When she was this wild, he was a monster for her. He bruised her, took her blows, and fought to give her the pleasure she made him earn.

Cole had never been good with physical affection until her. Now his heart burned with their closeness—so much bigger and better than lust was this love.

What he had wanted the most as a child was a family, a family that treated him like a person and respected his space, his body, and his place in the world. He was never held with love until Mrs. D, who came along so many years into his childhood that he was almost out of it

She wanted to be physically punished now, and his hands were the safest place to become an object to be used.

Being a monster hasn’t saved anyone.” She choked on her sob, gasping for air. He pulled her into his arms, and she finally let herself be hugged.

Time was a villain who couldn’t be forgotten, but infamy would last forever.