50. Reign

CHAPTER 50

Reign

“ S o they raided the cult?” I asked, fully understanding the magnitude of what Anna had escaped.

She nodded. Anna tucked her legs underneath her as I held her in my lap, pressing tender kisses to her head as she recollected the night that sealed her fate. The night she escaped.

“Yeah.” She ran a hand down her face, wiping at the tears that endlessly poured. “I was so confused back then. I didn’t have a clue what the police were. Father always told me they’d be the ones to tear us apart. To ruin everything.” She let out a laugh riddled with sarcasm. “I guess he ended up being right.”

Disgusted I said, “Don’t say that, vixen.” I turned her face up to look at me. “You were never meant to be his. For a litany of reasons.”

“I know that.” She turned her face away from me. “It’s just, even though I saw him get arrested, I saw them take him away.” She inhaled before finishing. Her eyes slid shut. “His words always rang through my head. I will come for you.”

“He won’t have you, Anna.”

She snuggled a bit closer to me. “How can you be so sure?” She thought for a moment. “He controlled me. Every single part of me for almost my entire life.”

I knew that feeling all too well.

“I just know the messages are from him.” She shook her head and stood up.

“What’re you doing?” I asked her, curiosity piqued as she moved around my apartment.

“I think,” she leaned her hands on the kitchen counter, closing her eyes again. She took a deep breath and turned to face me. “I think we should go back to my hometown.”

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