Tears sting my eyes.
Kieran is willing to give up his own life for me, and the worst part is he doesn’t even realize that it’s all a trap.
“Please, you don’t have to hurt him.”
Sean tilts his head as he looks at me with something like amusement.
“Hurt him? I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than simply hurt him. I’m going todestroyhim. The question is how. There are just so many options. Maybe I’ll killyefirst and make him watch. Or maybe I’ll kill him and letyelive with that for the rest ofyermiserable life. It’s hard to decide.”
“Please…” My vision blurs with tears.
“If I choose option two, I can take my time to showyeeverythingyemissed out on by choosing him. In fact, why wait for Kieran when I can start showingyeright now?”
Before I can even register what he means, Sean grabs my ankle and unlocks the cuff, letting it fall to the floor.
“Get up.”
“Please—”
He grabs my arm, yanking me to my feet.
My balance falters, and my bare feet slip on the cold floor, but Sean doesn’t care.
He drags me into the hall and pushes me up a narrow flight of stairs.
The old wood creaks beneath our weight, and the smell of dust and rot fills my nose.
“Where are you taking me?”
He doesn’t answer. He just pushes me toward another door before throwing it open and shoving me inside.
It’s a bedroom with nothing inside except for a bed that has been stripped bare apart from the yellowed sheet covering the mattress.
“Perfect,” Sean whispers in my ear.
My stomach turns to lead as I realize his plan.
“No—”
He grabs me by the shoulders and forces me down onto the bed.
I scream, twisting out of his grip and clawing at his arms.
But he pins me down easily, pressing me into the mattress with his body.
My throat burns with bile as the evidence of how turned on he is pokes me, but the more I struggle, the more he seems to enjoy it.
“No! Stop!”
“Relax.” His breath is hot and sour against my cheek as his mouth brushes the edge of my jaw. “Ye’ll like it ifyejust stop fighting.”
“No!” I twist again and free myself enough to slam my knee right into his groin.
Sean grunts and rolls off me, cursing through his teeth, and I quickly scramble off the bed, my heart pounding as I make a run for it.
I don’t look back.
This might be my only shot at escaping. If Sean gets his hands on me again, he’ll kill me.
