extend its effects.

If he loved me, he would have a heart monitor set up, watching the spikes and ensuring the drug doesn’t kill me.

My longevity is probably not part of his plan.

The horror of being trapped in my own body, aware of everything but unable to move or beg him for mercy, is more than I can withstand.

How did he pull this off? He sent creepy text messages to me while sitting beside me on the yacht. He has a successful career and a promising future. Why risk all that? What’s his endgame?

I have so many questions and can’t ask any of them.

My thoughts spin, drowning me in my own head. I need to get out of here, but how?

“I’m doing this for you. For us. You’ll see.” He leans down and kisses my forehead, the feel of his cold lips flooding me with nausea. “I’m not gay, Frankie. Never was.”

His words slither ice down my spine.

No wonder he never married. I never saw him date or even touch another man. Come to think of it, he never outright said he was gay. Over the years, I assumed it based his comments about Monty’s good looks when Monty and I started dating.

Mostly, I just thought Rhett was married to his job.

I’m so fucking stupid.

“I let you believe that because I needed you to feel safe around me.” Another peek at his phone. “You are safe with me. I know it doesn’t feel that way right now, but this will all make sense soon.” He pulls in a breath. “They’re almost here.”

The shaking inside me goes still, paralyzed by a voltage of fear.

Monty, Leo, and Kody?

He must be watching them on his phone.

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