Chapter 71
Elijah Vaughn
“If I were manipulating you… You wouldn’t have had any choice at all.”
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Those words weighed heavy inside me, slipping over my mind like invisible chains.
He was right.
Because, in the end, I was the one who chose to stay.
I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment.
“Now, take your medicine.”
His voice softened again, gentle and soothing, but still carried that dominant undertone.
“It’ll help with the pain and inflammation.”
He lifted the water bottle to my lips, helping me drink. I swallowed the pills with some difficulty, the cold liquid easing the dryness in my throat.
Once I was done, he guided me back onto the mattress, his touch careful yet firm. A small groan escaped me as my body throbbed with every bruise.
‘Easy now… You’re lying down, my little bunny.”
A soft kiss landed on the top of my head before he pulled back slightly.
Then, he fetched a bucket of water and a clean towel.
“Now, I need to clean your body so I can apply more ointment.”
His voice was calm, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
‘I brought the water this morning and waited for you to wake up.”
I sighed, turning my face away.
‘It’s embarrassing… being naked like this.”
A playful smile tugged at his lips.
“For me, it’s perfect.”
He replied, his eyes devouring every inch of me.
‘Having this masterpiece under my care is something magnificent.”
Before I could answer, he leaned down and pressed A soft kiss against my chest before beginning to clean me.
The water was cold.
A shiver ran through me at the first touch of the damp cloth.
‘I know it’s unpleasant, sweetheart.”
He ran the towel over my skin with uncommon tenderness, his voice soft and low.
Chapter 71
“But just hold on a little longer.”
The way he touched me felt strange, contradictory.
It didn’t match the brutality I had witnessed from him the day before, yet it didn’t feel false either.
The care was genuine.
And it felt… good.
I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again.
‘I could get used to this.”
He didn’t respond immediately.
He leaned down and pressed a slow kiss to my cheek, his warm breath brushing against my skin.
Then, a low chuckle escaped his lips.
‘I’ll only get more possessive about taking care of you.” His tone shifted, darkening with something more sinister. “So don’t give me that permission, bunny.
My breath caught.
‘Because if you do…”
His voice dropped to a low whisper as his fingers trailed slowly along the side of my face.
‘I might end up having complete control over you.”
The hungry glint in his eyes made me swallow hard.
‘I’m already crazy enough.” His voice dipped into an almost affectionate whisper. “Don’t test my madness.”
The threat was wrapped in sweetness.
But the weight behind it made my chest tighten.
I met his gaze, and all I saw was pure possession.
Something predatory. Non–negotiable.
But what do I really have left?
My life hasn’t been mine for a long time.
There’s nowhere left to run.
There’s no one out there waiting for me.
No friends.
My family sees me as dead.
Dante is all I have left.
And he wants to take care of me…
Chapter 71
Even if it’s twisted.
Even if it’s wrong.
Even if I know this isn’t love.
But so what?
What do I have to lose?
Nothing.
My throat dried.
My lips parted, the answer escaping before I could think twice.
“I have nothing to lose.”
The smile that formed on his lips was slow, dangerous, and satisfied.
“Then don’t regret your decision later, my Elijah.”
I let out a weak laugh, trying to break the suffocating tension between us.
“And you? Don’t regret it if I end up becoming dependent on you… and wanting to always be by your side.”
He laughed, but there was no humor in it.
There was something dark in the air… as if, in that instant, I had sealed my own fate.
“Regret it?”
He leaned closer, his eyes devouring every little reaction of mine.
“Bunny…” he whispered, his voice heavy with intoxicating promises. “That’s exactly what I want.”
I swallowed hard.
It was just a joke.
But his look didn’t seem like a joke.
Without another word, he went back to running the towel over my body, drying every part of me with patience.
Then, he took the ointment and began spreading it over the bruises on my stomach, my arms, and finally, my face.
His touch was gentle, almost reverent.
“Now, rest, my Elijah.”
His fingers slid over my face one last time before he stepped back slightly, watching me like I was something that could never escape his hands
And deep down, I knew I couldn’t,
With slow movements, he pulled the blanket pp, covering me to my waist. The warmth of the fabric contrasted with the cold still lingering over
I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion take over.
Chapter 71
The last thing I saw before sleep claimed me was his steady presence at my side.
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