I pulled away from him and stood up. I wiped away the tears and faced him. He was sitting up now too, bare chested in nothing but his briefs. The sun that flooded through the windows made him look like a fucking angel, and I would have believed it days ago. I might have crumbled then and there too had I not run Melinda’s scars through my mind. He did that to her, and he did this to me, and the difference was I didn’t want to be a photo sliding across a table in some police station, horrifying another poor victim.

“Who was before me?” I demanded.

His brows came together. “What do you mean?”

“Who were you with before me? I heard Jamie say her name once. Why can’t you say it to me now?”

“Melinda was her name.”

“And how long was that relationship?”

“Six months. But she was hardly a relationship to me.”

“Why?”

“Because we’d been more friends than anything else.”

“And when did your friendship-slash-relationship end?”

He looked puzzled at my series of questions. “Long before you, Claire.”

“And why did it end?”

His jaw locked tight. “She betrayed me.”

“How did she betray you?”

His face darkened. “Secrets.”

A chill danced down my spine. What did he mean by that?

“So you let her walk away?” I eventually asked, ignoring the fear warning me to stop pushing for answers.

“Of course I let her walk away.” Liar.

“And would you let me walk away?”

He froze, and then all at once he jumped out of the bed, present long forgotten. I backed away from him as he tried to approach me.

“Would you?” I pressed. “If I told you I wanted out right here and now, would you let me go?”

“No,” he answered solemnly, stopping in his steps. “I wouldn’t.”

“What if I had a secret?”

“Even if you had a secret.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re mine.”

The possessive tone in his voice chilled me to the bone. Hardman’s words echoed inside of me. You’re his property.

“I’m not yours,” I boldly replied, uncaring of the consequences. “I’m not some possession, Ben.”

“No, you’re not a possession,” he retorted sharply, towering over me. “You’re my heart. You possess me. And I can’t live without my bloody heart. I refuse to. You’re mine and I’m yours, and that’s how it’s always going to be. So there’s no way in hell you’re going to pull out of this after watching me fall for you. I won’t let you.”

He took one step closer to me and gripped me by the arm. Those grey eyes tore through my own as he growled, “And you better start getting that through your head. You’re not going anywhere.”

Too speechless to respond, he turned away from me and strode out, slamming the door shut behind him.

Never before had I been more confused about anything in my life. I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t. I could feel his love, and that couldn’t be faked.

Or could it?

Was this all a part of his game?

After some time, I grabbed the gift and tore the wrapping off. I opened the glossy box and saw a gold chain necklace with a beautiful green and blue boulder opal in an oval shape hanging from the chain. It must have been at least three carats.

My breath thinned and my body tensed.

What kind of monster would buy his plaything over a thousand dollars’ worth of jewellery?

Chapter Twenty-Three

I can and I will

He hadn’t said a word about our disastrous morning. He simply dressed and left the apartment, claiming he had business to sort out. I got dressed and left just as fast, ignoring Jamie’s paralysing glances on my way out. Did he hear our conversation? He slept in the third bedroom and I wasn’t sure how soundproof these walls were.

I was on my way home when my phone rang. I picked up upon seeing Hardman’s number, and didn’t get to say anything before he beat me to it.

“Pull over in the parking lot of the grade school around the corner to your house, Claire,” he told me before hanging up. “My partner and I will be waiting.”

I did as they asked and pulled into the parking lot. A grey sedan was parked in the far back corner alongside a fence. Hardman was standing tall with his back against the driver’s side door, and a redhead woman was standing in front of him. They both stopped talking and turned to me. I saw the woman’s young face pulled into a grim look that made me think whatever conversation they were having was not a friendly one.

I carefully stepped out of the car and faced them.

“How are you doing, Claire?” Hardman asked me with a worried look on his face.

I wanted to say I was doing alright. That I was pulling up well. That it wasn’t effecting me. But I couldn’t seem to manage the words out. My eyes immediately filled with tears.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted in a broken voice. “When he’s with me, he’s so genuine. Like he really loves me.”

Christ, why the hell was I saying this to them? It wasn’t like they’d care, but I needed them to remind me why I was doing this. To reiterate what had been said to me so I really didn’t imagine the entire thing.

“I know, I know,” he soothingly replied on a sigh, running his hand through his hair in resignation. “If I’d known this would happen, I’d have reached out sooner. I’m sorry, Claire. I’m sorry for all your pain. I feel like it’s my fault somehow. Maybe pulling out would be best.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” the redhead retorted. She looked at me hard and said, “That man has been through countless women. So don’t stand there and think you’re special, Miss Landon.”

“Stop it,” Hardman told her gruffly.

“No,” she argued. “Tell her about the damn footage if she doesn’t believe me.”

“What footage?” I asked.

Hardman’s jaw ticked as he glared at her before he turned to me. “Marla and I found some footage for you of the night you were attacked. Costigan was a block away. CCTV footage captured him speaking to Joshua Malik before they parted ways three hours prior to the attack. So we’re getting that investigation going for you, even if you pull out.”