Renegade by Madilyn DeRose

Author:Madilyn DeRose [DeRose, Madilyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 32

2019

Keller

Pacing the length of Atlas’ great room, I tried to keep myself from completely spiraling. I hadn’t been able to find Hannah for two fucking days and I’d been a wreck. I thought she’d run away, but last night I’d seen her slip into her room.

She was avoiding me, then. I hated that. It wasn’t the way things were supposed to go and if I was more like my father, I might have punished her for it. I didn’t want to hurt her, though, which was why I made sure not to let on that anything was wrong. If he caught wind of it, he’d make me do something I didn’t want to do.

We had to figure this out. The wedding was just around the corner and I didn’t want that to be the first time I saw her in days. She wasn’t a coward, so her attempts to hide from me made no sense.

Squaring my shoulders, I marched into the hallway and stopped in front of her door. I knocked, then tapped my fingers on my thigh as I waited.

Sixty taps. Two hundred taps. Two fifty.

Grabbing the doorknob, I tried to turn it, but it was locked. I’d been snooping around this place since I was little, so her attempts to keep me out wouldn’t work. I knew exactly how to shimmy my knife between the gap in the door and force the lock to give.

There was a gasp when I walked into the room and Hannah pulled the covers up to her chin. It was after ten, so I found it strange that she was still in bed. At first, I had an intense fear that she was in here with someone, but the rest of the room was empty.

Closing the door behind me, I headed cautiously over to the bed. Her eyes tracked me the whole time, a mixture of curiosity and concern evident there. Swallowing, I sat on the edge, the sting in my palm helping to distract me.

“Why are you in here?” she asked softly.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“No, I…” She sighed. “Okay, maybe I have been.”

“If I did something to offend you, I’m sorry.”

Apologizing was weak. It had slipped out and she was going to lose all respect for me. I wasn’t fit to run this place after my father.

She grabbed my hand, startling me. I shifted, turning to face her.

“You didn’t do anything, Keller.”

“Then tell me what’s wrong.”

“If I’m honest, you won’t hurt me?”

“Of course not.” I squeezed her hand, hating the uncertainty she felt about my intentions.

“I’m not going to stay.”

My gut clenched. “Hannah, whatever is going on, we can figure it out. If it’s Camilla and Blair, I’ll kill them for making you feel this way.”

“It’s not that. I just don’t want to be here. I want to live out there.”

“I don’t understand. This is where you belong. You’re going to be part of our mission. It’s an honor to be married to me.”

Her lips pulled to the side. “You don’t know any different.

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