“You’ve told me that many times.I—”
One strong hand clamps around my throat before I can get another word out.Instantly my airways close.
My head lightens and within seconds I lose focus like I am going to pass out.
“Clearly you didn’t listen. Maybe I need to remind you of what awaits.”
I try to move my face away as he presses his lips down on mine and kisses me.When he fills his palms with my breasts and squeezes, I want to scream and tell him to get away, but the words never come.Even if they could, he’d hurt me for my defiance.
“Let. Go…” I manage and he releases me.
I grasp onto the edge of the wall to hold myself up, taking deep, even breaths to clear the black spots from my view.
“Be careful, my dear wife-to-be.Wouldn’t want something awful to happen to you after our wedding, would we?” His laughter rips another hole through me.
I swallow hard, trying my best to keep my composure.“No, I wouldn’t.”
Another cruel laugh falls from his lips.“Be grateful for my love for you.”
“Love. You love nothing, Jude Kuzmin.”
“We both know that’s not true.I love you.”
Jude has that obsessive kind of love you’d find in a psychotic sociopath.
“Then again, I might find something else to love,” he adds with acondescending smirk.“Until then you’ll be for fucking, and since we both know what a good fuck you are, you just might bide more time on this earth.”
With a wink and an easy grin, Jude backs away, picking up his briefcase before he leaves the room.
I keep my eyes on him as he goes and continue to stare, even when I can’t see him anymore.
The front door closes, and I know he’s gone, but I’m still staring.
Staring and wondering what the hell I’m going to do.
It was two days ago I overheard a conversation I shouldn’t haveheard.
The words came from the devil himself, confirming Eric’s alive and Jude has been lying to us for the last fiveyears.
I’m so lost in my thoughts it takes Mom’s hand on mine to pull me from thetrance.I never even heard her come back in theroom.
Usually, I can hear the wheels of her chair against the marblefloors.
“Are you okay?” she asks just above a whisper like she’s afraid tobreathe.
“No,” I grate out, unable to lie thistime.
Mom brings her hands to herheart.“This is a disaster, Olivia.”
I couldn’t agree more so I say a silent prayer to whoever will listen that I can do something to stop Jude.
Even if it killsme.