Fingertips press into the darkest bruises, just enough to send sharp pain curling through my nerves.
“You feel so good like this, little monster. So soft. So breakable. I could do it now. Slip inside you. Crack you open. Pull you apart, piece by piece. No one’s here to stop me. No one’s coming. Not even him.”
The fingers pause, pressing just a little harder.
“You know,” he murmurs thoughtfully, “I really should thank you.”
A slow, thoughtful hum echoes in my ear. The fingers ease up, shifting lower, tracing the dip of my collarbone.
“I thought he’d come for me. Rip me apart. Make me pay. But why would he bother? He saw what I did to you. Saw the filth I left behind. And now?”
He snorts softly, the sound melting into a satisfied chuckle.
“He knows you’re ruined. Tainted. Used. Worthless. Why would he want a broken whore like you?”
He nuzzles into my cheek, his slow, steady breath making my skin prickle.
“But don’t worry, baby girl. I still want you.”
A beat of silence. And then, something wet presses against my neck. A tongue traces the bruises, savoring the pain, dragging over the places where his hands had been.
Where he squeezed too hard.
Where he laughed while I choked.
Where I begged him to stop.
“Mmm. Still so fucking sweet.”
Jameson growls—a rough, animal sound—as his hands clamp around my throat.
My body locks up, breath trapped tight behind my ribs.
But then I remember—there aren’t any drugs in my system this time.
So, I fight like hell. I’ll take his fucking eyes this time.
Even if he kills me, he’ll always fucking remember me.
As I fight for my life, something shifts in my consciousness. The monster snarls. Hands tighten. The world narrows to black …
And then … a flicker. A shift. Jameson’s face blurs at the edges, shadows peeling away.
Ezra.
Ezra?
His weight pins my legs, and his fingers flex around my wrists. But it’s his wide, terrified eyes that drag me back from the nightmare.
“Let me go! Right the fuck now!”
When he does, I jump from the bed, then scramble to the far side of the room.
“Aurora. Please listen to me …”
“What the fuck, Ezra! I gave you a second chance, and what? You couldn’t wait an hour before taking a shit on the promises you made?”
My body shakes with rage, my heart slams in my chest, and my breath is so short my head spins.
