Chapter 21: Just a Pretty Thing

Evie Stanton

My face stung, Thane's hand closed over my shoulder. He dragged me behind him all the way back to his cabana. The crewmen stared at me. I could feel it, but I couldn't drag my eyes from my feet. I limped, stumbling over my throbbing ankle.

Complaints stuck in my throat. I couldn't find my voice, and I doubt he would listen to me anyway. I could still feel his hand squeezing my face. The rage glittering in his eyes, reminiscent of when he first saw my coat of arms.

I had forgotten what it looked like. The hurt. The tick in his jaw. A vein straining in his neck. The man who scared me.

Last night, I was in the eye of a hurricane. A moment of peace. Unbelievable bliss. But now the storm was moving. Swirling around me and dragging me beneath crippling winds.

A wall rose between Thane and me. I watched it. The moment his hand fell to his side, all empathy vanished.

I didn't recognize him anymore.

I don't think he recognized me, either.

Every word spilled fro