Escape:Target D916 Book 2 |✓|

Chapter 34

Like a woman working 24/7, taking care of four kids on a small paycheck, a hard life, Julia felt massive relief when she finally caught a break. When her body finally was given the luxury to relax, lay and rest.

On feathers... Very soft, expensive feathers. Julia breathed out, wafting the manly scent left on them. The scent of flowers and almond, the flowers caused by her perfume and the almond, the natural scent in which she immersed herself every day that it began to become entwined with her natural scent.

Like a boulder had been lifted, she breathed out in bliss as she submerged herself further into the soft pillow she mistook for feathers or a misty powerful cloud. Either way never having to lay down, but sit, tilt her head causing neck aches, was much needed.

She heard a huff, one of not her own, and the bed she laid in sunk slowly, and an arm had been thrown over her body, curling into her stomach, gently caressing her soft, bruised, and scarred skin.

Her eyes fluttered open recognizing the person's touch. She knew it anywhere had she been touched previously that way thousands of times before. As he continued caressing her softly into a massage, her eyes focused on the watch, her watch that she assumed was taken off before she fell asleep, on the nightstand.

Her thoughts swarm in quickly. Grab it! Grab it hurry! No! It's too risky!

She closed her eyes, shaking the thoughts away because, after all, she endured, she couldn't risk it happening again. She remembered the steamy hot shower from yesterday. It was a big relief watching all the dried blood leave the water. So sore and bruised, she couldn't stand up, support herself and she had been grateful Daniel washed her body with such care and gentleness, she would've questioned if it was only an act to get in her good graces. Except, he hadn't tried to kiss her, touch her in any way.

He fed her as she lay in the bed. Desperate to gain her forgiveness, he massaged her entire body whispering of how sorry he was, and nothing would make up for what he did to her. He didn't drill her thighs with nails or stab her hands or send electric bolts through her body, but he did hit her, twice, and he had stabbed her thigh and he had given all the commands of her previous torture.

He had been at fault.

Taking a deep breath, she tensed as she felt his soft lips, the small hair of his stubble against her cheek, and his minty breath, evidence of brushing his teeth, being previously awake as he whispered. "Goodmorning"

He lowered to her back as she turned around, internally disappointed. Before, she saw someone who loves her unconditionally, with flaws but flaws she accepted and loved in return. A man she had a child by, laid in his bed every night with his arms around her, allowed him to hold her child, feed him, kiss him. She blinked back tears. Now... She saw a monster. A monster who didn't care for her like she thought, only using her for her technology skills. A monster who impregnated her seduced her with the fantasy of a family, a wedding, wealth, and happiness.

It was all bogus, she now realized.

Yes, she knew Draven was his brother before she told him she loved him. He told her out of vulnerability once, that Draven killed their father, and before she hated Draven for it, but now she assumed Daniel had told her to gain her favor, her sympathy. To motivate her to help enact his revenge on Draven.

At the time, for the man she loved of course she vowed to help him but as she watched Draven fall in love with Sabrina, heard their story through their conversations, their history, noticing just how much he truly loved her. Loved her much more, much deadly than Daniel to her. She realized; Draven was no monster. A cruel, horrible man who had done deeds that were unredeemable, not that he cared to be redeemed, but he wasn't a monster.