Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

But it was Riven I focused on as he dragged his fingers through his hair. “I just need to keep you safe. There are others coming. Others who aren’t as nice.”

I met his stare. “So, you’re protecting me?”

How could he…whenhewas the monster?

There was a twitch at the corner of his mouth. His breaths deepened as I stared at those hard lips, those cruel, smothering lips. “Protecting, controlling, call it what you want.”

I jerked my gaze to his. At least he called it what it was. “Maybe I’ll take my chances. Maybe I might just scream and beg and plead when these other men come.”

He leaned closer, that menacing glare detonating with sparks. “Try it and I’ll kill every last one of them…right before I drag you from this place and keep you chained for the rest of your goddamn life.”

I swallowed hard. He would. I could see that now. “Why?” I whispered. “Why me?”

“Because you, Helene…found me.”

He waited for a second before he shoved open the door and climbed out. The headlights stayed on, illuminating the damage I’d caused. I sat there for a second with his words ringing in my ears.You found me. You…found me.

My pulse skipped, then raced to catch up. I had no choice but to follow as he turned, waiting for me. The headlights died with the thud of the door. The sunrise cut through the trees, spilling all across the newly installed side door as we stepped inside The Order and closed out the rest of the world.

Our footsteps thudded, echoing in the hallway. Riven’s cell vibrated as I glanced at the locked double doors. His deep voice resounded as he answered. “Now is not a good time.”

I glanced at him, hurrying to catch up to his long strides.

“No…I’m at The Order. Yes, you could say that.”

A chill raced through me as he spoke.

“We have a new shipment coming. No…no, I don’t want you here,” he said in a rush, finding me in the corner of his eye. “I need to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

He pulled a small keyring from his pocket, pressed a card that hung from it against the scanner for the doors, and pushed through. My steps slowed. My gaze moved to his. I was putting a lot of trust in him right now. The kind he didn’t deserve. But there was something pleading about his careful stare, something that entwined with that desperate need to protect those I loved…

And I stepped through.

Thud.

I flinched as the door closed behind me. He headed along the hallway that looked just like the one we’d left. I glanced over my shoulder, swallowed, then followed as he came to a door at the end of a row, pushed a key into the lock, and bore down on the handle.

But I couldn’t force myself to walk through.

Flashbacks detonated like bombs inside my head.Riven unleashing his rage, hunting me as I’d rigged the explosion in the south side of the building…and hauled my father out of this place.I needed to remember the kind of man I was dealing with. The monster…who was now back in his lair.

It was all I could do to stop from fleeing this place as fast as I could.

He fought hard not to meet my gaze, but in the end he lost. “This entire wing isn’t used anymore. You’ll be safe here. You’ll be…”

Controlled.Isn’t that the term he’d used before?

The air suddenly turned heavy, so heavy I could barely breathe. I looked at that cell, from the heavy lock on the door to the single cot inside.

“You can trust me on this,” he said carefully.

Those were words Ineverthought I’d hear from his lips. But these were dangerous times, and I had nieces to protect.

“I doubt that very fucking much,” I answered bleakly and stepped into the cell.

The door closed instantly. I watched him through the glass section of the door and for a second, I swore I saw panic in his dark eyes. I hoped it was, anyway. He only held my life in the palm of his hand. I’d felt the cruelty of that hand…and also…tenderness.

Still, I fucking hated that desperate feeling as the door closed and he turned away. “You’d better come back for me, motherfucker,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself. “You’d better come back.”