Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Seven
Alicia's POV
I woke up in the middle of the night again.
The same dream. Always the same dream.
Malachi's hands on my skin. His voice in my ear. The way he'd looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
Then the recording. The screaming. The laughter.
I sat up, breathing hard. My heart pounded against my ribs.
Three weeks since I'd left. Three weeks since I'd heard his voice. Seen his face.
And I still couldn't stop thinking about him.
I hated it. Hated that my brain refused to let him go. Hated that even knowing what he was capable of, even hearing the proof of his violence, I still missed him.
Missed the way he touched me. The way he made me feel safe and wanted and seen.
How could I miss someone I should be terrified of?
I got out of bed and went to the window. The estate grounds were dark except for the security lights along the pathways. Everything was quiet. Peaceful.
The opposite of what I felt inside.
