Chapter 8

The large hand gripping the steering wheel gave a slight, almost unnoticeable tremble. He forced out a response from his throat, "Yeah." "Yeah?" Louise blinked in confusion. No man would just brush off the fact his wife had been to prison, right? "Aren't you even gonna ask why?" Dominic kept his eyes fixed on the road, driving at a steady pace, his tone calm. "Louise, we're just married. That's it." Her breath hitched. Right, they were just married. They hadn't even really gotten to know each other-barely met-and then walked straight into city hall and put a ring on it. Why was she expecting anything more? "Sorry, I just-" "The past doesn't matter to me." His voice was cool, distant, but he added it all the same. Louise gave a small nod and a smile. "Okay." The tension in the car eased a bit. A soft ballad played in the background, adding a mellow touch to the silence. "When are you planning to move in?" "Maybe in a bit. Can you drive me to the office?" "Right now?" She nodded. "Forgot something there. My car's still parked at the company, so you don't have to wait around for me." "Alright." After getting out of the car, Louise let out a heavy sigh. Even after all this time, seeing Edgar still hit her like a punch to the gut. Back when she first fell for him, she was just a teenager. They'd grown up together, made it through everything hand in hand... and just when it felt like they might finally make it, he'd been the one to throw her behind bars. She would find out the truth-why she'd suddenly woken up in another man's bed, and why Edgar hadn't even given her a chance to explain. No way she wasn't getting to the bottom of this. Pulling her car keys from her purse, she headed toward the parking lot. It was already late at night, and the building was pretty much empty. Still, Louise couldn't shake the feeling someone was behind her. She turned-nothing. But the unease was spreading through her, so she quickened her steps toward her spot. The click of her car unlocking echoed loudly in the silent underground lot, almost jarring. Just as her hand touched the door handle, she sensed someone close in fast. Before she could even react, a damp cloth was slapped over her mouth. Louise immediately fought her panic, forcing herself to stay clear-headed. This wasn't the first time-what she went through in prison had taught her to survive. Without thinking, she rammed her elbow backwards, dropping down fast to get away. Before the man could recover, she swung her leg and landed a solid kick to his face. The years inside had left scars, sure-but they'd also taught her how to fight. She'd hoped it would never come to this, definitely not so soon. She stared hard at the guy's face. "Who are you?" He groaned, clutching his mouth, but his eyes glinted with something cold and dangerous. "Who sent you?" She took two steps back, but the second her body moved, she knew something was wrong. That cloth... was laced-with sedative? Even those few seconds of contact were enough. The drug was way too strong. The man's face began to blur, doubling, swaying from side to side. Seeing that, the man smirked, cruelty written all over his face. "Miss Bennett, no point fighting it." "I'll pay you." "Don't want your money. What I want... is you." Her legs started to give out, and she collapsed onto the concrete. The last thing she saw was a pair of black leather shoes before everything went dark. "Damn it..." she cursed quietly before passing out completely.