Throne of Truth

His fingers trailed from my hair down my back, spreading more bubbles. My teeth chattered in horror as he hooked his hands under my arms, washing me intimately, cleansing me of my past life for whatever he meant to do to me in this twisted present.

“I can’t wait until you’re clean, Elle,” he murmured as his fingers drifted to my ass. “Once he’s washed away, I can replace every memory with me.”

I swallowed a moan as his touch pressed into my crack.

I spun around, not caring anymore if he saw me naked as one arm swung up to punch him and the other gripped the white tiled wall for balance. “Don’t fucking touch me!”

He caught my arm mid-swing, holding me steady. His gaze locked onto my breasts then to my core.

A blackness I instantly feared cloaked him. His cock grew harder as he captured my nipple, tugging hard. “Fuck, you’re stunning.”

“Let me go.” I tried to fight, but he kept my wrist imprisoned and deliberately pushed me sideways against the wall to keep my other arm pinned.

“In another few days, you’ll wonder why you fought this, Elle.” His voice grew husky with desire. “I’ll show you how good we can be together. You’ll see.” His hand dropped from my breast, trailed down my stomach, and cupped my core.

I fought harder, slipping and forcing him to take my weight to keep me standing. He balanced me but never let go where he held between my legs. His fingers remained on the outside, merely a dominating reminder that he believed I was his now and everything about me was his, too.

“This is the part of you that needs washing the most.” He gathered more bubbles, pressing them into my short curls. “Fucking asshole needs to be deleted.”

I tore my eyes from his, glaring at the ceiling while furious tears sprang. He washed me slowly, possessively, with so many threats and promises.

I couldn’t stop the tears overflowing, mixing with the shower, rolling down my chest.

He caught one with his finger, bringing it to his lips. “Don’t cry, Elle. You’re clean now. What happened is in the past, we have a brand new future to look forward to.” Pushing me under the spray, his hands trailed over every inch as he rinsed away the soap.

Cuddling me into him, his embrace reeked of contempt for Penn and lust for me.

A recipe that would end up ruining me.

“Are you hungry?” He kissed my wet scalp. “Come on, let’s eat. And then...we’ll get to know each other exactly the way we should’ve years ago.”

Chapter Six

Penn

I PARKED AT the top of the long, sweeping driveway that disappeared into dense trees.

A stupid carved lumberjack with an axe and overalls decorated with peeling paint offered me a mailbox to place friendly correspondence, not deliver war on the inhabitants.

I wanted to hack it to pieces.

No lights glimmered apart from the fresh pink of dawn. No signs of habitation apart from recent tire tracks down the gravel.

But I knew.

They’re here.

Leaving my Merc, I grabbed my phone and jogged down the driveway. I wanted to sneak up and surprise Greg, rather than drive and give him notice.

He’d already taken what was mine. I wouldn’t give him the opportunity to hurt her, too.

My shoeless feet glided lightly as I ran, trying to make as little noise as possible. Pebbles bruised my soles, but I didn’t stop.

Goddammit, how long is this driveway?

The gravel kept going, deeper into woodland. If this wasn’t a rescue mission, it would’ve been a nice place to bring Elle. To get away from the city and relax together. And by relax, I meant fuck until we both couldn’t walk.

There was something about her I couldn’t fight. When I was around her—shit, all I could think about was touching, kissing, and being inside her.

Three years’ worth of blue balls. Three years of waiting since the first time we met.

My gut clenched at the thought of her with Greg. I hadn’t been nice or even kind to her ever since I plotted the moment in the gin bar with her father. Everything about our ‘convenient fate-designed’ meetings had been meticulously planned.

I hadn’t let my guard down once.

I’d taken what I wanted from her as I believed she owed me that after what had happened.

But now, I felt fucking sick that I could be such a bastard—especially since she’d been taken by someone she trusted, all while being lied to by me.

I was an asshole.

I admit it.

The sky slowly grew lighter as a cabin appeared in the forest. A small clearing with a homely retreat nestled in the foliage.

Greg’s car sat out in front with the twinkling of dew on the gray paint.

My heart raced, preparing for a fight.

Keeping to the trees, I skirted the front porch, making my way to the side.

Ducking low, I charged toward the house and pressed against the timber siding. Twigs jammed into my bare feet but I ignored the pain. A bay window sat above me, taunting me to look.

My ears strained for noise. For footsteps or voices.

When nothing came—no creak of floorboards, no flush of water—I stood upright and peered into the dim cabin. Birds slowly woke up, their morning song the only sound apart from my shallow breathing.

The window looked into the kitchen, the kitchen opened out into a living room, the living room funneled traffic to the hallway.

Empty.

Every room.

No signs of life at all.

Shit, where are you, Elle?

Moving around the property, I peered into more windows, searching.