Book excerpt: My husband hates me. But he’s also the only man who can save me. Taken by a stranger, Santiago is my only hope. Except that I don’t know if he’s dead or alive. And for as cruel as he can be, the thought he might be gone is unbearable. But he has nine lives, my monster. He’s not finished with me yet. And soon I’m back at The Manor. Locked in my room. At his mercy. I know I am despised. I know I have become the face of his vengeance. But there’s something else too. Something between us. It’s a dark and gnarled thing. And it has its claws around my heart.