Page 10 of Dove

“Do you want to talk about it?” His voice was surprisingly soft as he spoke against my ear. A shiver ran down my spine as his lips brushed the sensitive skin. He cupped water in his hands and poured it over the soap lingering on my body.

“No.” The physical pain was minimal. I’d had much worse. Begged for much worse with the man who was currently wrapped around me.

It was the things they said. The vicious words. The harsh truths that were creeping into my mind. Making me doubt who I was. I cleared my throat to stop the lump from forming. I knew it could’ve been much worse. In some ways, I was lucky. Lucky to walk away with only a few broken bones.

Maddox lopped his arms around me, pulling me closer. There was no space between us. I got the impression he would absorb me into his very being if he could. “Who got me out of there?”

I was curious about the voice. The one that had been vaguely familiar but laced with remorse. With sorrow. It was like they blamed themselves for not protecting me. Protecting a person who didn’t even recognize them.

“Leif. My brother.” His fingers continued to inspect and soothe every inch of my skin.

“I’ve met him at Entice.” I spoke slowly as I tried to process why Leif would react that way. I sort of remembered him. There was a family resemblance to Maddox; only he had an air of authority, whereas Maddox exuded insanity. I never paid much attention to anyone else once he’d sucked me into his depravity.

“It should’ve been me. I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.” His breath stuttered in his chest. “I’m sorry.”

The door I was trying to close, the one that held the desire that only Maddox brought out in me, rattled at his words. I’d never heard him apologize. In all the times, he’d forced me to his will. All the times he’d caused me pain.

I wanted to reassure him. To tell him it wasn’t his fault, except I’d been telling myself the exact opposite. All I really knew was that I didn’t like the agony I heard in his voice.

“Someone told them about me.” I said instead because maybe he was to blame, but someone else was more at fault. Someone else who deserved whatever retribution Maddox would bring to them.

Someone had betrayed him. Someone had thrown me to the wolves to get to him. Someone had used me like an object. Like I wasn’t a real person, who could be hurt. A person with feelings who’d be traumatized by being kidnapped and tortured.

“What do you mean,mia amata?”Maddox continued to hold me close; his head rested on the top of mine. I took solace in his soothing touch.

“I could hear them talking. They mentioned that you would never find out what they did to me because someone was keeping you focused on the Gallos. But one of them was worried this guy would betray them because he’d already betrayed you.” His arms tightened around me, almost making it impossible to breathe. I could feel the rage pumping off him in waves. “They never said a name. I should’ve tried to get a name.”

Maddox gripped my chin between his fingers until I was looking into his dark blue eyes. “You did the only thing you were supposed to do… you stayed alive. You came back to me.”

His mouth pressed into mine. His tongue parted my lips gently. I willingly let him in. I tried to ignore the overwhelming rightness as our tongues tangled together. Tried to pretend it was the emotions of the day. It was relief to be out of the cement box. It wasn’t him.

I let myself get lost in his kiss. Lost in my lies. Lost in him.

My chest pinched as I wondered if it was worth it. If I could continue to pretend he wasn’t what he was. Continue to let myself live in his cage.

7

Maddox

Irubbed Kincaid’s silky hair between my fingers as I stood looking down at her sleeping form. I had a flashback to months ago when I’d done the same thing. When I’d broken into her apartment and tried to figure out what had drawn me to her. I knew what it was now.

She was always meant to be mine.

There was no one particular thing that had taken me in. That had spread these feelings inside me. Yes, she was gorgeous. Smart. Strong. Defiant. Her depravity matched my own. I’d never met another woman who could take my pain. And she took it so well.

Screamed for me. Bled for me. Came for me like it was her purpose in life. Because it was. She was put on this earth for me.

That was what had drawn us together. I didn’t need to name a reason. A quality in her. I knew it deep in my bones. The same way I knew my name. It just was.

She was mine.

But I could feel her pulling away again. Whatever progress I’d made before her kidnapping had been shattered at my feet. I could feel her shrinking back inside herself. Hiding away her desires. Her nature, like she’d done in the beginning.

Fury licked through my veins. I brushed the strand of hair behind her ear before leaning down to place a kiss on her shoulder. I inhaled the powdery scent that always seemed to cling to her skin as I pushed down the urge to crawl back into the bed beside her.

I’d spent most of a day with her next to me in bed. It was an example of what I was willing to do for her because she’d been naked the entire time. I’d fought the constant urge to fuck her. To remind us both who she belonged to.

I wasn’t a man who delayed gratification. If I wanted something, I took it. Like I’d taken her in the beginning. But I’d held myself back so she could heal. So she had time to remember who she belonged to. And now I had to leave. I had to deal with the problems that had been caused.

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