Page 19 of Twisted Tate

But she’s looking at me with those gray eyes, and I can see how close she is to shattering. If I push now, she’ll break. And the last thing she needs is for me to become another one of her monsters.

“Okay,” I say, swallowing hard to force down all the rage at whatever faceless fucker hurt her.

She blinks. “What?”

“Okay.” I step aside, clearing her path to the hallway. It’s taking everything in me to do the opposite of what I really want to do. “Go take your shower. We’ll talk later.”

She doesn’t move. She’s staring at me like she’s waiting for the trick.

“There should be more towels in the cabinet.”

Still nothing. She just watches me in disbelief, like she can’t decide if she wants to run or wrap her arms around my neck.

“Reese. Go.”

She moves past me slowly, like she expects me to grab her at the last second. I keep my hands at my sides and let her go, even though every cell in my body is demanding that I stop her, hold her, make her tell me everything so I can make it right.

She pauses at the edge of the hallway. Then she turns back.

“Why are you doing this?” Her voice is barely audible.

“Doing what?”

“Letting me walk away. Not pushing me to give you what you want.” She searches my face. “Any other man would have—”

“I’m not any other man.”

She stares at me for a long moment. And then her face changes. Something I can’t read.

“No,” she says softly, tears now on her cheeks. “I’m starting to think you’re not.”

She disappears down the hallway. A moment later, I hear the bathroom door close and the water turn on.

I stand in my kitchen, hands shaking with the effort of not punching through a wall, and I think about that bruise.

There’s always another one, she said. There’s always someone else waiting.

Waiting for what? To hit her? Use her? Pass her around?

My stomach turns.

I pour myself a whiskey even though it’s not even nine in the morning, and I let the pieces click into place.

I don’t have proof yet. I don’t have confirmation. But I know in my bones that someone has been hurting her for a very long time. And her father has to know, or is involved somehow.

I’m going to find out what happened to her. I’ll wait as long as it takes. And then I’m going to kill every single person involved.

My phone starts buzzing.

I pull it from my pocket to find a full assault of notifications, one after another, the satellite connection in the cabin must have been spotty.

There are so many messages from Fox, Thorne, my father, and a few Raven group threads.

I pull up Fox’s messages first.

Fox: What the fuck did you do?

Fox: Donaldson just called a meeting with the Council. Says his daughter was kidnapped last night.