He takes a threatening step toward me, and my muscles quake. My brain is telling me to run, ordering me to, but looking at the man before me, there is no way I’ll get around him, and even if I do, I have no idea where I’ll go.
“Put the fork down before you hurt yourself. I told you I wasn’t going to hurt you, and I meant it.” He speaks gently to me like I’m a child, and I stare at him with confusion. His words don’t match his actions. His voice is a soft whisper and doesn’t match the devil persona he’s giving off. I can only assume this is some sick game to him.
“Not yet… you’re not hurting me yet, but you will. I’m not stupid. Why else would you kidnap me and lock me in a basement? Let me go, and I won’t call the police. I won’t tell anyone about what happened.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that, Dove,” he says, frowning and taking another step toward me. He lifts his hand, and I flinch, taking a step back to keep the distance between us.
“Can’t and won’t aren’t the same thing.” I look over his shoulder, trying to plan out my next move. It’s a mistake and one that’ll cost. He moves with lightning speed toward me. He’s going to kill me. All I can do is gasp as he grabs the wrist with the fork in it and squeezes hard enough to cause me to release it.
It falls to the floor, the sound of the metal bouncing across the tile fills the space. As if his touch burns my skin, I tug my arm out of his hold. His dark eyes narrow, and he looks at me like he wants to grab my hand again, but he refrains. Who is he? Why does he want me?
“Please, just let me go, please!” Panic is clawing at my insides.
Something resembling remorse flashes across his face but is soon replaced with an emotionless mask.
“Come, I’ll show you around, and if you behave, I’ll let you go into the library.”
Library? How can he act so normal, like nothing is wrong? Like he isn’t breaking the law? He has got to be out of his damn mind if he thinks I’m following him anywhere.
Lost in my thoughts, I forget he’s standing here, watching me, staring like he can see deep inside my soul. An involuntary shiver ripples down my back.
“You’re insane, psychotic.” I cross my arms over my chest, trying to make myself appear big when I feel like a tiny mouse trapped in a trap. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m not staying here. Just let me go. Whatever you want, I don’t have it. If it’s money or something, I have none. I have nothing, you chose the wrong girl.”
His lips twitch as if he wants to smile. “I’ve been called worse in my life, and I’ve most definitely chosen the right girl. I don’t want your money, Dove.” Taking another step, he crowds me. My heart thunders in my chest, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying out. The coppery tang of blood fills my cheek. He’s close enough for me to touch him now, and his nearness terrifies me almost as much as his distance. When he leans into my face, I catch a whiff of sweat, soap, and just man, “All I want is you, and now I have you. Right where I want you, so relax and let me show you around your new home.”
“My… my new home?” My lips tremble as I speak, and he pulls back a little, his eyes studying my face. Heat blooms in my cheeks at the inspection.
“Yes, your new home. I hope you’re happy with the accommodations. I wanted to be sure you are as comfortable as possible. I even brought Max since I know you love him so much.”
“M-Max?” I’m shocked. Shocked and terrified and confused. The reality of everything sinks in very slowly, and I realize then what I should’ve realized all along. Whoever this guy is, he’s never going to let me go.
10
Max must have heard us talking about him because, on cue, he appears in the kitchen. He purrs loudly as he wraps his body around the corner of the cabinet. Dove bends down to pick him up, holding him to her chest protectively. I do my best to understand her fear, but she should know better.
“If I really wanted to hurt you, I could’ve easily done so when you were knocked out.” I point out the obvious, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.
Although the whole I’ll stab you with a fork thing was quite adorable and turned me on a little bit. It’s cute that she thinks she can fight me off, that she can escape.
“I… I can’t stay here. No.” She shakes her head, strands of hair fall onto her face, and she looks up at me with panic in her blue eyes. “I won’t stay here. You can’t make me. I… I’ll scream. I’ll fight you. I will not let you keep me here.”
Each word is like a lash against my heart. Her words hurt me more than I expected them to. I knew she would want to escape, to fight me, but I never expected her to be so strong-willed. I realize instantly that I need to try a different approach, or I’m going to have to drug her again and tie her to the bed.
“Would it help you if I told you my name?”
Her eyes widen, and she looks shocked. “No! I don’t care about your name. I don’t care about any of this. I just…” She pauses and then darts forward, dropping Max in the process to run away from me. Like cats do, he lands on his feet and lets out a hiss as he scurries away.
Jesus Christ. This is turning out to be a shitshow. Now I’m going to have to do the one thing I don’t want to do. Her panic is out of control, and the only thing that’s going to keep her in line and make her see through the fog is fear.
I hate the idea of deceiving her like this, of threatening her, but it’s my last option before drugging her again.
“I tried to be kind, tried to reason with you, but my patience is wearing thin.” My voice drops and turns menacing as I chase after her. Without having a clue as to where she’s going, she runs back into the bedroom, basically trapping herself. Her determination is almost comical. She tries to shut the door behind her, but I block it with my foot.
“Please…” The anguish in her voice calls to me. It begs for my protection, but there’s no protecting her from me. At least not right now.
Like a trapped and wounded animal, she rushes around the bed, hiding on the other side. Ha, like a piece of furniture could protect her from me. I’ll rip the fucking thing apart piece by piece. Vibrating with frustration, I try to talk myself off the ledge.
My gaze collides with hers, and the softest whimper I’ve ever heard escapes her lips as I prowl toward the bed. She doesn’t know how dangerous this is for her. How easy it would be for me to let go and ruin everything.
There’s nothing to stop me from falling off the edge, no one to hold me back.
Standing next to the bed, her eyes dart to the door and back to me again. Back and forth, they move like a bouncy ball, and without her even knowing, she’s giving herself away.
I’m trained to kill, trained to see peoples’ next move. She’s a chessboard, and her face is giving away her next move.
Walking a little further into the room, I say, “If you don’t stop running from me, you’ll force my hand. You’re going to make me do something I’d rather not. I’m not a monster, Dove, but I’ll do what I have to, to prove my point.”
“I’m not scared of you,” she yells across the bed, her cheeks red. The tremble in her voice, giving away the lie.