Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three #1)(60)

“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.

I drew in a sharp breath, reared back in horror and fell to my bottom.

“You disgust me,” I hissed, meaning every word.

His body did that thing again, that menacing, sinister change where his muscles came into sharp relief.

“I disgust you?” he whispered.

I ignored his stance even though he had to know my fear. My heart was beating so wildly I could, indeed, this time actually hear it.

If I could, he certainly could.

“Yes,” I retorted with more bravery than sense.

“You don’t have any f**king idea what you just witnessed.” His voice was still a low, outraged whisper.

“I do and it was nauseating.”

All of a sudden his rage filled the room, clogging my throat, expanding my lungs and he was leaning over me, his fists in the bed beside my hips.

I scrambled backwards up the bed.

He followed, faster, crawling along with my body.

My head hit the headboard and he retreated, only far enough to rise up, using my legs to yank me back down the bed between his thighs and then he settled his heavy weight on me.

“You’ve demonstrated another appalling trait, pet.” He was still using his scary whisper.

“And what’s this one?” I shot back. “I thought you’d seen them all.”

“You’re quick to judge, not even asking that first, f**king question,” he retorted.

“And how could you explain bloodying your wife’s nose in front of your supposed to be lover? Hunh? How about humiliating her in the same company? How about wanting a lover at all when you have a wife.” I made a snorting noise that was slightly embarrassing but I was too furious to care. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve forced me to humble myself more than once. Why I trusted you and didn’t run so I wasn’t forced to witness that I… will… never… know.”

His body went solid and his eyes bored into mine. This lasted what felt like an eternity.

Then he pulled in a breath sharply through his nose.

When he was done, I sensed the patience he was seeking eluded him.

I wasn’t wrong.

“I’ve risked everything for you,” he told me quietly.

“Your marriage?” My voice was dripping acid. “It didn’t seem you prized that overly much.”

It was like I didn’t even speak.

“Everything,” he repeated. “And what do I get in return?”

It was beginning to dawn on me that I was in a very bad situation.

Firstly, Lucien could and did in a fury beat the crap out of his wife. Secondly, if he did that to me, I wouldn’t survive. Thirdly, for whatever reason, he was angry, no, he was infuriated. Beyond anything I’d ever experienced from anyone before in my life. And lastly, I couldn’t fight him. I had absolutely no way to defend myself against anything he chose to inflict on me.

All the tissues in my body petrified as fear paralyzed me.