Page 3 of Mind Maze

It’s a step.

Getting out of this place will clear my mind, something I desperately need. Then, if this man is telling the truth, I’ll have what it takes to come back and get her.

Iwillcome back for you, Calista.

Wait for me.

Romy

Present

My dreams are horrible and cruel. In this one, I was stripped down, pinned to the bed, and unable to stop a brutal rape. Sure, it’d hurt, physically, but it was the sorrow echoing in all my bones that felt worse.

Then a dark angel swooped in and removed the monster. He killed him swiftly and without remorse. I’d watched with a mixture of horror and awe as he tossed him into the icy depths of a lake, removing him completely from my sight.

And then the dark angel held me in his tight, warm cocoon embrace, chasing away the lasting shadows and torment plaguing me.

Someone squeezes my thigh and I blink away my daze. I’m groggy and slightly confused. My dreams blur with reality. Where am I?

With a yawn so big my jaw pops and my eyes water, I take note of my surroundings. My recliner vibrates beneath me. I soon recognize the interior of a private jet. Beside me, with his hand on my leg, is the always stoic Caius Crowne.

My pretend boyfriend and father of my pretend baby.

“We’ll be landing soon,” he murmurs, slightly distracted by whoever he’s texting with. His other hand holds his phone near his face and his thumb flies over the screen with impressive speed. “Buckle up.”

I draw my gaze from him to my lap. I’m dressed in jeans and a sweater I have no recollection of putting on. My hands trembleas I buckle my seat belt. I’m still piecing together my fragmented mind.

Where are we going?

Home.

The thought comes out of nowhere and oddly reassures me. Home is with Caius. My pretend boyfriend. Pretend, right? Or did I dream that?

His palm rests in an easy, comfortable way on my upper thigh. I don’t hate his touch. Maybe we’re more than pretend.

Flashes of a memory of me and him in a dark hallway, his fingers sliding in and out of me, has me breaking into a sweat. Heat creeps up my neck and no doubt paints my cheeks crimson.

That memory feels real.

And from what I remember, I enjoyed every second of it.

Is that why I’m sore all over? My head hurts, a raw bruising pain on one side of my scalp. There are aches all over my body. Between my thighs—where he had his wicked fingers—it burns.

Did we have sex?

Memories flood back all at once. A man on top of me, taking, taking, taking, and I can’t stop him.

Gareth.

Gareth raped me.

A low, horrified moan crawls out of me. I jerk my head to the right, searching for the man who hurt me. Caius’s tight squeeze on my thigh draws my attention back to him. With watery eyes, I stare at the man who was supposed to protect me.

Why didn’t he protect me?

He must see the accusation in my eyes, but he doesn’t flinch. The only tell that he’s impacted by my broken heart is a slight flaring of his pupils. Other than that, he’s a statue, not moving a muscle.

A hot tear streaks down my face. His dark eyes track it quickly. He sets down his phone to swipe it away with his thumb.

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