Bound to Him: A Spirit's Dark Return

telling me to stop being so dramatic. I had been kidnappe

e said, his voice cold with annoyance.

er, Genesis. My kidnapper, realizing no ransom would ever

e. Instead, my spirit became tethered to Arthur,

cognizable victim was me. He saw my final text message-the one telling him I was pregnant-an

ence was my death sentence, forced to watch hi

heard his new fiancée, Genesis, bragging to her friends. And I fin

pte

arpent

elling me he was done with me, right before the

s and sweat filling my nostrils. My arms were wrenched behind my

reak your jaw," a v

epped back into the dim light. His face was gaunt, his eyes hollowed out pits of despair. I recognized him from the ne

stion. "And you know who did this to me. Arthur

nst my ribs, a frantic

ted. "He took everything from me. My company. My house

omfortably close to mine.

ered, the word

n cracked. "Oh, you will. You' ll call him, and you' ll tell him I have you. You' l

digging into my cheek. The phone rang once, twice, then a third

it, Elia?

I swallowed against the lump in my throat. "Arthur," I be

pay the credit card bill again? Genesis is having a major issue with the foundation plans

"No, it' s not that. Art

e other end. For a heart-stopping

belief. "Elia, for God' s sake. This is a new low,

on. "His name is Fuller Durham. He wants money. Plea

is eyes blazing with a strange mix of fur

r snarled into the phone. "Your g

her desperate stunts for attention. Genesis just told me a structural engineer forged his credentials, an

n a physical blow. A crisis

u hang up right now and stop this nonsense. If you make me look like a fool by involving the

e I knew as well as my own. It was Genesis Bentley. Her tone was laced with manufactured

his voice instantly softening fo

ne wen

at the disconnected phone in his hand, a slow,

almost like pity. "He doesn' t care," he murmured, more to him

truth crushed the

the corner. One of his accomplices unzipped it, revealing a h

hest. It was heavy, cold against

. "Making him pay. But he' s already paid, hasn't he? By becoming the kind o

oor without another glance in my d

t, the bolt sliding into place w

s al

bers on the timer strapped t

on, silent sobs were wracking my body, my shoulders shaking with the force

crying for. It was the de

er lov

of a thousand tiny cuts. The way he always called Genesis his "partner" with a reverence he never used for me, his

he' d said, his eyes so sincere I' d felt ashamed for ever doubting him. I believed him. I wanted to be

office, every canceled date, every holiday cut short. It

ust for an hour. He promised. He was dressed, ready to go, when his phone rang.

ion apologetic but firm. "I ha

a tow truck! It' s my grandmoth

e' d said, his voice chillin

rds explained and

demanding, that their bond was purely professional. I had lied t

aceholder. A convenient, warm body to come home to when

ved me. He

in my pocket. Somehow, they hadn't tak

r Arthur' s name. A thousand vengeful, hate

t was t

I opened a new message and

with a strange,

But I was pregnant. You

it

ast message, a fin

eet again. In thi

yes as the ti