Page 60 of Prey for You

Derek raised a hand before the judge responded. “Let me rephrase…” He looked down for a moment, rebuttoning his suit jacket, his lips pursing. Then, when he raised his eyes it was to lock on me. “Did Mr. Priestley ever show up to hunt you without your prior knowledge?”

Sigh. “Yes.”

“Was he ever violent, or did he reference the plan to kill you without your instigation of the conversation?”

God, this was torture. “Yes. But we had agreed ahead of those conversations—it was consensual. He thought Iwanted—”

“Did Mr. Priestley ever leave bruises, cuts, or other injuries on your person?”

“Yes. But I had given him permission. I was the one who proposed—”

Derek’s nostrils flared. “Just a yes or no will suffice: Did he ever engage in preparation for these interactions between you without your knowledge? Perhaps studying routes, or locations, or preparingresourcesthat he would need in his pursuit?”

“Well… yes.”

“Did he, in fact, warn younotto tell him where to find you, or for you to try and engage him, instead insisting thathehad control of where and when you met?”

I frowned. “How did you know—”

“Answer the question, Bridget.”

I huffed. “Yes,but—”

“And when he found you in those moments, did he ever threaten your life?”

I blinked, relief washing through me. I looked at Sam who was staring at me with the intensity of a laser. “No,” I said quietly. Then more loudly. “No. He didn’t.”

“Do I need to remind youagainthat you are under oath?”

“No, you don’t, Derek. I’m telling the truth: Samneverthreatened my life. In fact, he threatened todisappear from my lifeif I didn't follow his rules. And the times I was hurt, he took care of me. He wasn’t killing me. He washealingme. He even insisted that if I was ever hurt and we were separated, that I hadto use his instructions on how to treat my wounds, and I had to send him pictures or video of how I’d done it so he could check.”

“This is what a sexual Dom terms “Aftercare” and is something that is generally expected in a Dominant/submissive relationship, regardless of the long-term outcome, is that correct?”

“Yes, but I’m not a sub—"

“Was there anything different about your interactions on the night of your husband’s arrest? Anything he did that he had not done before?”

That stopped me and I examined the question warily. “I didn’t do anything differently. I was upset that night—”

“Is it true one of your husband’s rules was that there would be no weapons used by either of you during your previously agreed hunts?”

Oh shit. This again.

I slumped. “Yes.”

“Is it true that you had told your husband in prior meetings that you had been threatened with guns, and were once harmed by a man with a knife, and that you didn’t like those weapons?”

I blinked. “I mean… I told that toSam.”

“So, he knew?”

“I suppose.”

“Yes or no, Mrs. Priestley. Please answer my future questions with a yes, or a no. Your honor the State enters into evidence exhibit 1C, the forensic photograph taken on the night of Mister Priestley’s arrest. Do you recognize this photograph, Bridget?”

He approached the bench and placed a blown-up photograph on the wide sill of the witness stand box in front of me.

I took one look and my stomach sank.

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