Part 209 (1/2)

A wife was supposed to take care of her husband. That's why he'd

married her. She was supposed to take care of him, to help him get

where he wanted to go.

Maybe knocking her around had been a good thing. She'd sure as h.e.l.l

think twice before defying him again.

But, now that he'd shown her who was running things, he could afford to

be generous. Sweet little Emma, he thought. It only took a little

effort to manage her.

”Emma.” Carefully, avoiding the shards of the broken lamp, Drew crossed

to the bed. He watched her eyes open. Saw the fear. ”Oh, baby, I'm so

sorry.” She winced when he stroked her hair. ”I don't know what

happened. I just lost it. I deserve to be locked up.”

She didn't speak. Like an echo, he.r mother's thick apologies came back

to her.

”You have to forgive me, Emma. I love you so much. It was just the way

you were screaming at me, blaming me. It wasn't my fault.” He took her

rigid fingers and pressed them to his lips. ”I know those sc.u.m had no

right to be in here, in our room. But it wasn't my fault. I tossed

them out myself,” he improvised. ”It was just a rage,” he continued.

”When I saw them in here, I was so furious. Then you turned on me.”

She began to cry again, slow, silent tears that squeezed between her

tightly shut lashes.

”I'll never hurt you again, Emma. I swear it. I'll go away if you

want. You can divorce me. G.o.d knows what I'd do without you, but I

won't ask you to let me stay. It's just-Christ, it's just that

everything's piling up. The alb.u.m isn't selling as well as we expected.