Page 32 of Whispers of Torment

He collapsed forward. She lay frozen, remorse eating her soul.

What have I done? What will I do?

John delivered nibbling kisses beneath her jaw. “I love you.”

She laced her fingers into his hair. “What I said about going home, I’m serious.”

“I know.” He tasted her lower lip. “We’ll get a flight tomorrow. We’ll make a stop at home before heading on to Salem.”

She nodded, fighting her tears. She hoped it would be enough to go home, that Nathan would stop following her.

John rolled off her and she watched him prowl about the room, gathering their scattered clothes and dressing. He leaned over Lillian and pressed a kiss between her brows. “Are you too tired to meet the gallery owner I ran into at the museum?”

“Yes. Go without me.”

Let me die.

He hesitated, and then brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “I’ll come back for you at dinnertime and we’ll go to Graceland together.” He pressed gentle kisses to the crest of each cheek before capturing her mouth.

The tears she withheld made her mouth salty, and his was sweet in comparison.

He withdrew from her arms, crossed the room on soft feet and closed the door.

Lillian was alone. Not even Nathan inhabited her soul, and who blamed him?

She began to cry, really sob. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks and into her temples to wet her hair. Her chest jerked with her attempts to silence her wails. After her encounter with Will Cochran earlier, and the sudden bomb drop that Nathan’s mark was on her soul, she had wanted an escape with John, but at what price?

She flopped onto her stomach and spent a desolate hour, wishing she could escape her problems, return to her comfortable Virginia home and her beautiful gardens. She climbed dizzily from the bed and stumbled around the room, putting herself in order.

She was about to untangle her messy braid when a rap at the door made her cry out.

She lurched forward and shoved her eye against the peephole. She fell back with her hands at her throat, gasping for breath.

Flinging open the door, she said, “What are you doing here?” And yanked Will Cochran inside.

His eyes popped. The door clicked behind him and he took in Lillian’s swollen eyes and dripping nose. “What’s happened?” She made a slashing motion. “What are you doing here?”

“Did he hurt you?”

She gave him a look that she hoped reflected her pure self loathing.”I think you should ask which one I hurt.”

He exhaled heavily, stepped forward and drew her hand into his. “Lillian, I’m here because I can help you.”

She was shaking her head, mangled hair flying about her face.

“No. No one can help me.”

“I can. I will. I want to. Come sit down.”

“No.”

“Okay. Tell me what’s happening.”

“You’re the one with the x-ray eyes, Will. You tell me.”

He smiled a sad, crooked smile. “Does this man you’re with?—”

“John.”

---