Page 136 of Merciless

It’s like she’s saying goodbye to me.

She grabs her bag and tosses it into the back seat of her car. The door slams shut, and she awkwardly shuffles to the driver’s side.

I move without thinking, striking her in the back of her head with my fist, then catching her when she falls.

She can’t leave me.

I’ll never let her run away from me.

She once looked at me with love, and I’ll have it again.

No matter what it takes.

Turning Eden onto her back on the couch, I tilt my head and stare at her. Her black eyelashes dust the tops of her cheeks, looking like dark crescent moons. Freckles kiss her skin along her nose and cheeks. I’ve counted them many times over the years, and I’ve continued to count them, noticing the new ones after she sat in the sun.

The front door slams shut, and footsteps race toward the living room.

“Did you find her?” Elijah rounds the couch and stops. His gaze falls on Eden, and he lets out a shaky breath. “What happened? Why is she tied up?”

I glare at him.

He turns his focus to me and winces. “I’m sorry, Asher. I didn’t send it to him on purpose. It was an accident.”

I don’t give a shit if it was an accident. It still happened, and now we have to clean up his mess and pray that Eden will still want us once it’s over.

Elijah glances at Eden again. I hate the soft glaze in his eyes when he looks at her. Is this how I look when I watch her every move?

“Do you plan to keep her tied up?” he says.

I shrug. “Until she comes around and promises she won’t leave us.”

His gaze snaps to my face, and he relaxes.

I scoff. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m still angry with you. I won’t keep her from you, either. If she still wants to be with you, then it’s her choice to make.”

“I’ll make sure she does.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He slips his hands into his pockets. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“How?”

“Just trust me in this.”

“I’m not sure I can do that.” I pull a sucker from my pocket and untwist the wrapping from the candy.

“Then you can help me or watch. I don’t care. Either way, I’ll take care of it.”

“Our father will find out. If he hasn’t already.” I pop the sucker into my mouth and roll it to one side. “Are you prepared for the talk with him?”

“I’ve been prepared since the night you popped her cherry and came inside her to get her pregnant.” He rolls his shoulders and levels his gaze on me. “Which is why it’s so important that we win her back. She could be carrying our child.”

I grunt and lean into my seat. Laying Eden’s legs over my lap, I relax into the couch and rub my thumb in small circles on her bare calf.

She could already be pregnant.

My cock jerks at the thought.