Free Soul Catcher by E. L. Todd Page B

Clearly, Aleco wasn’t the type of man she was accustomed to. She felt guilty for immediately assuming the worst, but she couldn’t stop the wariness in her heart. He had no idea what she had experienced at the hands of the cruel man that raped her on a daily basis.
    “You’re welcome—again,” he said, startling her as he walked back through the opening. She jumped at the sound of his voice. “I really wish you would start trusting me.”
    “Coming from a man who never reveals an inch of his skin—not even his hands,” she said. Although she doubted Aleco would hurt her or press his advantage on her, she wouldn’t be stupid and put herself in a compromising situation. She couldn’t stop herself from being cautious.
    Aleco was unresponsive to her comment. He opened his storage of dried fruit and handed it to Accacia along with a cup of hot, black tea. “Accacia, if I was going to hurt you, I would have done it already,” he said, still annoyed by the insult. He may have been an asshole to her, but he never gave her any reason to fear him for a sinister motive. He wouldn’t have returned her to Father Giloth if his goal was to hurt her.
    She ate her breakfast in silence, ignoring his last comment. She couldn’t help but feel violated. She knew he had only undressed her to save her life, but she still felt frightened.
    “Fine, be that way,” he barked. Aleco returned the stone to the wooden chest at the foot of his bed and locked it once again, placing the key in his pocket. “I don’t know what happened to you, Accacia, but I can assure you, I am not like whoever it was that made you this way.”
    Accacia sipped her tea, her eyes locked on the dying fire. “Thank you for taking care of me, Aleco,” she said, attempting to change the subject.
    “For the third time,” he added.
    “Yes,” she laughed, “for the third time.”
    Aleco stared at her from the foot of the bed. Accacia felt his gaze on her face. His voice dropped to a whisper and made her skin prickle with unease. “I am not a selfless person, Accacia,” he threatened. “I require payment for my services.”
    Her eyes widened in surprise—she knew where this was going. Her heartbeat raced in alarm, and she felt frightened of what he would demand of her. His words were too similar; even his voice was too familiar. She felt perspiration drench her palms and the fear take over. She was in a secluded cave, alone with a man she hardly knew. Accacia suddenly felt stupid for making such a thoughtless decision. “Oh?” She ran her hand through her hair and tried to slow her beating heart, attempting to remain calm.
    Aleco sat at the edge of the bed directly before her and stared. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as she dreaded his next words. She wondered if he could hear it beating. “Tell me what I want to know,” he said. “Why were you at the Prisoner’s Circle? I know you already confessed a small part, but I need to know more—and you are going to tell me.”
    Accacia’s body flooded with relief. She was expecting a very different demand and she was elated to be wrong. The tightened hold on her heart loosened and she let herself breathe again. Lowering her hands from her strands of hair, she placed them in her lap. “I would rather not,” she said, as her heart filled with melancholy at the memory. She didn’t want to reminisce about her time with that perverse man and impart the tale to someone else, especially Aleco. She knew he would judge her immoral actions. She sipped her tea and looked away.
    “I don’t care what you want ,” he said. “I require it as payment. You should be grateful I am not asking for something more.”
    Accacia said nothing. He couldn’t force her to tell him anything—he had just indicated he would never harm her so the choice was hers. Even if she didn’t confide in him, he wouldn’t beat it out of her. She felt guilty for ever thinking it. Just because Aleco hid his face and was