Chapter 2
“You’ve got two options, Juliana. Prison or my home. You don’t want me to report that my second wife is missing mysteriously now, do you? They’ll believe that the Crownes have a fucking curse on them.”
The man I have never uttered a single word to yet since that day in court, has made my life a living hell over the past five years, says towering over me.
Alaric Dean Crowne is not a simple man. He won’t forgive me.
I learned that the hard way and my second time in solitary confinement.
Well, no it wasn’t the solitary confinement, it was the simple fact that Alaric had the power to add three more years to my sentence.
Five years felt like an eternity there. No phone calls, no letters, and people treated me like the plague except for one woman, Beatrice but somehow the guards found out she was nice to me…
After that, she was gone. Transferred somewhere else.
I regret everything I’ve ever done. My guilt for taking Alaric Crowne’s wife and children eat at me everyday.
Over and over I see their bloody bodies like they had it in the courtroom when pictures were shoved in my face.
When I daydream, I see them telling me that I don’t deserve to live and when I shut my eyes to sleep, Alaric’s vengeful hazel eyes glare at me.
There is no peace and I understand that.
I really do. If I were a psychiatrist, I’d say that I was severely depressed but I can’t diagnose myself, even though the prison therapist said I showed signs of depression.
I can only take in my own ghastly reflection.
The glow in my brown skin is gone, my curves are hidden in my clothes and the only thing that’s full about me, is my hair.
Somehow, it agreed with prison and the coils thrived, the length of it grew down my back and the fullness of it made it easier for me to hide.
I don’t wish to stay around Alaric, I never would have appeared in his vicinity but now I have no choice.
Looking from Alaric to the prison gates that felt like a small box, I turn back to the man that is a monster to me. Was he always a monster or has he become one because of what I took away from him?
“I…” my voice seems to just lose itself at this moment.
“Speak up.” Alaric practically growls at me.
Looking up into his face, I can’t help but stare at him.
His angry face has been etched into my mind from the second he almost killed me in the private court room until now.
Even if I shut my eyes, I can see him. From his angry eyes that promised me nothing but punishment and anger to his size in not only stature but width.
Alaric Crowne is not someone I wanted to see as soon as I stepped out. I wanted to do something else, I wanted to try and move on with my life but he’s not going to allow that. He never will.
My heart races and everything in me wants to run away from the impending doom that’s going to become my new home and future.
I know that now and there’s no more fight in me. I’m tired.
“I’m sorry.” I whisper, trying not to lose my nerve or cry because that’s not who I am but unfortunately, spending these years in prison didn’t make me tougher; it changed me and made me a recluse. I have no friends and no family that I can go back to. My life is sad and meaningless.
“Do you want to disappear faster than you’ve spent in jail? Why don’t you shut the fuck up about that and get in the fucking car!”
Alaric runs a hand through his wavy hair, it flops back to its state of being in his face stopping at his cheeks and opens the door for me contrasting how everything about him screams, fear him, and he doesn’t have to ask me twice.
My heart beats as fast as a hummingbird pecking a tree as the white, hot anger flashes in his eyes and in them, I know there rests no remorse when it comes to my situation.
He doesn't want to hear my sorries or even know that I’m not trying to be on his good side.
I’m just trying to make amends. That’s what the prison therapist said I should do even though he won’t accept it but my therapist isn’t the one that just found out they’re tied to the one man that would drag me to hell to pay for my sins because he is the devil.
The door slams once I’m all the way in and my eyes land on another man.
A man who just gives me a hard look with his brown eyes that would make him beautiful if not for the look in them.
Taking in his features, I try to not gaze too long just in case he would help Alaric kill me and hide the body.
His warm golden brown skin is a couple shades lighter than mine but there is a richness to his that mine hasn’t seen in a long time.
Prison doesn’t necessarily cater to skin routines or give you something to make you look pretty.
I don’t doubt my beauty but there's just so much ugly that’s come my way that I don’t think I’ll ever feel beautiful again.
“Where are we going?” I brave it and ask Alaric.
“Your own personal hell, wife.” He adds a bite to his tone and it shuts me up quickly.