Chapter 25

James buried his face against her shoulder, his breath heavy with suppressed longing. Right then, Emily stirred awake. Feeling the man's breath near her neck, her shoulder trembled slightly. "Why did you save me? Why won't you even let me die?" Her voice was raspy and broken, like a punch straight to James's gut. He lifted his head and froze when he saw the emptiness in her eyes, the kind of lifeless look that could burn someone from the inside out. His throat tightened, but no words came out. Why had he saved her? Because her life meant more to him than his own... With a grim expression, James forced her mouth open and kissed her rough and deep, invading every inch until her breath turned chaotic. It wasn't until he saw the dead stillness in her eyes begin to melt into confusion and tears that he finally pulled away. He let out a cold chuckle, dragging his thumb gently across her swollen lips. "Because your life belongs to me. If I don't say so, you're not allowed to die." Long after