Chapter 4
Travis didn’t even hesitate. “Sure–whatever makes you happy, sweetheart.‘
Blair finally smiled, dazzling and bright. Travis looked utterly enchanted, unable to tear his eyes away from her face.
Then, with a sudden flick of disgust in his gaze, he turned to me and barked at the bodyguard nearby, “What are you waiting for? Do what Miss Hawthorne just said!”
The bodyguard looked hesitant, even tried to speak. “But… Mr. Langley, it’s below freezing tonight and–Mrs. Langley, she…”
Blair’s face darkened, and she turned to leave. “Even your most loyal men answer to your ex–wife. How am I supposed to believe you’ll ever put me and my sister first?”
Travis rushed after her, wrapping his arms around her. “Okay, okay, sweetheart. Whatever you want, I’ll do it. I swear.”
Then he spun around and snapped at the bodyguard, “Move Now.”
I fought with everything I had, but they still shoved me into a cage.
Lila lifted Daisy by the tall and glanced back with a sickeningly sweet smile. “Travis, isn’t a slow–cooked rabbit stew just perfect to Jcelebrate our move–in? Warm, hearty… and fresh.”
“No!” I screamed, shaking the cage bars.
“Please! Please, Travis, don’t hurt Daisy!”
I dropped to my knees inside the cage, bowing my head over and over again, but Travis didn’t even look at me. He was too busy warming Blair’s delicate hands with his breath, eyes locked on her face with that same lovesick obsession.
Without a glance back, he slipped one arm around Blair’s waist, the other around Lila’s, and they disappeared into the villa together.
I kept screaming his name. Again and again. Like some cursed spirit howling through the night.
I don’t remember when the cold finally knocked me out. But when I came to, the scent of stew was wafting from inside the house.
A bowl of bone fragments sat in front of me.
My fingers clenched around Daisy’s harness, nails digging into my palm until it bled. “Travis Langley, I will never, ever forgive you.” But the next morning, I woke up
up in bed to see him sitting beside me, eyes red.
“You’re awake, Elise! Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”
He grabbed my hand, looking genuinely distressed.
I pulled away, face like stone. He just gripped tighter.
“About last night That was your f
fault. It was just a rabbit,”
“You should apologize to Blair later. She’s not petty–she’ll forgive you.”
My heart had long since gone numb. I closed my eyes, not wanting to engage.
But he just wouldn’t shut up.
Finally, I opened my mouth. “Where are we?”
Travis looked slightly uncomfortable. “Blair’s afraid of the dark. Lila likes open spaces. So I gave them the master and guest rooms.”
“Elise… just bear with the basement for now, okay?”
Right as he finished, his phone rang–loud and cheery
In his panic, he accidentally tapped speaker. Lila’s playful voice rang out. “Travis, where’d you go? The welding dress designer is here.
C
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