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Authors: Vanessa Riley
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you."
She shook her head, causing a long dark braid to unravel from her chignon. It fluttered like a flag along her straight posture, down to her waist. Definitely something to pledge allegiance to.
"I didn't tell you, Barr. You deserved to know. You deserved better."
He slid his hands from the canopy and switched his gaze from her satin hair to her curvy hips. Still not a good option if this conversation would lead to continued celibacy. His eyelids shuttered close. He waited for her complaint. "Just say it, Amora."
"A long time ago, eight months before you returned from the Peninsula. I was …" Her voice shook with sobs. She sounded as if she were drowning. "It happened."
The urge to save her, to keep her safe in his arms surged in his veins, but he forced his feet to stay put. "I won't argue. I'll accept what you say. I want to make you happy, more than ever. I lov--"
"Abducted." She pivoted, faced him, and finished. "I was abducted."
She moved toward him. Her gait was slow like the world had stopped. His definitely had.
Something dragged on his arm. Was it her palm? He couldn't tell. His gut stung from an unseen punch. He almost doubled over trying to catch a breath. Everything burned. His chest. His lungs. His heart.
"I was abducted, Barr. Say something."
He watched her lips move. Witnessed sighs, the blinking of eyes pregnant with tears, but he couldn't comprehend any of her words beyond abducted .
"Barrington, I was. And I hid it in lies."
Abducted, taken, forced. Euphemisms for rape. No, that couldn't be what happened. And Amora wouldn't lie. Not his Amora. "Not true."
She shook her head. His gut knotted, and then broke into pieces.
Abducted.
And she lied.
Lied about something so horrible.
Didn't trust him enough to know the truth.
Didn't love him enough and chose a lie.
Unsteady, he shifted his legs and wobbled to the open side of the bedframe. He sat, more like dropped onto the mattress. Another inch and he'd surely have hit the floor.
She followed and knelt at his side. Her eyes mirrored glass. "Say something. I fear your opinions."
Her fears? That was her concern, not destroying the illusion he believed his life.
"Please, Barr. Tell me your thoughts."
Did the memories of the abduction spurn her nervousness, the questioning if he'd ever come home? Did it send her into a fit that killed their child? He wiped his dry mouth and put a hand over his shriveling heart. "I don't…don't know what to say."
"You're a barrister. Asking questions is in your blood." She rubbed at her temples. "Make this a courtroom. Ask, then judge, then condemn."
Fat droplets rolled down her cheeks. She crossed her arms and hugged herself as if chilled, but the window was closed. "Just do it. I've tortured myself for far too long waiting for this day."
Her words sounded brave. But she trembled.
He'd seen witnesses this scared. They had to be handled with great care. He cupped her ice cold hands and coddled it against his knee. "Tell me what happened."
"I fought him. But he, he str-uck m-me." Her shoulders shook. Her voice rose, terror present in each winded syllable. "My… my fault. Should'a been more careful, more watch--ful."
How could he hear any sordid details with her becoming hysterical? His insides stewed, yet he swallowed his own anger and his questions and gathered her into his arms. "You don't have to say any more. Please calm, my love."
She pulled back and put a shaking palm to his cheek. "Mother said you would hate me if you knew. I can't live with you hating me."
"Never. I could never do that. The war shouldn't have lasted so long. Even a good girl can be tricked and made vulnerable."
"I wasn't careful. I was so upset over Papa's death. I didn't think."
What exactly was she admitting to? An abduction or a seduction? All afternoon, he'd read account after account of alleged Dark Walk Abductor victims. More than half of the statements weren't credible. A handful,
She shook her head, causing a long dark braid to unravel from her chignon. It fluttered like a flag along her straight posture, down to her waist. Definitely something to pledge allegiance to.
"I didn't tell you, Barr. You deserved to know. You deserved better."
He slid his hands from the canopy and switched his gaze from her satin hair to her curvy hips. Still not a good option if this conversation would lead to continued celibacy. His eyelids shuttered close. He waited for her complaint. "Just say it, Amora."
"A long time ago, eight months before you returned from the Peninsula. I was …" Her voice shook with sobs. She sounded as if she were drowning. "It happened."
The urge to save her, to keep her safe in his arms surged in his veins, but he forced his feet to stay put. "I won't argue. I'll accept what you say. I want to make you happy, more than ever. I lov--"
"Abducted." She pivoted, faced him, and finished. "I was abducted."
She moved toward him. Her gait was slow like the world had stopped. His definitely had.
Something dragged on his arm. Was it her palm? He couldn't tell. His gut stung from an unseen punch. He almost doubled over trying to catch a breath. Everything burned. His chest. His lungs. His heart.
"I was abducted, Barr. Say something."
He watched her lips move. Witnessed sighs, the blinking of eyes pregnant with tears, but he couldn't comprehend any of her words beyond abducted .
"Barrington, I was. And I hid it in lies."
Abducted, taken, forced. Euphemisms for rape. No, that couldn't be what happened. And Amora wouldn't lie. Not his Amora. "Not true."
She shook her head. His gut knotted, and then broke into pieces.
Abducted.
And she lied.
Lied about something so horrible.
Didn't trust him enough to know the truth.
Didn't love him enough and chose a lie.
Unsteady, he shifted his legs and wobbled to the open side of the bedframe. He sat, more like dropped onto the mattress. Another inch and he'd surely have hit the floor.
She followed and knelt at his side. Her eyes mirrored glass. "Say something. I fear your opinions."
Her fears? That was her concern, not destroying the illusion he believed his life.
"Please, Barr. Tell me your thoughts."
Did the memories of the abduction spurn her nervousness, the questioning if he'd ever come home? Did it send her into a fit that killed their child? He wiped his dry mouth and put a hand over his shriveling heart. "I don't…don't know what to say."
"You're a barrister. Asking questions is in your blood." She rubbed at her temples. "Make this a courtroom. Ask, then judge, then condemn."
Fat droplets rolled down her cheeks. She crossed her arms and hugged herself as if chilled, but the window was closed. "Just do it. I've tortured myself for far too long waiting for this day."
Her words sounded brave. But she trembled.
He'd seen witnesses this scared. They had to be handled with great care. He cupped her ice cold hands and coddled it against his knee. "Tell me what happened."
"I fought him. But he, he str-uck m-me." Her shoulders shook. Her voice rose, terror present in each winded syllable. "My… my fault. Should'a been more careful, more watch--ful."
How could he hear any sordid details with her becoming hysterical? His insides stewed, yet he swallowed his own anger and his questions and gathered her into his arms. "You don't have to say any more. Please calm, my love."
She pulled back and put a shaking palm to his cheek. "Mother said you would hate me if you knew. I can't live with you hating me."
"Never. I could never do that. The war shouldn't have lasted so long. Even a good girl can be tricked and made vulnerable."
"I wasn't careful. I was so upset over Papa's death. I didn't think."
What exactly was she admitting to? An abduction or a seduction? All afternoon, he'd read account after account of alleged Dark Walk Abductor victims. More than half of the statements weren't credible. A handful,
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