Page 112 of The Devil's Pawn

I didn't hear him come to bed last night, but his presence fills me with joy. Waking up alone would have made me fear he was angry, and while he'd have every right to be, I'm relieved he chose to sleep beside me. His decision not to use distance as punishment brings immense comfort.

He nuzzles my ear, drawing me closer to his body. “Good morning, wife.”

I roll over, meeting his amber gaze. I try to read his emotions, but he’s a closed book. “How did you sleep?”

“Fitfully.” He runs his nose down mine. “You, on the other hand, had no trouble sleeping.”

“Yeah, I don’t remember a thing after the bath.” I cup his cheek. “I am sorry, Alexander. I don’t know what I was thinking other than I knew I had to fight for you. I couldn’t let you destroy our marriage over… well, whatever you were destroying it over.”

I wait for him to tell me, but he doesn’t. I don’t want to push, but equally, I’m not letting him run from this conversation any longer.

“Why couldn’t you sleep? Was it your insomnia?”

An incredulous expression sweeps over his face. “Are you kidding? I almost lost you yesterday, Imogen, and while you behaved recklessly and without thinking about your own safety, I caused that. I made you go to Lilian looking for answers because I didn’t give them to you. I am equally, if not more to blame for that bastard snatching you.”

His mention of Will opens the door for me, and I walk through it. “What happened to him? Did you kill him?”

“I didn’t kill him, no.”

Was that an emphasis onI? “Is he still here at Oakleigh?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Where is he?”

“I have no idea.”

It doesn’t matter how much I glare at Alexander, it won’t make a difference. That’s the most I’m going to get, and I know him well enough by now to realize that digging for moreinformation will only end up in me being exhausted, crabby, and still in the dark. He’ll only ever tell me what he wants me to know, and somewhere along the way, I’ve made my peace with it.

I’m sure Will is dead, though. Maybe not at Alexander’s hands, but I’ve learned enough about this family and my husband over the last several weeks to know that crossing them is a bad idea. They’re powerful and, at times, vengeful. It wouldn’t surprise me if he got that mafia guy from the ball to do it. Tobias said they used his services from time to time.

I’m feeling a mixture of emotions, ranging from sorrow to relief. I witnessed the extent of Will’s desire for revenge from the little interaction I had with him in that house, and I’d never feel totally safe with him around. I wouldn’t put it past him to try to snatch me again at some point in the future.

“You can tell me in your own time. I know what I said, but it doesn’t have to be today.”

His eyes glaze over as though he’s concentrating on a memory, and his smile, when it comes, is wry and tinged with sadness. He captures a lock of my hair and twists it around his forefinger.

“Ask me what you want to know.”

Question number one is easy. “How did you find me so quickly?”

He rubs his lips together. “I guessed you might start with that one.” His cheek protrudes as he stabs it with his tongue. “Remember the day after the ball when I brought in the doctor to give you vaccinations?”

I nod.

“Those weren’t vaccinations.”

I furrow my brow, trying to make sense of his answer. “They weren’t?”

“No.”

A nervous energy courses through me, and anxiety curdles my gut. “What were they?”

“One… was birth control.”

The shock crashes into me, the trust that had gradually grown between us crumbling under the weight of his deception.Birth control? Why? The entire reason for our marriage is for me to provide him with at least two children, yet Alexander gave me contraception without my knowledge. In these circumstances, the only reason to put me on birth control is to stop me falling pregnant.

“I… I don’t understand.”

---