Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters - Bella Forrest Page 0,82
on, which felt sticky to the touch. I didn’t even want to know what was responsible for that. Instead, I patted frantically at my pockets, searching for my phone. By now, Nathan would be wondering where I’d gotten to. I knew he might even sound the alarm if he went to the jewelry stall and found me missing. But I wasn’t sure if I had the luxury of waiting that long, considering who’d snatched me for the second time. Still, if I could just call him, maybe I’d get out of this unscathed.
“Ye needn’t bother. I’ve got yer phone.” A figure stepped into the light. My kidnapper, again devoid of a bandana. Up close, I could see that he had a more youthful face than I’d first thought, despite the five o’clock shadow around his jaw. He seemed taller, too, without shadows distorting his shape, and as he came nearer, I noticed that his eyes were actually a warm shade of umber—not nearly as dark as I’d thought—while his hair reflected copper when the anemic lightbulb hit his hair at the right angle. He was what I would’ve described as ruggedly masculine, and though a lot of women might have gone gaga over him, it didn’t matter to me how good-looking he was—I couldn’t stand the sight of him.
“Looks like you’ve picked up some new kidnapping skills since last time,” I pointed out, itching to punch him in the face again. He still bore some of the bruises and scrapes of our last encounter, with a particularly angry shiner over his right eye. Annoyingly, it only made him look more rugged and handsome.
He sighed and sank onto the opposite sofa, keeping one eye on the door. “I know I’m askin’ somethin’ I’ve no right te, but can we start over? I didn’t swipe ye this time te cause any harm. I just want ye te listen, and I knew ye wouldn’t if I just walked up te ye and started chattin’.” I drew in a shaky breath. “I really didn’t mean te hurt yer friend. If I could take it back, I would.”
“You killed someone! Do you think you can just apologize for that?” I spat. Genie might have been brought back to life by the grace of Nathan, but this guy didn’t deserve to know that. I wanted him to sit with what he’d done and stew over it.
He put his head in his hands, scratching restlessly at his curls. “Ye think that hasn’t kept me up every night since? Ye think I haven’t seen her face every wakin’ minute, knowin’ she suffered because of me? I know what this curse made me do, and I hate it.” He peered up at me. “I hurt a lass, and it’s tearin’ me insides up. I know I can’t make it better, and I know I can’t apologize for it, but… I just wanted ye te hear me out. I wanted ye te know that I didn’t mean te, and I want te rip this curse out for what it’s doin’ te people.” He brushed his cheek aggressively, and I saw tears clinging to his finger. His voice was tight with misery.
No! I will not feel a shred of sympathy for this man! He killed my friend! This was precisely why good-looking people got lesser sentences in court. Handsome guys and beautiful girls made people believe they had some redeeming qualities, to match their exterior. Ironically, it was Davin Doncaster who’d taught me that the insides didn’t always match the outsides. I’d seen pictures of him and, sure, he was a looker, but he was also as evil and self-serving as they came.
“Oh, boohoo,” I snapped. “That must have sucked for you, while I was mourning my dead friend! If you’re looking for forgiveness, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
He flinched as though I’d hit him again. “I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. I ain’t stupid. I ain’t askin’ for it, either. I just want ye te know that I’m not this curse. I can’t control what happens when it strikes, and it’s drivin’ me insane. It ain’t just yer friend that suffered because of it. There are others… people who are close te me, and I don’t know what te do.” He turned his face away, chewing the inside of his cheek. “And I know I’m late in sayin’ this, but… ye were right, what ye said when I took ye the first time. I should’ve asked for yer help,