QUOTE : Why?” Taylor froze and straightened from where he’d been bending down to grab the food—his eyes were massive when I looked up at him. “Why did I buy you all that?” Shaking my head, I wiped away tears with my free hand and cleared my throat in preparation of speaking again. “Why did you take me?” “You will never understand how sorry I am,” he stated. “If you’re sorry, then why?” “I didn’t have a choice.” I could see the torment in his dark eyes, and I didn’t understand it. My voice was still rough and low as I forced out, “But why am I here? What was the reason for taking me?” He ran his hands through his hair and seemed to scramble for the right words to say. After a few moments of floundering, he exhaled roughly and shrugged. “I can’t tell you. Just know that I didn’t want to be a part of this and I’m sorry.” The depth of his apology had my mind traveling down a path I hadn’t once considered since being taken, and I gasped loudly before I could cover my mouth. “Is he okay? Kash, is he okay? You didn’t hurt him, did you?” “We aren’t touching him. He’s . . . safe.” The confusion on my face must have prompted him to continue. “I doubt he’s fine because you’re gone, but as long as you’re here, he’s safe. We aren’t going to physically do anything to him.” “And—and me?” He’d started to bend down to the food again, but his dark eyes flashed back to mine at my question. “I’ll never hurt you.” I