Page 44 of Colton
Not when I’ve fought tooth and nail to get this far.
I thought I could trust Colton. Hell, no, not trust. That’s a ridiculous word for what we have—whateverthisis. Some dangerous, twisted mess of lust and survival. But somewhere in the back of my mind, a part of me stupidly believed he was just trying to protect me, that there was some method to his madness.
But now, staring at this door like it’s the final obstacle to my goal, I realize the truth. It isn’t about protecting me. It never was.
Colton wants me hidden away because he can’t stand the idea of me out there, moving pieces on the board that he’s not controlling. He wants me for himself, wantsmeunder the same lock and key that his father placed on him all those years ago.
He’s trapped in his own cage—built by Xavier—and now he’s trying to build one for me.
Fuck that.
I get up again, pacing, running scenarios through my mind. I need to get out of here.I will get out of here. But if the door’s locked, and I know Colton, he’s not going to just let me waltz out like nothing happened.
I could tell him my plan. Lay it all out on the table. Tell him what Xavier really did, what he’s responsible for. How thisis more than just personal for me—it’severything. Maybe that would make him understand. Maybe he’d let me go.
But even as I think it, a voice in the back of my mind whispers that it’s a trap. That Colton isn’t someone I can reason with. I think of his dark, swirling eyes, the ones that seem to hold so much: pain, anger, hunger, lust, and something else I still can’t quite place.
No. I can’t tell him. Not yet. Not until I have a way out.
My eyes scan the room, looking for anything useful. Something I can use to break the door down, though I already know that’s a dead end. The Blackwood’s don’t do things halfway. This door is solid. Too solid. No chance of kicking it down or forcing it open.
Think, Luella.Think.
Colton has a weakness. I know he does. Everyone does. And I just need to figure out what it is before this bunker swallows me whole.
I sit back on the bed, pulling my knees to my chest. I have to stay calm. Stay strong. Xavier Blackwood might be the enemy, but his son…his son is dangerous in a different way. The kind of danger that makes you want to fall into it, let it consume you whole. It’s irrational and reckless, and I’d be a fool to let it pull me under.
But even now, part of me wonders if I miscalculated. I thought Xavier was the only monster in that house, but maybe—just maybe—Colton is worse than his father in ways I hadn’t considered. At least Xavier’s cruelty is predictable. Calculated.
Colton? He’s chaos. He’s fire and ice, all in one. And that makes him unpredictable.
And a fucking problem.
I stand again, restless, my legs itching to move. I start pacing, back and forth, counting my steps even though it doesn’t help calm the buzzing in my head.
Colton might think he has me trapped, but I refuse to believe there’s no way out. There’s always a way out. And if I have to tear this room apart, tearhimapart to make it happen, then so be it.
I glance at the door again, waiting for the sound of footsteps. Waiting for the moment Colton decides to come back. Because he will. He’s not the type to just walk away. He wants something— to control, me, revenge, hell if I know—but whatever it is, he’ll be back for it.
And when he comes, I’ll be ready.
He thinks I'm weak. He thinks I’ll fold because he’s locked me away like some damsel in distress. He has no idea what I’m capable of, what lengths I’ll go to, to take his father down.
I stare at the heavy wood panels of the door, my fists clenched. Let him come. Let him think he’s got me under control.
I’ll show him just how wrong he is.
There’s a weakness in him, and I’ll find it. I’ve already seen the cracks—the anger that flares when he talks about his father, the haunted look in his eyes when he thinks no one’s watching. He’s broken in more ways than one, and I’m going to shatter him completely if that’s what it takes.
Because no man, not even Colton Blackwood, will keep me locked up forever.
So why do I feel so afraid?
I’m sittingon the bed in my underwear some hours later. My clothes were too dirty to put back on, so they sit in a pile on the floor. My hair is damp, clinging to my face and neck, evidence of the shower I forced myself to take. The sight of him, standing inthe doorway, sends a shiver down my spine. He tosses a dress at me, which I catch easily.
“Wear this. How are you finding your new...accommodations?” he asks, his voice a low rumble. He leans against the doorframe, his eyes scanning me, taking in every detail of my appearance. I can feel his gaze like a physical touch, and it makes my skin crawl.
“Colton,” I begin, my voice barely above a whisper, but I force a steel undertone into it. “You can’t keep me here. This...this is wrong.”
