“I promise to give you my tears.” A drop slid down my cheek, and he licked it up with a sigh. “Promise to give you my body, my soul,” my voice cracked. “Promise to give you my pain. Always.”

“That’s what I wanna hear.” He gathered my wrists in one hand and gripped my throat with the other. “I promise to cherish you.” His voice was laden with the oath of so much more. “I’ll spend forever earning your trust.” His fingers tightened, pressing against the staccato thump-thump-thump of my heartbeat pulsing in my neck, and my head started swimming. “I’ll fucking protect you with my life.”

“Rafe?” I rasped.

“What is it, baby?”

“I’m scared.” I thought I could handle him choking me, but the terror of him taking my air in his sleep held me captive. Something in him had changed—recovering his memories and spending six months apart had changed him. Changed us both.

“What are you scared of?”

“I don’t know.”

“Close your eyes.”

I did so, and he pounded into me with rough thrusts, increasing the pace, his breathing labored as he neared climax. “Feel me inside you? I’ll never hurt you. Do you trust me?”

“Y-yes.” I wanted to trust him.

“You’re mine. I never harm what’s mine.” The pressure on my throat intensified, and my eyes flew open. I couldn’t help it—I panicked. Screeching like a tortured animal, I tried wrenching my hands from his large fist, but he wouldn’t let go—of my wrists or my neck.

I flailed under the weight of him, my efforts useless, and eventually gave in to the inevitable, reminding myself that this was what I’d pleaded for months ago.

To be at his mercy. For him to take control.

To hurt me.

Be careful what you wish for.

He’d owned the darkness inside him, and nothing I did or said would stop him. He choked the breath from me without reservation, and the last thing I remembered was his whispered vow that he’d never let me go.

14. Addiction - Rafe

14. ADDICTION - RAFE

I clung to the high, to the memory of her struggle as I squeezed the breath from her. The last time I remembered coming that fucking hard was…

Back on the island, the first time I’d fucked her. The first time I’d choked her.

Oh hell.

This could become an addiction. Forget heroin or cocaine or even fucking ecstasy. All I needed was Alex’s throat trapped in the vise of my fingers while her deviant cunt gloved my cock.

A weak beam of moonlight filtered through her curtains, bathing her pale, sweat-doused skin. I traced the letters of my name and felt her belly rumble underneath my touch. Lifting my head, I took in her glazed-over expression, her limp arms above her head. She looked thoroughly fucked and much too satisfied.