The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 125

“Who hit you?! Who did this to your neck?!” Jamie demanded, his voice sharp with anger. He quickly raised his hand, his thumb gently brushing against the red mark on her cheek.

Her face was ashen, drained of all color except for the angry red swelling on her cheek. Her eyes were bloodshot and dull, though a flicker of defiance and fear still lurked in their depths. Her once soft, pink lips were now chapped and dry, threatening to crack with every slight tremble. She looked as though she had endured a terrible sickness or some profound tragedy.

Jamie’s Adam’s apple bobbed. A twenty-five-year-old woman who had never known real hardship… a night locked in here must have terrified her. And yet, even after he had come for her, she had tried to run away, as if she would rather stay in this place than leave with him.

Just how much did she despise him?

When Suzie didn't answer, he asked again, his tone hardening. “Was it the police during the interrogation…”

“No,” she muttered, turning her head away.

Jamie took a moment to compose himself. “Who hit you?” he asked again, his voice now a low, husky growl. “Tell me their name.”

As he spoke, he gently took her hand, his fingers wrapping around hers, holding it tight.

At that moment, Suzie felt a lump form in her throat. The warmth of his large hand enveloping her cold one was something she had once longed for, a hopeless fantasy. He had never held her hand like this before.

Her thoughts spiraled out of control. In the next second, Chloe’s venomous words echoed in her mind.

“You have a pretty face, but you’re as exciting as a dead fish.”

“I only have one good arm right now, so I can’t carry you,” Jamie’s voice broke the silence. “Come with me.” With that, he began to lead her toward the exit.

“Let go of me! This has nothing to do with you!”

Fueled by a rising tide of emotion, Suzie forgot all about the suffering she had just endured. Her only instinct was to resist him.

Jamie stopped abruptly. He turned his head slightly, his voice soft. “Are you sure? Or would you rather find out what prison food tastes like?”

Suzie flinched. His words hit a nerve, and her confidence wavered, but she remained defiant. “I haven’t committed a crime. Why would I go to prison? Once the police finish their investigation, they’ll have to let me go.”