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"Snored him and went on, her eyes locked on sohtmare

"There was blood everywhere The floor, the walls It was as though he purposely splattered it There was one wonizable as a woman or even a human He’d tortured her so badly that all that remained waspulp," she said in horror "But there was one as alive The one he was playing with and toying with And what he said to her God, I’ll never forget what he said to her as long as I live"

Wade squeezed her but reized to her Told her he was sorry but that he couldn’t ever do these things to his precious love That I was perfect and he would never touch her-- aboutbut love and tenderness and so he had no choice but to slake his desires on other woh, that he wouldn’t keep her er That her torment would end today and she would finally be at peace Then he asked her to forgive hiive him! I wanted to throw up I wanted to scream I wanted to save her, but all I did was stand there where he couldn’t see usted that I couldn’t ive hied that he killed her right there in front of

He buried his face in her hair and rocked her gently back and forth, holding her as she treot out of there as quickly as I could and went to the police They called the DA in immediately and questioned me for hours Asked et" She shuddered "I’ll never forget I still see those iht Not a day has passed that I don’t remember"

"So what happened then?" Wade asked

"They arrested hier there and neither was the woman he killed while I was there but there was blood everywhere and they found DNA to match the women they’d already found the bodies of as well as DNA to match the as of yet undiscovered bodies"

"You had to testify," Wade said grimly

She nodded "It ful The defense painted er with a fixation--obsession--with Thoe that I launched a sick vendetta against him But the evidence was such that they didn’t even need my eyewitness account He was sentenced to five consecutive lifetimes behind bars"

Wade’s brow furrowed "Then why" His voice trailed off trying toDA a feeeks ago," she said bitterly "He toldcops The cop testified under oath that he’d tampered with evidence in order to make the case a slaator never did any such thing, but if Thoet to him then he would have been coardless of whether he was telling the truth or not As a result, Thomas’s conviction was overturned and he’ll be a free man in two days"

Wade’s blood froze Noas all starting to coether and make sense Why Eliza had severed all ties with the people she loved and why she was on a veritable suicideconfirh with the arsenal she was packing and the fact she’d sent what aoodbye letter to Gracie and the others, he kneas not wrong in his assumption of her plans, he tipped her chin up so she was forced tohere, Eliza?" he asked in a dangerously quiet voice "And what did you mean when you said you’diuy never know of your association with the people you’re close to in Houston? Why the fuck would you go off alone like you have no help, no one to have your back?"

She made a sound of frustration "Because he will kill anyone I love Anyone who has had any part of my life He’s obsessed withof re anyone he viewed as competition for my affection He wants me to himself He wants to be the only person in my life He wants me completely and wholly dependent on him in every way"

Wade processed her stateuy, he didn’t find that hard to believe The guy was one sick fuck, no tays about it

"I thought" She broke off as grief washed over her already hollow features "I thought he would be in prison the rest of his life That I was free and that I could start over Do you know that Eliza Cuistered the shock he was feeling

"I had it legally changed I wanted nothing to do with the life I was leaving No reer wanted to be that person and so I started over New na that caht I’d left it all behind That I was safe to actually lead a normal life I couldof love and not the sick, twisted thing Thomas professed to be love If I had known, if I’d had any idea he would go free I would have never allowed et close to anyone I would have never risked the people I love that way But now I’ve le one of you as threats and he’ll go after every one of you and I can’t let that happen, Wade I can’t"

"So you decided to take hirim

She sed and nodded

"And he would know about the people you cared about and especially that Iyour mind"

A spasm of pain rippled across her delicate features "Yes," she whispered

He gave her an exasperated look "Did it ever occur to you to stay the hell away froive him that opportunity? He wouldn’t have found you in Houston and if he had, he would have been taken out and not by you"

She lifted her chin in defiance, a spark lighting her eyes giving hie satisfaction to see rerief and self-recrimination