“I tried to give you time, Killian,” he said, his voice harsh and unyielding. “Two years to come to terms with the fact that Julianna was going to be your wife. Then, I gave you six months. You left her at the altar, you didn’t consummate the marriage, you left her on the island and came back to Spencer Manor alone. But I don’t care anymore. You married her and you need to take responsibility. She’s your wife and the mother of your future children. I expect you to figure this relationship out. Now, before it’s too late.”
My jaw clenched and I locked eyes with my father – a silent battle neither of us were ready to lose.
“I expect you to be back on Isle Rosa-Maria at dawn and this is final.”
My lips thinned.
“Is that understood, Killian?”
A big hole burrowed itself inside my chest and I gave my father a sharp nod, before stalking away.
“I vow to spend the rest of my life making you regret what you did to Gracelynn. To hurt you, to break you… and to hate you for the rest of our days. I will never be your protector, never your defender; I vow to be the villain in your story.”
“In health and in sickness, through sorrow and pain, for all the days in my life, I will be your worst nightmare.”
“Till death do us part…”
It was time to face Julianna and the vows I took. She was the darkness plaguing my half-dead heart; the reason why I was the man I was today.
The world saw me as Killian Spencer – the man of wealth and power at his fingertips. I was the gentleman in a suit. I smiled at the camera, shook hands and I did everything they expected me to.
A lawyer with an insane drive for justice.
A politician with a perfect and clean record.
But no one really knew of the monster lurking underneath the skin of Killian Spencer.
I’m coming, Beasty. And your life will never be the same.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Julianna
I gave Ragna a little nudge with my heel. It startled her and she took three quick steps forward, before relaxing into a steady walk.
“Good girl,” I praised, running my fingers through her mane while keeping one hand on the rein. Almost as if she understood me, Ragna snorted and sounded pleased.
“You’re doing good,” Gideon said, keeping up with my mare. He walked beside her, a steady hand on Ragna’s bridle to guide her, in case she went a little wild and I had trouble holding onto her.
This was my fifth time on Ragna. We were taking it slow, but every day I enjoyed this time with her. She was a gentle creature and we got along pretty well, while Gideon guided me with patience.
“You’re a natural.” Gideon smiled.
I flushed under his praise and fatherly smile, but I was far from a natural like he said. My horse did all the effort; I let her guide me into her personal space and did what she wanted. She let me on her back and didn’t buck me off. She accepted me as her rider and gave me a chance to sit atop a horse again.
Ragna was made for me.
I patted her long neck, rubbing my hand down the side of it. “Do you want to go for a gallop, my love?”
Gideon released the bridle and I steered Ragna toward the center of the big arena. She started slow, galloping. My thighs squeezed, my hips tightened for a moment, feeling an ache spread through my bones, but I ignored it. My hands clutched the rein and I nudged her with my heel again, encouraging her to go faster.
The wind blew on my face, my black veil fluttering, and the breeze caressed my bare skin. I breathed in, feeling my chest tighten before I released a loud exhale. My body loosened and I sat in a rocking motion atop Ragna.
I clucked my tongue and she understood my command, going faster, until my heart was in my throat and my stomach fluttered with butterflies I didn’t know I still had in me. I rode the wave, feeling her strength under my butt and against my thighs.
Ragna was a big girl, but God, she made me feel safe.
The wind streamed past her, whipping my black hair into my face, but I couldn’t help it. I let out a small laugh. The ground rushed by us and the only sound I heard were the pounding hooves and my heart thudding in my ears.
When we came to a stop, Gideon was there, his face slightly paled but an affectionate smile on his lips. “Damn it, little one. You scared me there for a moment, but then I saw that you got her. And she got you. You rode her beautifully, Julianna.”
I petted Ragna and she sighed into my hand. While Gideon held onto the bridle, I swung my right leg off and then released my left foot from the stirrup as I dismounted my mare. The moment my feet were on the ground, my legs gave out under me.