Page 27 of Hunted Vengeance

“I know you didn’t, baby,” he murmurs.

I press my lips together, and my gaze shifts to the side, then back to him. He slides his fingers through my hair, curling them as he grips the strands. He tugs gently as he looks directly into my eyes.

He doesn’t speak immediately.

Instead, he just watches me in silence, his gaze searching mine before he finally speaks. Sucking in a breath, I can do nothing but watch Merrick as he leans forward and touches his lips to mine.

Slowly, I release my breath as he asks me who I’m marrying. I don’t want to answer him, only because thinking of that man makes me feel sick to my stomach. No good can come from Merrick knowing.

Shaking my head, I press my lips together. I don’t know what to say, but if I actually speak those words out loud—his name—then they will be true. And I don’t want it to be real. I’m still holding out hope that something will happen to end the whole thing… I lost hope in my father somehow becoming a good person the moment he watched me being auctioned off like an animal.

But that doesn’t mean I’ve lost all hope… especially now that Merrick is here. It’s probably silly for me to put any stock in being rescued by this man. I signed those annulment papers against my will, but I still did it. However, Merrick signed them as well, but not against his will.

“I don’t know him,” I whisper, giving him just as much of the truth as I think he needs about it. “I only met him once.”

What I don’t say is that the one time I met Malcolm, he sold my body off to the highest bidder—literally. I don’t tell him that I know his name, first and last. I don’t tell him that the people who came to my father’s office today were connected to that man somehow and that I think they want me to do something that involves luring children, and I’m sick over it.

I want to tell Merrick all those things, but I’m afraid for two different reasons.

One, I don’t know how he’s going to react, and I don’t want him to get hurt by storming through the house to find my father and possibly kill him… although I would not be sad about that part in the slightest if it were to happen.

The other reason is that I’m afraid he’ll think badly of me for not trying to get away. I, without a doubt, feel like a horrible person for not fighting tooth and nail to escape—right now.

“Come with me,” he murmurs.

My breath stops inside my chest. Every ounce of my being is begging me to say yes… except my brain. My brain is telling me no, for all the reasons above and then some. Mainly the little fact that I know my father won’t just let me break whatever deal he struck with Malcolm. I’m sure there would be a consequence that would affect my father, and he would never allow that.

“Going with you won’t do anything. My father will just find us and drag me back again.”

I don’t add that he will probably kill Merrick in the process. I can’t let that happen. I love him too much. He hums before he tugs on my hair a little harder and leans forward, touching his lips to mine again.

He doesn’t reassure me in any way, but he does grunt, and I take that as some kind of confirmation that my father would indeed do all of that, even the things that I didn’t vocalize.

“You think I’d let him take you again?” he asks.

I almost snort because Iknowthe truth. My father would indeed snatch me up and bring me back. He would do anything to keep from looking like he couldn’t control me. He would also do anything to save his own neck.

Adriano Bellucci wouldn’t give a fuck whose toes he stepped on. And then I would suffer at either his hands or Malcolm’s. I have a feeling I would rather suffer at my father’s hands than Malcolm’s, though. That man terrifies me.

MERRICK

I can almost tasteher fear. It swirls between us, threatening to consume us both. I won’t fucking allow it. I’ve lived with enough fear in my life. I’ve allowed it to control me for far too long. Even when I said it didn’t, it did.

Like when Adriano came and took my wife, I would be a liar if I said I didn’t fight for her merely because I didn’t want her forced on me and it was better for her to be gone. It was partially because of fear.

Fear that I would fuck her up.

Fear that she would fuck me up.

Fear that Adriano would come after Securus and my brothers.

“Do you want him?” I ask, my tone and voice not hiding an ounce of my disdain.

She shakes her head, her eyes finding mine. “Not in a million years,” she whispers.

“But you don’t want me either?” I ask, even though I could feel just how much she fucking wanted me when my fingers and my dick were inside of her.

I just want to hear her say it to my face. I want those words. I want her to tell me that she wants me… needs me. I know she missed me—she already told me that she did. But I want more from her. I want to know that I didn’t come here for no fucking reason.

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