“You’ll be proven wrong.”
“I see what you refuse to.”
I peer at him. “Which is?”
“You’re in love.” Jensen drops his two cents and goes back inside.
He’s mistaken. I’m in lust and possessive of her but definitely not in love. I head to my room to check my cell for any missed calls or texts from Pepper. Seeing there are none, I give her a ring, but she doesn’t answer. I access her condo’s video feed. It’s empty and dark. I call a second time and get her voicemail again. Where the fuck is she? In seconds, Pepper’s location is pinpointed through the GPS chip I installed in her phone. Something in me snaps. I’m on a warpath, my destination… Denver.
I’m a wretch for ignoring Dom but couldn’t chance him hearing the noise in the background. I’ll return his call when it’s quiet and I’m alone. Grant, Mia’s sexy new neighbor, and I gyrate to the music on the dance floor. My feet ache, but I’m having the time of my life. We hit it off at the house. He’s charming and funny. I would be into him if my heart wasn’t set on Dom. Grant grasps my hips and brings me closer. I’m tipsy, bordering on drunk. The alcohol Mia convinced me to consume vanquished my insecurities. A sudden chill envelops me, prickling my skin. Someone is watching me. The foreboding is so thick, it tightens my chest, suffocating me. Danger is imminent. I step away from my partner and hastily survey the dimly lit building, searching for the unknown threat.
“Are you okay?” Grant asks.
“I have to go.”
“Why?” Confusion is evident in his tone.
“I’m sorry.”
I push through the swarm of clubgoers, needing to flee the invisible menace closing in on me. I stop dead in my tracks, spotting a figure silhouetted in darkness directly ahead of me. There he is. My phantom in the flesh.Dom. Though his face is hidden in shadows, I have no doubt it’s him. If I were blindfolded in a room full of people, I’d single him out. His energy will forever draw me to him. My surroundings fade, ceasing to exist. It’s just him and me. Running and hiding is senseless. He’ll capture me and seek retribution for my insubordination. It’s better for me to accept the inevitable. I move forward until the tips of my breasts brush against him. Outwardly, he appears calm, but the wrath in his eyes belies that notion. He turns on his heel and walks towards the exit. I quietly follow. The street is mostly empty, save for a few inebriated stragglers. My footwear prohibits me from matching Dom’s long strides.
“How did you find me?” My question is met with silence. “I had to come.”
In the blink of an eye, Dom grabs my hair and drags me down a nearby alley. He flings me onto the worn pavement. I flip to my bottom and scuttle backwards. My palms and knees are scraped raw, absorbing the brunt of the fall.
“What are you going to do?”
He undoes his belt buckle and pulls the thick black band from the loops. Oh my God. He’s going to beat me.
“Somebody help me! He’s crazy!” I yell, crawling away.
He lies on top of me and wraps the strap around my throat, strangling me. I twist and wiggle, but he’s too heavy to dislodge. Dom pushes my face into the small puddle of water formed by a pit in the concrete. Surely, I won’t meet my demise at such a young age. I pray, asking God to spare me. Suddenly, Dom’s oppressive weight disappears. I roll over, coughing and gasping for breath. A stranger came to my rescue, but Dom pummels the poor soul in a psychotic rage. I look on, horrified at the display of savagery. This man will die because of me.
“Stop!” I shout.
An uppercut sends my champion crumpling to the cement. He doesn’t move. Oh no. Is he dead? Dom lifts the motionless man and throws him into the dumpster, then shuts the lid. I get up and stumble down the alley, but a barrier blocks my escape.
“There’s nowhere to go, Pepper,” Dom taunts. “Scream for help again. I’ll drop your next hero and toss him into the garbage too.”
Desperate, I latch on to the chain-link fence and climb.
Dom laughs maniacally. “You’re right to be afraid.”
He takes ahold of the belt still firmly secured around my neck and gives a sharp tug. I crash onto the ground.
“I’ll never disobey you again,” I weep, my stomach churning in fear.
I’m hauled to my feet and thrown against the steel wire. “Pull your dress up, then hold on to the fence.”
I expose my backside and place my hands where directed.
“Phenomenal,” he says in reverence, tracing the waistband of my thong. “Did you wear these for the motherfucker you were dancing with?”
“No. I swear.”
“You’re due for an ass whooping. Twenty-one strikes is fitting for your disobedience.” His palm cracks across my rear end, jolting me. “Count.”
“Please don’t do this!” I wail, tears streaming from my eyes.
