Free Bound by Steel by Connie Lafortune Page A

when Gage’s sweet face flickers in my mind’s eye, I’m remorseful. I slept with another man. No, Lyra, you fucked him! Oh sweet Jesus, how can Gage ever forgive me for what I’ve done? I press my knees tightly against my chest and wrap my arms around them. Now I’m sobbing like a child as guilt chews me up, only to spit me back out. Until I feel empty and alone.
    I feel Ryker, long before I can see him. He has such a commanding presence that when he enters a room, my body senses him long before my mind acknowledges him. I take a shuddering breath when his hand gently squeezes my shoulder. “What’s wrong, Lyra?”
    Is he effing kidding? He kidnapped me, fucked me, and refuses to let me leave and he has the audacity to ask what’s wrong? The next thing I know, I’m hurling myself at him once again. Sending my abandoned mug crashing to the floor. When my fists begin pounding against his solid chest, he grabs ahold of my wrists in one hand and spins me around with the other. Everything happens so fast that it leaves me breathless. And I’m pissed when his right arm immobilizes me with such force that I can barely breathe. “Take a few deep breaths and I’ll let you go. Breathe, precious.”
    “What’s the matter, Ryker? Did you forget to bring a syringe today?” Immediately, he loosens his hold on me, but doesn’t let go. Without the pressure, my chest heaves. Sweet air fills my lungs to near bursting, making me lightheaded and dizzy. Together, we walk back to the window ledge and he sets me down. Pressing his hand to the back of my neck, he pushes my head down between my knees. When I begin to struggle, he says, “You’re hyperventilating, Lyra. Don’t fight me!”
    As soon as I relax, he lets go. So why am I sad? Isn’t that what I wanted? For him to leave me alone in the only room where I can actually be Lyra Rose Harper and not his ‘precious’? Ryker needs to know how I really feel before my body betrays me. I slowly raise my head with my eyes closed so the room isn’t spinning around me. And after I’ve composed myself, only then do I begin to speak in a calm and rational manner. “I’m sorry if I’m out of control, but wouldn’t you feel a little frantic if you were cooped up day in and day out? With the exception of my little ‘excursion,’ I’ve been stuck in this damn house for over two months now. I need fresh air, Ryker. I need to feel the warmth of the sun against my skin. And the only time I have is in this room with my face pressed against the cold window.” As hard as I’m trying to keep it together, my voice starts to tremble.
    “Precious, I thought we had an understanding…”
    “My name’s Lyra! Not ‘precious’. I have loving parents and a boyfriend who adores me. I had a job I loved and the most amazing friends. Because of you, I will never see any of them again. And to top it all off, you fucked me without any protection. So now I’m going to be a dying pregnant woman because of some communicable disease you picked up from The Pleasure Palace.” I’m so angry that I hadn’t realized I was poking his chest with my index finger. Until he grabs my wrist and I fall apart.
    I feel myself floating as a pair of strong arms lifts me into the air. Ryker cradles me in his lap before sitting in the chair. I want to hate him so badly but when his large hands begin to gently stroke my back, I just can’t. His voice sounds thick with emotion when he speaks. “Lyra is a very beautiful name but you will always be precious to me.” I shiver when his lips lightly graze the corner of my mouth. “And I’ve already given you my word that one day you will be reunited with your loved ones. I’m sorry if I can’t be more date-specific, but it will happen. And since I’ve only ever had one partner at The Pleasure Palace and I’ve always worn a condom, I think it’s safe to say you won’t die of any diseases in the near future. And you can’t get pregnant because you have an