Chapter 20

Damian's figure vanished completely at the top of the staircase. The door closed with a soft click, shutting out the world outside. All the tension instantly left Cynthia's body, and every ounce of strength drained from her. She slid down the cold wall and collapsed onto the floor. The pocketknife slipped from her fingers with a sharp clatter. A wave of exhaustion—one that came from surviving something horrific—crashed over her while her heart continued to pound wildly. When Damian had tried to force himself on her, the first face that flashed through her mind was Marcus'. Slightly dangerous, always mocking, yet his face was the one that always appeared when it mattered most. She remembered how he'd shielded her without a second thought. She remembered the certainty in his voice when he said, "With me here, he won't be able to touch a single hair on your head". And she remembered the worry and barely-contained fury in his eyes when he compromised and let her go. An unfamiliar, ach