Three days locked in a dark cold room with no food, I sat crossed legged, ignoring the pang of hunger as the memory from three days ago replayed in my head.“What have you done?" Tessa had yelled at the top of her voice, her eyes widened in terror. I had felt myself shake uncontrollably at the fear that seized my joint and made my head feel like it would split into two. Grabbing her hand the moment she sat frozen with fear, her eyes trained on the figure writhing on the floor, the image of her stripped in a dark room had appeared in the back of my head. My jaws had clenched at the whimpering sound that filled my head as I trained my eyes on her.Then the sound blurred out of my head. “Why didn't you let him hit you?" She had cried, struggling to wrench her hand free from my grip but I tightened my hold. “How could you do this to us?" She cried into my face, her saliva sputtering around my cheeks and nose. I had peered into her eyes and watched them grow wider till she grew slack

We were both kneeling on the cold floor of the large sitting room before Poppy and her husband, our hands interlinked as we stared at the marble floor. I had a sly smirk on my lips. Would they send me back into the dark room again? “You stink." From the corner of my eyes, I watched Poppy fan her hand over her nose. Tessa's hand tightened around mine and I squeezed back, my eyes hardening.“First, you attacked my son, then you lure this good for nothing into breaking into your cell to…fuck you?” She asked, incredulously. Snapping my head up to meet her eyes, I let my face go blank. "A man can only endure so much without his wife's body by his side.” I retorted and watched her lips fall open. Blair's shocking gasp from the corner made me want to scoff. "Draven. Stop.” Tessa whispered into her chest but I heard it and squeezed her hand again. "She did no wrong wanting to fuck me and I did no wrong wanting to have my wife by my side at least.” I deadpanned. She blinked at me and

I stumbled out of the house, my intestines twisted in disgust as I dry-heaved. The images of Blair's ugly body repeatedly resurfaced in my head, making me shudder. 'Stop acting like a saint's son. We both know you have seen enough bodies…’ “I swear to you, I will back out right here and right now if you don't shut the fuck up." I straightened to glare at the black shadow floating right before me. “Where is he?" Dax barked in the background and I held tightly to my cane as the djinn morphed into the darkness. I turned slowly to see Dax marching towards me, with a pouting Blair by his side. My eyes skidded towards her and I sneered at the soberness of her face. What rubbish had she fed him?I stood tall, not flinching or even taking a step back when Dax slapped me hard across the face. “What did you do to my fiancee?" He yelled, his nose flaring. I clenched my jaws and kept mute. “Am I talking to a fucking statue!?" He barked and kicked me in my supposed bad leg and my cane cl

My head banged against the wall but I hardly felt any pain. “Conrad please!" Tessa cried weakly from where she knelt. My closed lids opened to catch her face, she recovered faster than I expected. I pretended to groan in pain as I fake-struggled to get myself to stand on one leg. “Is this how you repay me for my kindness?" Conrad boomed again and kicked my bad leg and I sagged to the floor and let my head hang loosely. “I picked your arse from the gutters. Cleaned you up real good and even connected you to the family of the governor of the entire City X and this is what you do?” His hand swung across my face and Tessa shrieked from where she knelt. Good. I had blocked her emotions from getting to me. I swallowed the blood seeping into my mouth from my cut lips. “You had the temerity to try to rape my daughter?” He asked in disbelief. My head swung upwards at that only for his blow to land on my upper chin, knocking me to the ground. Tessa cried, her voice breaking. I unders

I held two small wooden boxes in my hand as we stood by the corner of the large room swimming with well-wishers and family. “What do you have with you?" Tessa asked, back to her normal self, I think. “Gift." I gave a blatant response. She stared at me, blinking slowly before moving to stand in front of me. "Did you say gifts?” "Hmm.” "For Blair and Dax?” "Hmm.” "Don't do it.” I finally looked down at her to see her lower lip caught in-between her upper teeth as her eyes scanned my eyes instead. "Why?” I raised a brow and she looked up at me, with both brows raised."Are you kidding me right now?” Her jaws dropped. "What can you possibly give them that they can't afford?" I grunted a response and scooted away from her but she adamantly followed. “Don't make this any harder for us, Draven." She tried to touch my hand but I shifted, leaving her hand hanging mid-air. “You should learn to mind your own business." I said, barely looking at her. I felt a small ache spread arou