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The last lock is at my fingertips now, and I’m sliding the deadbolt when his feet hit the top step. He’s descending them rapidly, and I can tell he’s not taking them one at a time, but likely two or three with each stride.
I cry out as the final lock pops, and I swing the door, frantically running through it before it’s fully open. The sun is bright as I step outside, making me squint as I run toward the front yard, dazed and confused. My ankle gives out when I go over the top of the stairs, causing me to fall all the way to the bottom.
Daring to take a glance behind me, I find Rhett bursting through the doorway, a feral look in his eyes.
Pushing myself up with my hands, I look around me, searching foranyonewho can help me. To my immediate disappointment, the only person I find is Jim, the one person who hates me more than I hate myself right now.
He’s staring at me as he waters his pots of flowers with his dog Gary lazily laying by his feet.
“Help me,” I call out, raising my hand toward him.
Jim’s face twists a little as he watches me, trying to figure out what I’m doing.
Rhett’s on me now, and he’s dragging me to my feet. Those big, calloused hands are wrapped around me like tight clamps, cutting off the circulation in my arms.
“Help me,” I cry out again, begging more this time. “Please!”
Gary stands and begins barking at us. Something in me tells me he’s not barking because he sees Rhett man-handling me, but because he wants us to go away.
Jim glances down at Gary, and then to the decorations still scattered throughout my yard several days after Halloween. Those dark, lifeless eyes linger on the decorations for far too long, and he doesn’t say anything when his eyes finally return to us. A wicked grin spreads across his face as he raises his hose to the next pot of flowers, turning his attention the other way.
We’re at the bottom of the stairs now, and Rhett is pulling me up them. Rather,draggingme up them.
“HELP!” I scream, desperate to get away before he gets me back inside.
Jim continues ignoring me, acting as though my entire world isn’t up in flames right now.
“Be quiet,” Rhett snaps, throwing his hand over my mouth when I start yelling at the top of my lungs. “Shut the fuck up or they’ll hear you and take you away from me.”
My eyes snap to him and I glare. That’s what I fuckingwantto happen. I keep forgetting how delusional this man really is.
I bite down on his hand, making him jerk back when my teeth break his skin.
“HELP!” I cry out again while kicking and clawing at Rhett.
He’s so much bigger than I am, completely unphased by my pathetic attempt at retaliation. He’s in full control and has been since the second we locked eyes at Rustic Roast. Tears stream down the sides of my face as I accept defeat.
The front door is still open, and Rhett easily pulls me through it. Once inside, he slams it shut with his foot. The walls rattle with how hard he closed it.
Rhett picks me up, throwing my entire body onto my L-shaped couch. I land with a soft thud, then use my elbows to scramble backwards until I hit the back of the couch.
“Just fucking kill me,” I spit, fire in my eyes. “Don’t torture me like this. Just kill me!”
A low, throaty laugh erupts from Rhett as he stalks toward me. “Kill you?” he smiles and tsks. “No. I intend tokeepyou, Cara.”
I shake my head, whimpering when the front of his knees hit the couch. “No.”
Rhett watches me for a moment, and I know he’s enjoying watching me squirm beneath his power. His eyes are dark, engulfed in rage.
“You know I have to punish you for what you’ve done.” My lips part as I inhale, shaking as he places his hands on both sides of me. “You’ve been behaving badly, little nightmare.”
The nickname rattles through me.
“I’m not the nightmare,” I suggest, my voice barely above a whisper, raising my chin to meet his gaze.
A sly smile tilts the corner of his mouth upward, and he sucks his bottom lip between his teeth.
“Aren’t you?” he cocks an eyebrow. “You’ve kept me up every night since the moment I laid eyes on you. Your tight cunt calls to me, drawing me in and swallowing me whole while I lose myself inside of you. You’ve wrapped your spell around me so tightly that I feel like I’m drowning.”
