“Okay. I’ll be back.”
A few minutes later I could hear his bike roaring to life. It was the first time I’d heard him drive it since I’d been here. Mac had told me he also owned a truck, and he had been using that while he fixed up the damage I’d caused to his motorcycle. Since he was driving it today, it made me wonder if he was done working on it.
Silence followed after he drove away. It felt eerie and lonely. I was happy to have the distraction of schoolwork. I was so focused, the hour flew by quickly. I was almost done when I heard knocking out in the living room. I looked up from the computer and listened. It was silent, but my heart still raced.
I jumped when there was another knock. It was louder this time and more insistent. I set the computer aside. Before I could get to my feet, the knocks turned into pounding. It was clearly someone at the front door.
I wanted to ignore it. I wanted to hide. But what if it was Bram? What if he was locked out and he was pounding like that so I could hear him at the door because he had disconnected the doorbell? It was past the time he’d said he’d be back.
My hands fisted at my sides.
I can do this.
The pounding was nonstop until I reached the living room. I froze when it suddenly ended. “Bram?” I tried to say loudly, but my voice cracked. Slowly, I went to the bay window by the door and peeked through the blinds. No one was at the door. Then I heard a strange noise come from the garage. I glanced in that direction, wondering if he’d found a way to get in through there.
I heard the door connecting the garage to the house open, and I sighed. “Were you locked out?” I asked as I started heading back toward the hall that led to the guest room and the garage.
As I was about to pass the stairs, someone came around the corner. Only it wasn’t Bram.
Eyes widening, I stopped walking abruptly.
How?
How is he here?
Clay took me in from head to toe. “You’ve been a bad girl, Charlotte.”
He began to close the short distance between us and I backed up quickly, almost stumbling.
He grinned as if delighted to see me cower. “Clearly I didn’t punish you enough if you thought it was all right to run away like that. Your mother is very, very disappointed in you.”
I had to get away.
I had to run.
But my body wouldn’t listen. All I could do was back up, which he quickly stopped when he was close enough to grab me by my upper arm.
“Look at you.” He ran a finger down my still-healing cheek. “You’re trembling.” There was excitement in his voice.
He glanced around. “Interesting place you’ve run off to. What was even more interesting is the guy you’re shacking up with.” His fingertip dropped to the neckline of my shirt and ran along the edge toward my bare shoulder. “If you wanted an older cock to suck, you know I would have given you mine.”
My stomach churned and I began to shake even more.
“You know how much I’ve wanted to have you.” His finger doubled back until it reached the top of my breast. He dipped the tip into my shirt and began to pull it down. I wasn’t wearing a bra. I hadn’t in nearly a week because it was too tight around my ribs.
When I realized he was trying to expose my breast, I finally felt the urge to fight. I jerked away from him, not getting far. He yanked me closer, fisting the front of my shirt and ripping it halfway down the middle.
I screamed as my breast was exposed and I swung at him, clawing his face with my nails.
He growled in frustration and I knew he was going to hit me.
I screamed again, dropping to the floor, hoping my dead weight would force him to let go. His grip slipped and I tried to crawl away as fast as I could. He caught me by my hair.
“Help!” I screamed as loud as I could even though it hurt.
He pulled on my hair, forcing me to roll over onto my back. I kicked. I slapped. It was no use. He deflected everything as he climbed on top of me.
“Someone help me!” I screamed with all my might again.
