That hurt. I could see it in her flinch and I felt her pain. Any woman would.
He was harsh and he was heartless and, honest to goodness, I never thought I could hate him anymore but I did at that moment. It was lunacy, his wife had tried to do me bodily harm but I felt for her, I couldn’t help it.
“What did I do to make you hate me so much?” she whispered.
“You, like all of them, tried to cage me. I can’t abide that, Rina, you knew it. You knew how I felt about it and you did it all the same.”
“I loved you.” She was still whispering.
Even at her soft words, Lucien remained remote. “Love is a blanket that keeps you warm not one that traps and suffocates you. You never learned that lesson, Rina. You never paid it any attention no matter how many times I explained. You kept pulling that blanket over my head.”
Silently she assumed the posture of defeat and it was so heartbreaking, my eyes swung to Lucien, thinking he’d relent.
He didn’t. In fact, as he took her in, his lip curled in a contemptuous sneer.
My heart started beating faster. I didn’t know why, hatred, fear for my future life as this man was going to factor largely in it or both.
He heard my heart. I knew this because his eyes cut to me, his face lost its disdain and his brows drew together in puzzlement.
“Edwina,” Katrina said in a soft farewell and I tore my gaze from Lucien but before I could focus or Edwina could respond, Katrina was gone.
“See to the groceries,” Lucien ordered Edwina. I looked back to him to see him striding with purpose toward me.
I started backing up the steps.
“Clean up this mess,” Lucien continued his instructions, his gait wide and determined and I started backing up double time. “You don’t need to say good-bye when you leave,” Lucien finished his commands to Edwina.
At those ominous words, I turned on the landing and ran.
In a second I was cradled in his arms and in the next we were in the bedroom and I was bouncing on the bed.
Lucien was looming over me, fists to his hips, eyes dark and glittering.
“You run from me?” His voice was dangerous.
I felt my fear escalate at a slightly lower rate than my temper flared.
“Down there, I trusted you.” Those five words were an accusation.
His head cocked to the side. “And how, exactly, did I betray that trust, pet?”
“You told me to stay,” I informed him.
“Yes?”
“I stayed.”
“And?”
“You can’t possibly need me to explain!” I snapped.
“I’m afraid I do,” he clipped back.
I got to my knees, hands balled into fists at my sides and I leaned toward him.
“You just beat your wife in front of me!” I shouted.
“It wasn’t the first time but, fortunately, it was the last,” he replied indifferently.