Page 382 of Dark Love

My hands start shaking.

This isn’t happening.

“Dad.” Max nods towards me. “Look at her.”

Don’t look at me.

Don’t talk to me.

Just pretend all of this never happened.

Why did I ever open the door to Hope?

“What should we do?” Talon reaches up and tugs one of his curls.

Just go away. “Everything is fine. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Mom, Dad, let me give it a try.”

What does he want to try? Tormenting me? I don’t want to do this.

They leave the house without a word.

“You made soup.” Max walks over to the stove.

“Ramen. Would you like some? I made extra.”

“Sure. But I’ll get it. You stay there.”

Today has been too confusing for me to protest. I watch as Max grabs everything he needs and joins me at the island.

We eat in silence for a long minute.

“Ramen hits the spot sometimes. Especially with the hard-boiled egg.”

“That was Hope’s idea. Something about needing protein to make it a meal.” I swirl my noodles listlessly.

“Prudence, I want you to know that you can trust me.”

Trust him? Do I know Max past him being Hope’s father? He’s a great father. “You love Hope a lot.”

“More than life itself. And if there’s one thing I’ve taught my daughter, it’s no one is allowed to hurt a woman ever.”

“Isn’t that a bit sexist?”

Max’s lips tip up. “Maybe. But it’s still the truth in my home. A man taking advantage of a woman… hurting her when her back is turned isn’t acceptable ever.”

He’s right. I know he’s right. “I’m okay. Nothing happened,” I mumble into my bowl, unable to look at him.

“So, you weren’t roofied?”

Lie. Life would be so much easier if you lied. “I was.”

“By whom?”

That should be the easiest question. I should know who did that to me. The name of the man that took away my sense of security. “I don’t know.”

“A loss of memory is common with those drugs. Who did you go out with?”

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