Baffled, I stagger back, unable to do more than whisper, “I was beaten… I was raped.” “Then that’s all you deserved.” The lack of remorse in her hostile tone has my breath catching in my throat. Nathan apologizes profusely, begging Cade to understand that he didn’t know what would happen to us. He’s only a “footman,” he called himself. I won’t deny there is horror in his voice, and maybe those are genuine tears of remorse in his once-captivating eyes. Still, the company he keeps rejects any guilt, refuses to take any responsibility. To them, this is all our fault. We asked for it.
