Page 40 of In Her Shadow

“And what about The Pit? It needs you.” Stefan frowns. “And let's be honest, Ren, you need it too.”

“Not anymore. Let someone else be the one to beat.” I smile at him as I head out the door.

“ It’s her, isn’t it?” he calls after me.

“Who else would it be?” I smile back at him before I close the door and head up the stairs. It’s time for Eloise to hear my story, a story that for years, she never knew she was a part of. I just have to hope that she won’t hate me when I’m done, because either way, I’m keeping her right here where she belongs.

ELOISE

“Baby, wake up.” I feel Ren’s fingertips stroke my face, and smile from the comfort they bring. Then I quickly remember the warehouse. The pictures. The mansion that he brought me to. Oh, yeah, and the fact I’m pregnant.

“Ren?” I go to sit up and stare at him in shock and horror when I realize my wrists are bound to the bed.

“I’m sorry.” He lowers his eyes, looking disappointed in himself.

“I don’t want you to be sorry, Ren. I need you to untie me right now.”

I manage to struggle into a sitting position without the use of my hands, and I let him see how betrayed I feel.

“Don’t look at me like that.” He gets up from the bed and walks over to the window to avoid having to see my hurt. “I know you're not gonna believe me, but those ropes are for your safety.”

“My safety?” I look at him as if he’s gone crazy, which is ironic, really, when I consider that this guy has probably always been crazy. I just choose to embrace it rather than run from it.

“You wanted me to explain everything, and that's what I’m gonna do, Kitten.Everything, from start to finish. No filters, nolies, just the truth, and some of that truth is probably gonna upset you.”

“Ren, I’m scared,” I admit, feeling myself shake as tears roll over my cheeks.

“You don’t have to be scared, everything I’ve done is for you. Just try and stay calm.”

“How can I be calm when you have me tied to a bed, in a house that's in the middle of nowhere?”

“You're tied because I don’t want you to run. There's nothing out here but trees, black bears, coyotes, and bobcats. I can’t risk you running.”

“How long have I been asleep?” I look around for my phone, wondering what time it is, and see it still on the side table where I put it to charge before I lay down.

“I came up a few hours ago to talk, and you were fast asleep; I figured you need as much of it as you can get now, so I left you to it. It gave me some time to think things over. To think about how I’m gonna say this, and I think the best way is for you to just ask me.” He comes back to the bed, crawling on top of me, straddling my thighs. “Ask me all those questions we’ve both been avoiding, Kitten.” He kisses my lips, and I taste the salt from my tears running into them as I try really hard not to kiss him back.

“Where are we?” I start with the most obvious one. I’m sure I wasn’t dreaming when I heard that butler guy call this place Ren’s home.

“This is my house,” he answers, looking a little embarrassed by it.

“You're kidding, right?” I laugh at him.

“No, baby, I ain’t kidding.” He shakes his head, looking deadly serious.

“How?” I ask, still trying to understand all this.

“My father was a very rich man. When he died, I inherited everything he owned, his properties and his businesses. Illegit, and legit.”

I don’t even want to get into what he means by that right now.

“Up till now, my uncle’s been taking care of everything, but this…” He glances around the luxurious room we’re in before focusing back on me, “This is the life I’ve always wanted to give you, Eloise.”

“So you haven’t been living in that warehouse?” I’m confused.

“Yeah, I’ve been living there.” He nods his head.

“Why? Why would you live there when you can live here?” I look out of the floor-to-ceiling glass window that looks out onto a beautiful lawn, and a woodland landscape; there's even a lake with a boat on it for Christ's sake.

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