Page 95 of Cruel Master
Kendrick, Quinn, Juliet, and several Gilda are crowded inside. Candice, in her new, younger form, fills every screen, and I take a second to recognize her flair for drama—wouldn’t one screen have been enough?—before I zone in on Juliet. She’s speaking to Kendrick, finger pointed, voice raised, anything but respectful.
God, she’s beautiful.
Her hair falls over her shoulders, bright against the plain white dress I gave her. Red spots in her cheeks show her anger, and her green eyes flash as she says, “I don’t give a shit what she”—She points at Candice—“says. I want to see him. Now. Don’t try to stop me leaving.”
I’m almost tempted to hang back and see what Kendrick has to say about that, but my pull to her is too strong. I push past the Gilda and insert myself between her and Kendrick.
She freezes, finger still hovering in the air. Her lips part, and her gaze tracks from my head down to my shoes and back again. I open my mouth to speak, but before I can, she flings herself toward me, head thudding into my chest.
I wrap my arms around her back; her body against mine is the best thing I’ve ever felt. She stammers against me. “You…you’re…”
Then she bursts into tears.
It’s such a contrast from the fiery anger she showed just a second ago that it stuns me. Then my muscles unlock and I pick her up, carrying her into the corner of the room. There’s no real privacy here, not with a room full of people and Candice, but it’s the best I can do for her at that moment.
I don’t speak, just keep a tight grip on her and let her cry. She cried in her cell several times, and it always leftme feeling drained and guilty. This is different. Her tears are cathartic, and this time, I can be there for her. Really me, not a pretend version of myself.
She gets herself together quickly and squirms out of my grip, finding her feet. She pulls back and stares at me from red, puffy eyes. Then she slaps a hand, hard, onto my chest. “You fucker! You could have… If it wasn’t for Candice…”
She takes another deep, sniffly breath, then says, “You almost died. For me. You went into the cell.”
I’m not sure I trust myself to speak. I’ve got a lump in my throat the size of a tennis ball, and I have to steady myself to finally get out. “Of course I did.”
Can she not see how easy a choice it was?
Juliet lets out a half laugh, half sob. “Oh, of course you did. Sarin gas, no big fucking deal.”
She drops her head to my chest again. As much as I want to just stay like this, the world starts to creep back in. Kendrick’s voice. “Yes, we have the feed. You’re cleared to approach. Take care, Jacob.”
Jacob’s voice rings out loud over the lab speaker. “Copy, sir. Moving in.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Juliet
He’ssafe.
He’s here.
My emotions are a storm, all the stress of the last hour collapsing on me at once. Hell, all the stress of the last two months or however the fuck long I’ve been here. I don’t know whether to kiss Hadrian or punch him. I settle for dropping my head to his chest and letting him hold me.
Objectively, nothing has changed. I’m still a captive, and this is still a cult where I don’t trust anyone besides the man currently clutching me like he’s drowning. But things feel different, and right now, I don’t want to prod at why. All I want to do is cuddle my husband and pretend the last five years never happened.
He saved me.
He’d die for me.
And he can keep you in line, too. Just like you always wanted.
For once, I don’t bother arguing with that voice. I’ve always craved a master. I just never imagined it could be him.
Maybe later, once the adrenaline drains away and my emotions settle, I’ll feel differently. But for now, I’m happy. Actually happy.
The big guy’s harsh British voice over the speakers makes me jump. “Copy, sir. Moving in.”
So heissecurity. I knew there was no way he could be a scientist. Hadrian and Eve must have been winding me up.
Hadrian says, “Let’s watch this,” and shifts so his arm wraps my back and we can both see the monitors. Candice only fills one now. The rest show POV shots from four slightly different angles.
