Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“What are you doing? Let me go!”
How the hell was her mother so strong?
“I didn’t want it to come down to this, Lily. I really didn’t think things would have to go this far. But you brought this on yourself.”
14
Lily woke up with a scream rattling through her chest.
She shied back, trying to protect herself from the invisible hands wrapping around her throat. But there was no one there. The room she was in was dark, but it felt like she was alone.
Where was Mother? Where did she go, and where was Lily right now?
Suddenly the door slammed open, and she let out another blood-chilling scream as she scrambled off the side of the bed then crawled underneath.
She remembered. She remembered.
How had she forgotten that?
Her mother had Rick tell Clem that they’d been having an affair behind her back.
How could she do that?
To her own daughters? And what had happened after that? Why couldn’t she remember?
She smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead as though trying to sort out the memories in her brain. Why couldn’t she remember?
“Lily? Lily, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Who was that? It took a moment for her brain to register Harvey’s voice.
Harvey. She was in the cabin with Harvey.
He’d taken her from her mother’s house. He’d rescued her from that bitch. How had she thought she was better off living with her mother? That she had to marry Rick to keep her mother happy? Why did she stay? Why? Why?
Had other things happened like that? Other things that she couldn’t remember?
It was utterly terrifying to realize that she had such big gaps in her memory. She’d always been somebody who would try to appease others. But marrying a cheating, lying bastard like Rick was a step too far.
And what about the incident where she’d hurt her mother?
She’d smashed up her mother’s study, right?
Except, was that a memory, or was that something that had been planted? Because that’s what Devil’s Breath did, right? It could make her highly suggestible to what people told her.
Had everything been a lie?
This was too much. She started to sob.
“Lily, are you in pain? Are you hurt?”
There was clear worry in Harvey’s voice which managed to cut through the fear and panic. She still didn’t really understand why he wanted her?
“H-Harvey?” she managed to get out between chattering teeth. “W-where are y-you?”
“Open your eyes, baby. I’m right here. I’m right here.”
Opening her eyes, she realized that he must have turned the light on because she could see him quite clearly.
There was concern on his face as he reached his hand toward her. She shied back, thinking he was going to grab her and try to pull her out from under the bed, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to leave.
But he just held his hand there, waiting patiently. “Take my hand, baby. Let me help you.”
“I still don’t understand why you want to.”
“I want to help you because you’re going to be mine, because you deserve someone looking after you, mo bhreáthracht. You deserve everything. So take my hand and let me be that person.”
But could she believe him? Right now, she wasn’t sure that she could believe what anyone told her.
And she knew they couldn’t have forever together.
You didn’t have forever with your kidnapper, did you?
But right now, she just needed him. She needed his care and attention.
So she reached out and took hold of his hand. He squeezed hers slightly.
“Oh baby, you’re so cold. What happened? Why did you scream? Did you have a nightmare?”
“Uh-huh.” She let out a sob, nodding.
“Oh, baby, you poor thing. Can you come out of there and tell me what it was about?”
“I don’t know.”
“You know, I never realized how dirty it was under this bed. I’m feeling a bit embarrassed. So maybe you could come out, so I don’t have to wonder if you’re going to end up with dust bunnies in your ears.”
She nearly smiled. Dust bunnies in her ears?
That sounded like something her sister would say.
“You don’t want those dust bunnies bouncing around inside your ears, now do you?” he asked.
“Dust bunnies aren’t real,” she told him.
He gasped dramatically. “What? What are you talking about? Of course, dust bunnies are real. They’re made out of dust and they bounce around underneath the bed, creating a huge mess. And I really think that you need to come out of there before they get upset at you saying they’re not real.”
She rolled her eyes at his silliness.
But she still found herself sliding out from under the bed. He sat back on his bottom and drew her onto his lap, wrapping her up tight in his embrace.
Oh, God. This shouldn’t feel so good. It really shouldn’t. But she couldn’t deny that her body instantly started to relax in his hold, and a feeling of safety moved through her.