Page 17 of Betrayed in the Dark
I bought it for her right before I left for my last deployment, planning on giving it to her after seeking approval from her mother and brothers, of course.
But when I returned, reality hit me like a sledgehammer.
And everything I dreamed of and longed for came crashing down around me.
I should return it, maybe even toss it into the bloody ocean.
But every time I try to rid myself of its presence, I cave and hide it beneath my things, keeping it close. Never too far out of reach.
It’s a weakness brought on by the most dangerous thing a man can store inside his heart.
Hope.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and when I pull it out and see the name flashing across the screen, I immediately tuck the ring in my bag, keeping it safe. Keeping it hidden.
Answering the call, I’m instantly greeted by a familiar, sweet voice.
“Eli?”
“Hey, Angel. I’m here.”
Chapter five
Madeleine
Sitting on the dock behind my house, I look up at the ominous sky, pinching my eyes closed as I take a deep breath. My beige quilted jacket offers little protection from the elements, so I wrap my arms around my middle a bit tighter.
As I open my eyes, I take in the frozen lake before me. The snow-covered mountains in the background create a charming view as big, fluffy snowflakes slowly fall from the sky.
This is my home: the Alarie Estate.
And I will miss it more than I can put into words.
“I miss you, Daddy,” I whisper, a puff of smoke escaping into the cold air in front of me. “Although I don’t think you’d be too proud of me right now. Or maybe you would be. I’m not really sure anymore.” My throat burns, and the tip of my nose stings. “I wish you were here to tell me what to do.”
As my eyes blur with unshed tears, an alert on my phone chimes. I pull it out of my pocket and glance at the screen. Ibring up my surveillance camera and see a black Land Rover descending my long, winding driveway.
Of course, he’s right on time.
With a heavy sigh, I uncross my legs and stand up, pushing my hair behind my ears and wiping under my eyes in case any tears have managed to somehow escape.
Entering through the back of the house, my boots squeak slightly against the marble flooring as I walk toward the front and approach the larger-than-life black iron door of my entryway. Momentarily hesitating, I press my hand to the scanner and step back. As the door slowly swings open, my eyes catch on the man standing on the other side. A black T-shirt molds to his muscular chest, and his defined biceps, which are covered in intricate designs, are on display as he drags one hand through his thick brown hair and lifts his duffel bag onto his shoulder.
My eyes quickly scan his body, taking in every hard line and perfectly sculpted muscle. This is not a body built from steroids or countless hours spent in the gym. It was created from manual labor. Put through a level of physical hell that the average person could never understand.
There was a time when I was privileged enough to appreciate every inch of it as it deserved.
A sudden warmth rushes over me, a small fire igniting in my lower belly as old memories come to the surface to play.
“Hey, roomie.” Eli smirks, his words instantly dousing the fire within me.
“We are not roommates,” I deadpan.
He casually shrugs. “Roommates. Flatmates. Whatever you want to call us works for me.” He winks, and that annoying warmth within me returns tenfold.
“We are neither,” I grind out, crossing my arms over my chest. “No coat? It’s thirty degrees out and snowing.”
One corner of his mouth lifts in a playful grin. “You worried about me?”
