Read Online Sacrifice by Denise Grover Swank - Free Book Online

wood. “Move!”
    The log shot sideways a couple of feet, jerking and hopping before coming to a stop.
    “No. No. No.” Raphael groaned.
    “I’m trying!”
    He rubbed his face with his hands. “We’re not getting anywhere, so let’s call it a day. Besides,” he moved in front of her, looking into her face. “You look exhausted, and crying all night isn’t helping matters.”
    “What I do in the privacy of my own room isn’t any of your business.”
    “Wrong.” He took a step forward, his chest almost touching hers. “Sleeping falls under the same category as eating. It’s obvious that your lack of sleep is interfering with your progress, so you have two choices tonight. You either take medication to help you sleep or you let me help you sleep.”
    Fury instantly ignited. She could only imagine how he planned to help her go to sleep. “Don’t you even think about touching me.”
    “Then you’ll take medication.”
    “And if I refuse?”
    “I believe this falls under the ‘deemed necessary’ category.”
    She’d heard enough and spun around to march back to the house, when he grabbed her arm. His energy flowed through her, filling her with a need for more. She recognized it for what it was now, but she was clueless how to stop the flow. She doubted Raphael would ever teach her how to block it. It was his weapon against her.
    “I hate you,” she spit through her gritted teeth, forcing herself to stay in control.
    He pulled her against him and stared into her face. “You only think you do. One day you’ll thank me.”
    She closed her eyes to weaken her connection to him.
    “I can help you forget him.”
    Her eyes flew open and she tried to jerk out of his grasp. “No!”
    “Think about it, Emma. No more pain. No more loneliness.”
    She shook her head, frantic. He was capable of it and she knew he would do it. A sob escaped as she felt her body giving in to his. She had to fight this. “No, please, Raphael. Please . I’ve lost everything else. Don’t take that from me too.”
    Caressing her cheek, gentleness softened the anger in his eyes. “I only want to help you, Emma. I’m not your enemy.”
    “Then please don’t do this.” She hated begging, especially to him, but she couldn’t lose her memories of Will.
    “Then tonight you’ll take something to help you sleep and tomorrow we’ll start fresh.” He leaned forward, his lips brushing her cheek before he dropped his hold on her.
    She stumbled backward, hate filling her every cell. She hated him for taking advantage of her that way, but she hated her own body and its traitorous reaction even more. One day she’d figure out how to stop it. Then she’d turn it around and use it against him.
     
    ***
     
    Will had lost all track of time. His room had been dark since they’d thrown him in and he hadn’t seen anyone since. Which meant he hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink either. Gauging from his hunger and thirst, he suspected he’d been in the room at least a day, perhaps two. He’d finally resorted to crawling to the toilet and drinking from the bowl to stave off dehydration.
    He toggled between consciousness and sleep, spending hours caught in the in-between. Images of Emma filled his head from the few moments of memories he had of her. He had a bizarre need to know that his love for her was reciprocated. The horror on her face, after he first became aware of his surroundings, reassured his ego. The way she grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to safety. The panic in her voice as he ran off after the gunmen.
    If he’d stayed with her would she have been captured too? Or would they be somewhere safe and together now? Would holding her in his arms fill the ache in his soul?
    He replayed the scene over and over, his need to remember her so strong. He picked apart every detail. He spent the most time on the first few hazy moments when he tried to figure out where he was. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her tears wet his