Page 190 of The Harbinger

I scrubbed at my hair with renewed vigor, being careful to avoid the tender goose egg that had formed on my scalp.

David and Sarah Foster, their names echoed through my mind, playing a game of hide-and-seek that I had no interest in joining.

My father, a prosperous businessman, was two years older than my mother, who, at forty-five years old, had dedicated her life to taking care of my younger sister Lexi. As for the rest of my childhood, my recollections were frustratingly blank, like an unsolved puzzle missing crucial pieces.

As I rinsed out the suds, my hand trembled uncontrollably, my fingers vibrating like a tuning fork.

The door crashed open, and I jolted with a start, my flesh erupting in a field of prickling goosebumps despite the blistering heat of the water.

He strode into the bathroom, and I wrapped my arms around my breasts, shielding myself as he stripped the blood-stained clothes from his body.

“No one in this world is perfect,” he said, breaking through the dead silence between us.

“I never—”

He held up his hand. “I don’t need your reply.” He slid off his shoes by the heels, tossed his ruined suit pants to the floor, and then walked towards me, his penis fully erect.

“Don’t come in here. I don’t want you anywhere near me.”

I backed myself into the corner of the shower, yet my words didn’t dissuade him. He stalked toward me, and his head tipped forward with a sly grin.“Malishka.”

I staggered and leaned against the slick shower tiles, my knees wobbling beneath me. My skull pulsed with a throbbing ache, and a groan escaped my lips as my head grazed the unforgiving wall. “I think I have a concussion.”

His smile faltered, and he took three long strides to reach my side. His hand, still stained with blood, gripped my shoulder. He pushed my hair aside, exposing my neck with his other hand.

“Iamsorry. I should never have hurt you.”

My heart hitched, and the air in my lungs stalled.

His lips grazed my forehead, leaving a trail of regret and remorse that seeped into my bones. It was rare to hear an apology from him, like finding a needle in a haystack. But I savored those precious words nonetheless.

He pulled me into his embrace, crushing me against his chest, his heartbeat steady and strong. The tattooed image of the goat-headed devil whispered in my ear, reminding me of the darkness surrounding us.

This wasn’t right, none of it was, but he was my lifeline in this place of darkness, and if I didn’t keep hold of him, I’d end up on the floor in a pool of my own blood like before.

I needed him so I could see my family again.

But… he killed her, he killed them…in defense of me.

I needed him to protect me. I wrapped my arms around him, giving up the fight I had no chance of winning, and leaned into his warmth.

He sighed and kissed my head, then cupped my cheeks. “I am sorry about Katya…”

Tears pooled in my eyes, and my chin trembled.

“Shhh.”

He bent down and brushed his lips against mine, and I melted, pressing into him, his tongue running along the seam of my lips. He begged for entry with threatening force.

I parted my lips and welcomed him inside, his tongue plunging deep into my mouth like a predator claiming its prey. Our tongues swirled in a deadly dance, each movement fueled by a dangerous desire that I couldn’t resist.

His hand abandoned my cheek and ventured down to my breast, cupping it possessively and rubbing his thumb over my hard nipple. A moan escaped my lips, muffled by his invading tongue. Our kiss intensified, the heat between us igniting into an inferno that threatened to consume us both.

Moisture pooled between my legs, a sign of my body’s betrayal. My body responded to him despite everything, despite the danger and the darkness surrounding us. It craved his touch, his promise of pleasure and pain intertwined in a deadly embrace.

His hand slid down my belly and moved between my parting legs, making room for his touch. I gasped when he parted my folds and rubbed the back of his knuckle against my clit. “Do you want me to make you come,malishka?”

I rocked my hips against his hand and whimpered, pressing my lips back to his, but he pulled away after a few luscious moments.

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