Wrath of the Damned (Deadly Divine, #2)

by Ella Fields

“How astute you’ve grown, butterfly.” “No.” I flattened my palm over the glass and spread my fingers, ruining the scribbles I’d made. “The stupid was merely beaten out of me until my eyes opened properly.”

“If they were, you’d see that I care far more than I ever wanted to.” He laughed, but it held no humor. “You’d see that I feared for you. I’ve tortured and killed for you. I went insane with desperation to get you back, and I couldn’t, Tullia. I couldn’t reach you.” His chest heaved. “Every time I came close to sleep, it was stunted by terror.” He swallowed thickly. “By thoughts of what he might be doing to you, and you…”

“You believe…” His head lowered to my shoulder as his hands slid down the door. “You choose to believe I have another hidden agenda for you. Perhaps you need to believe that, and therefore, perhaps I should let you, but fuck…”

It seemed the one who’d instigated her misery could not be the one to soothe it.