Bending beside her, Nathan could see her drifting away from him. He wouldn’t allow it. Lately, she had forgotten who was in charge. That she was his to command. He wanted to kick her again, to smash at her fragile ribs, but he controlled the rage that poured into him. The pleas for mercy gratified him, but they were not enough. She had to understand where she belonged. To whom.

He slapped her then, so hard his ring dislodged and tumbled to the ground. When she barely reacted, he thought she wasn’t sufficiently afraid. Just because he’d never gone this far before, she doubted him. She wouldn’t after tonight. “Look at me, Analise!” he barked as he shoved his hand into his pocket.

She did and her eyes widened when she saw the gun. He held it steady, aimed at her head.

“God, Nathan. No. Please.”

“I told you not to leave me, Analise. I told you there was nowhere else to go. No one else to turn to.” Drawing the cool barrel along her chin, he relished the purity of the fear he could nearly touch. He slid the hard metal along her bruised cheek to rest at her temple. “Your parents are dead. You have no family, no friends. Why would you try to leave me?”

Because of what she’d heard. What she’d seen.

Through her terror, she remembered a time before him, though the memory was faint. In that time, before he came into her life, she had been strong and smart and sure. She had been brave. Then she would not have rocked in a corner, timid and broken. She would not have cowered in the dark, watching evil but saying nothing.

Yet she had been silent. She didn’t call the police. Instead, she’d run to the hills, hoping to hide from the monster who’d unmade her.

It was too late. He’d found her and he would kill her. With the remembrances of family dim, she imagined her life had begun with him.

Would end with him.

Prepared for death, Analise straightened, her chin lifting. “I saw what you did.”

“You saw nothing!” Amazed at her temerity, Nathan repeated, “You saw nothing!”

“I saw everything. Everything you’ve wanted to do to me but couldn’t. Couldn’t because you needed me.” Defiant, dead, she laughed bitterly. “All those times you told me how weak and pathetic I was, how worthless, it was you. Always you.”

“You are mine, Analise. I created you!”

The gun smashed into her cheek. Stars danced and she felt reality slipping away. “Created me? You stole from me! My ideas, my words. You took them from me.” Struggling to her feet, paying no heed to the gun and the pain, she made her voice strong for her final lie. “I called the police, Nathan. They’ll find you.”