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“A hammer,” I pant.
“Yes, Nora. What would you do with a hammer?”
“Smash it into your skull,” I moan. “I wouldn’t stop.”
“What about a bat?” he asks. “What would you do? You’re angry, Nora. What would you do?”
“Hit you,” I moan. “Over and over.”
“Come on, Nora. What else?” he asks, quickening his pace.
“Ass. I’d shove it in your ass. Deep,” I whimper.
“How deep?” he whispers in my ear.
“So fucking deep,” I moan. “Until there was blood. So much blood.”
“But what if you needed to come, Nora? Would you ride me while I died?”
“Yes!” I moan louder.
“Picture it, Nora. Smashing someone's skull. Being the last thing they see before they take their last breath. Knowing how far their mind allowed them to travel through trauma.”
“Oh, God. I’m going to come,” I whimper as he tightens his grip on my throat until I can’t breathe. He quickens his movements as I grip his wrists. He is hitting something inside me, and my eyes roll back as I desperately rock my hips. When I come, it is absolutely fucking blinding. The only thing I can think of is killing him. Over and over again, I would hurt him. I’ve never allowed myself to think such violent thoughts for so long. I have fought it for my entire life. I know I’m broken, but right now, broken doesn’t feel so bad.
When he lets me breathe, I relax as he pulls out of my pants. “No more,” he says quietly. “No more cuts. No more damage. Understand?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
Gabriel moves away from me, and I don’t know where he goes. He doesn’t make a sound, and I don’t bother looking for him. I button my pants and slide down the wall, pulling my knees to my chest.
Neither of us speaks another word or makes a sound until the lights finally come on, and the door unlocks.
“You two okay?” a guard asks, looking between Gabriel and me.
“Yes,” I say. “Can I leave now?”
“Yeah. Come on,” he says. “Ashcroft, sit tight. We will get you back in your cell when we have Stan from county come up.”
“Everything okay?” Gabriel asks as I stand.
“Cell Block D got a guard’s gun and shot all the guards there and in C,” he says. “They cut the power, and it was chaos until SWAT got in.”
I find my notebook and pen before slipping out of the room. The guard hurries me out of the building, and I try to remain calm as I practically run to my car.
The terrifying part isn’t that I thought he might kill me; it’s that somewhere during that riot I stopped believing he would.
Chapter Eleven
Nora
Liam is pissing me off, but it’s not his fault. I know he’s worried about me. I know he is just trying to check on me, but I don’t need help. I don’t need doting. I need space. I need peace and quiet, but he won’t stop fucking calling me.
When I hear knocking on my apartment door, I groan loudly. “Go away,” I say.
“I’m not going anywhere this time, baby,” Liam says.
“Liam… Please…”
