I take a long moment to myself, realizing that, in truth, Nyx isn't scared anymore…and I really fucking am.
"We've all been there, my friend," Chris says, like the wisest man in the village. "She's got you by the balls now."
A long pause. Nyx doesn't come back.
One more second.
One more…
"Well. Fuck."
I stand up in a rush, running to the door. Nyx is right there, walking the path that leads to the woods.
"Come back here, woman!" I shout as I run after her.
All I get is a middle finger, not even a look back.
"I swear to God, Nyx. Take one more step and you're being tied to my bed for the rest of the day."
She doesn't even shake. Doesn'tstop. I catch up with her, grabbing her by the upper arm and turning her around.
"I think you're mistaking my not being able to blackmail you with my not being able to make you do anything I want," I tell her. "Do you think you're free to walk away from this? From us?"
"There is nous," she says without hesitation as she tries to pull away. Good luck with that. "How many times do I have to tell you?"
"As many times as you wish, I don't give a shit. I'll find a hundred ways to keep you. Don't you get that? You need a house? Pick any you want, as long as it's near me. Pick my fucking bed. Close your eyes and point at whichever mansion around here, for all I care, and it's yours. But you're not going back there, far from me, where people don't treat you the way you deserve. Your life is here now. With me. In a place where I will cherish and value your talent, your beauty, your exceptionality. Am I fucking clear on that?"
Her lower lip trembles, and I rub it with my thumb.
"But I want to be home."
"No." It sounds dangerous, fatal, and selfish. All the things I am.
"I hate you," she croaks, her pretty brown eyes meeting mine.
"Doesn't matter. I have the rest of my life to make you change your mind, and I will."
"You're self-serving, arrogant, and manipulative. You think the world belongs to you and that you're above everything."
"You bet your ass I do. It's the truth. Now come back to bed and rest. We need to check on your hand and make sure the cuts are healing."
She opens her mouth, probably to tell me to fuck off, when sirens resonate all around us. Cop cars speed down the road, surrounding us in a matter of seconds.
"Nyx Mayer," one of them calls out as they exit their vehicles. "You're being detained for questioning."
"What?" she gasps as he stops right in front of her.
He grabs her arm roughly, but I still haven't let go on my side.
"What are you doing?" I ask gravely.
"As I just mentioned, we're taking her to the station for questioning."
He pulls, and she looks at me, her wide eyes filling with tears. "I haven't done anything," she panics.
She doesn't even know Chase is dead.
"Sir, let go," the cop tells me, much more professionally than he did when he talked to her.
