Lover (Betrothed 3)

So what if he never found me?

Or maybe it didn’t matter; maybe Maddox planned to kill me at any moment.

I hoped Maddox wanted to make a trade. Maybe there was something he wanted from Hades, something they could exchange for my life. Whatever it was, Hades would do it. He would do whatever was necessary to get me home.

The wedding ring rested on my left hand, the only comfort I had while I sat in this foreign bedroom. It reminded me that I was part of something greater, that there was someone out there who would do anything to save me.

I knew it was nighttime because I could see the darkness through the windows. I had no idea what time it was because there wasn’t a clock in the room. My phone had been confiscated sometime after I passed out. Maybe it’d been a whole day, or maybe it’d been only a few hours.

Heavy footsteps sounded outside the door, and it seemed like a man was headed my way. My body automatically tightened, giving in to the fear of what would happen next. I wasn’t oblivious to Maddox’s attraction to me. Maybe he only wanted me because I belonged to Hades, but that made me just as unsafe.

The door opened, and he entered. Wearing jeans and a gray t-shirt, he quietly shut the door. His gaze moved to me on the bed, and he stared at me with expressionless eyes. His hands slid into his pockets, and he stared at me for moments, hardly blinking.

He hadn’t touched me, but that look made me feel violated. I was rigid on the bed, my heart beating fast because I was ready for another fight. I could feel the pulse in my ears, feel a sense of danger in my fingertips. My eyes were as focused on his as his were on mine.

He eventually pushed off from the door and crept toward me, his hands slowly sliding out of his pockets. He moved to the edge of the bed and helped himself to a seat.

I automatically pulled my legs closer to my body, trying to stay as far away from him as possible.

His eyes were focused on me again, the blue color burning like frost. The most alien part about him was his lack of need to blink. He could stare endlessly for minutes straight. Sometimes, he didn’t even seem human because of the trait. It was innately creepy.

I was terrified. I did my best to be brave and pretend I didn’t feel anything, but deep down in my soul, I knew Hades couldn’t protect me right now. He wasn’t hiding in the shadows, ready to come to my rescue. I couldn’t rely on his protection anymore—and that was when I realized how much I needed him.

And how alone I was.

Maddox turned his gaze to his hands. “I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

“If you’re sorry, just let me go.”

“You know I can’t do that. You know I’ll never let you go. You know I’ll do terrible things to you—because I know it’ll hurt him the most. Your husband is my greatest adversary. We have a love-hate relationship. He encroaches on my turf, kills my brother, and doesn’t keep his word…but I also respect him. He’s a good opponent. I suspect he’ll be an even better opponent now that this is happening.”

This guy was a psychopath. “I’m sure Hades will give you whatever you want if you let me go.”

“But this is what I want—you.”

I started to shake.

“I want to hurt him, to punish him. There’s no better way to do that.”

This couldn’t be happening.

“But I realize you’re an innocent person. You just made a mistake when you married him.”

There was a glimmer of hope in my heart that this man had some compassion.

He reached into the back of his jeans and pulled out a pistol.

Shit.

“So, I’m going to give you a way out.” He held up the gun. “It’s got one bullet—and that’s all you need.”

My heart started to beat even harder. If my only way out was suicide, then I was in a worse spot than I realized. If death was preferable to his torture, then this gesture may be compassionate after all. “And if I say no?”

“I’ll pity you. But I suspect you’ll change your mind later… The offer is always on the table.” He returned the gun to the back of his jeans, and his hands rested on his thighs. “Having the liberty to claim your own life is a gift. That’s the only compassion you’ll get from me.”

I’d never been a crier, never been the type of person to let people watch me bleed, but this was so disturbing, I wanted to sob in heartbreak. I was scared…more scared than I’d ever been in my life. There was no way out of this unless I took his offer. “What will you do to me?”