Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,33

you. I can almost hear you breathing. Why don’t you show yourself? What are you afraid of? Me? My father?”

Endless seconds ticked by.

“You should be terrified of me, you fucking asshole! I didn’t do anything wrong. You left me here alone for two days. Was that meant as punishment for challenging you? Damn you! I’m a victim just as much as the creep who was knifed, but I didn’t do it. Maybe I should have. Then you could punish me. Then I’d accept your rules. Instead, there will be a day that you face my wrath. Trust me.”

I smashed my hand against the glass several more times. Maybe hoping I’d break it. Maybe praying he’d fly into the room, chastising the bad little girl. Something.

Anything.

Instead of the darkness. The emptiness.

If he reacted, I was unable to tell. Laughing, I pressed my face against the cool glass, sliding my fingers up and down the surface aimlessly. I held my breath, trying to fight away the tears, the dizziness created forcing my body to sway. I turned around once again, slowly sliding down the wall. As I held my knees, lowering my head, I willed myself into a distant land.

I was such a fool. I was the biggest sucker in the entire world.

I wanted my life back. I needed my little world, the room I’d grown up in as a child, the comfort of my father’s arms. I wanted days spent studying, preparing myself for an amazing life.

Instead, I would live a lie.

My mouth opened in a silent scream, my throat constricting. I clawed at my neck, allowing my body to drift onto my side, all the fight ripped away, exhaustion settling in. As I folded myself into a tight ball, I was finally able to slip into a moment of peace, shutting down the rest of the world.

The quiet was no longer terrifying. I closed my eyes, able to take deep breaths. I was okay. Everything was going to be just fine. I’d wake up and everything would be back to the way it was.

Except it wouldn’t.

There would be no rescue.

There would be no hero.

Just emptiness.

I sensed his presence again, only this time closer. So much closer. Had he been standing in the shadows the entire time, waiting to pounce on me?

I wouldn’t react. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

I refused to open my eyes, to play his sick game.

No. No. No. No.

Even as the scent of him fueled me, so damn intoxicating and entirely different than before. Everything about him was commanding, including his musky cologne, the exotic spices scintillating.

As his strong arms gathered me, pulling me tightly against his chest, I was unable to lock down my resolve. He cradled me as if he’d found a babe in the woods, pressing kisses against my head as he carried me toward the bed.

Very gingerly he eased me down, sliding his arms under my legs and lifting until they were tucked neatly under the covers. He was so silent. Gone were the demanding actions and the rigorous enforcement of rules. After adjusting the covers, he brushed his fingers across my cheek, taking his time to shift hair from my eyes.

His footsteps were light, but I heard them, only they weren’t heading in the direction of the door. Gabriel had moved toward the window.

I opened my eyes, daring to glance at him. His stance was entirely different, not exactly relaxed but also not stiff as it had been before. He didn’t need to issue comments regarding his power in order to make certain I knew my place. While he wasn’t looking at me, I was keenly aware he would hear even the slightest sound.

When he fisted his hands, I was surprised, especially as he pressed his knuckles against his mouth. What kind of pain had he gone through?

Then again, why should I care? Why should I give a damn on any level? He’d basically kidnapped me, tossing me into another cage.

Only you agreed to it.

Whatever slight sound that must have pushed past my lips he heard, his reaction was to be expected. A slow turn of his head, eyes burning into mine. They were his best feature, the deep blue shimmering from any angle.

Except when he was furious.

He wore no expression, remaining silent as he stood in the darkness. I wanted to lash out, to scream at him in order to get some kind of reaction, but I had no energy to fight him any longer. I gave him a defiant glare