n Kell

' t fol

icked pavement, the city lights blurring through my unshed tears, and waited. A part of me, a foolish, masoch

affic and the rain. He stayed

alien, contaminated. Every surface seemed to hold a memory of his touch, a p

e collection of first-edition novels he h

se. He was holding a velvet box. "I know I failed you. I was wron

Medallion, a priceless, one-of-a-kind emerald piece that had been in my family for over a century. It had been my mother

the last tangible piece of my mother I had. "Where did you

ek. I wanted to give it to you after our next child was born. A new family heirloom for a new generation of Kelle

utiful truth. He knew my weaknesses. He knew

open. Cydney sashayed in, wearing one of my si

on your dresser and just had to try it on. It' s exquisite." She smiled sweetly at me. "Barron told me all about it. A new

for her, my hands outstretched, my only thought to rip tha

oared, stepping between us. He gra

edge of the Persian rug, an intentional, clumsy movement, and went down hard. The velvet box flew from Barron' s hand, and the spare meda

a sicken

agnificent emerald was shattered, the gold setting twisted and bro

f loss and fury. I flew at her, my nails seeki

and hit the edge of a bookshelf. Pain exploded in my shoulder. He didn'

y okay?" he murmured, his

hands gently probing her stomach, his face a mask of terror. The same terro

staring at the ruined jewelry

d a finger at me, his voice low and dangerous. "You have been unstable and irrational since your... episode. I' ve been patient, but this a

rary, leaving me alone with the shattered remnants

grieving, for reacting, for not quietly accepting my

bedroom door. I was a prisoner in my own home. When I refuse

," he said, his tone on

e a monster,

to harm Cydney. I won' t have it." He gestured to the guards outside

manipulative purr, "I remember when you were afraid of the dark as a child. Your parents told me they had

phobia I had, stemming from a childhood incident wher

g of his lips. "Good night, Em

rning in the lock. And then, the main breaker switch was flipped.

nd heavy. The primal, childish terror I thought I had conquered clawed its way up m

I understood that Barron Carroll wasn't just content to let

-