Page 20 of Faithless

“Mark—”

I gasp when he grabs my waist with his other hand and yanks me forward. The hand on my jaw drifts to my neck. He lowers his head and drifts his mouth across my face. He doesn’t touch kiss me, but I can feel the warmth of his lips.

“I don’t think I’ve ever hated anything as much as I hate you right now.”

When he squeezes my neck, my eyes pop open. “Mark,” I gasp, and that seems to break the spell. He shoves me away from him and runs his hands through his hair.

I stare at him while he stands there panting. When he finally lifts his head and looks at me, I see resolve in his eyes. “I’m going to stay at a hotel for a few days.”

My stomach plummets, and I can only nod. This is the beginning of the end. Oh God, I’m going to be sick. I take a deep, shaky breath to calm my nausea.

“When I come back,” he says. “I don’t want you coming near me unless either you or the kids are on fire. Do you understand?”

I nod again.

He nods back. He looks like he’s about to turn around, but he hesitates. “And I want Jason’s number.”

My eyes widen. “Mark—”

He lifts a hand. “You don’t have to worry about him. I don’t hate him nearly as much as I hate you. But he’s got another thing coming if he thinks he can fuck my wife and get away with it.”

The way he says “wife” makes my stomach plummet. Such a possessive way of putting it. As if he could be talking about anyone. Not a woman he loves.

He must sense my hesitation, because he takes a step forward. “I’ll find it either way, but if you don’t tell me, I’m calling a divorce lawyer today.”

When my lips part, he smiles. It’s an ugly twist of his lips that makes my stomach roil. He’s enjoying my agony. He really loathes me.

“You’ll play by my rules from now on.” He walks forward until he looms over me. “And if you don’t, I will ruin you. Do you understand? I don’t have any sympathy for you. Those kids have a grandmother who would be happy to be a mother figure. I don’t need to spare their whore of a mother. I will take them away from you. You don’t understand how money works, sweetheart. You don’t know how much it can do. I’ll make sure I have the best lawyer in the world, and I’ll use your depression if I have to. That day I came home from work, and you were lying in bed while Maddy was wailing in the other room—”

A tremor runs through my whole body. Oh God, I don’t even know this man. “Please don’t be cruel. I know I…” I swallow. “Please don’t.”

He laughs humorlessly. “You have no idea what cruel is, sweetheart. You became my enemy today. You’re about to learn all kinds of things about me you’d never even dream of, not in your worst nightmares.” He steps away and grabs his keys from the counter. “I’m out,” he says lightly. “Off to find the nearest liquor store. Maybe a sketchy massage parlor, too.” He walks out of the kitchen to the foyer. After setting his hand on the doorknob, he turns to me. “You aren’t going anywhere while I’m gone.” All the faux lightness to his voice is a distant memory. “Not even to the grocery store. You can call a service. I’ll hire an investigator if I have to.”

I want to speak, but I’m only able to nod. Mark smiles faintly, his eyes lazy and satisfied. “If I find out you took one step outside of the front door, I’ll file immediately.” His wide grin doesn’t reach his eyes. “You belong to me. You’re mine. You do what I say from now on. Do you understand?”

I whimper and feel my face scrunching inward, but Mark’s expression doesn’t change.

“Do you understand?” he repeats.

Oh God, I can’t breathe. He doesn’t even care that I’m crying. Just this morning, his eyes would have filled with concern, and he would have pulled me to his chest. Now, his eyes are so hard and cold.

“Whitney,” he says, and I jump a little. Belatedly, I realize he’s waiting on an answer.

“I understand.”

“Good, sweetheart.” His eyes flash with some kind of emotion. I’m too sick to try to interpret it. “Good,” he repeats softly.

A moment later, he opens the door and disappears.

As soon as I hear the ignition start, I rush to the bathroom and release the contents of my empty stomach.

CHAPTER 9

Present Day

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Mark

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