Atleast, outwardly. On the inside,I’m awareof him down to a molecular level. But maybeignoring him altogether will throw him off enough to give me the upper hand.
“Didyou hear me?”he bellows, nostrils flaring. “We will have everything.You were always meant to be mine,and there’s nothing, I meannothing, I won’t do to keep you.”
He stomps to a stop right in front of me, looming over me so close that he fills my vision.“Do you understand what I mean?”
I try to stand strong, to hold my tongue, but Clint’s not having it. “I saidtellme!” He leans forward, squeezing my jaw in a bruising grip with his right hand.
I shake my head as best I can with my face immobilized.
“That’s okayI’ll put in the time tomakeyou understand.” He pulls his left hand from behind his back, revealing a tangle of rope and a wicked looking knife. “I’ll make you love me.”
“I'd rather die,” I shout, trying to lunge for the knife.
But he anticipates my movement, and I end upbelly down on thefloor with his knee forced painfully into my spine. My ribs scream from being pressed against the floor.
“If that’show you feel,” he says, making quick work of binding my wrists. “It can be arranged. But first, I’ll bleed your love out of you. Drop by precious drop. Make no mistake.” He skims down the length of my arm with the tip of his blade. “You will bemine.I tried togive you a choice, Petal.But you’re too damn stubborn for your own good. So now, I’ll take it—by force.”
He piercesmy skin with the blade, slicing down the same path he just traced.
I scream out as white, hot agony engulfs me, trying andfailing to buckhimoff ofmy back.
“I’ve long since grown tiredof your foolish games.After I kill you, I’ll hunt down that piece of shit who stole you from me and kill him too.”
“Then I still win,” I sob. “Because if you kill us both, we’ll still be together and you’ll be exactly where you belong—alone.”
Clintflips me to my back with rough hands,my arms screaming from the pain of their binds and this angle. He straddles me. “If you won’t walk down the aisle to me in this dress, what purpose does it serve other than keeping you from me?”Hepokes the tip of the knife through the neckline of my dress, the cool metal making contact with my skin.
Fear coils around me like a boa constrictor, windingtighter and tighter, closing off my windpipe, choking the air from my lungs. as hepokes the tip of the knife through the neckline of my dress. “Get off of me,” Iscreech, nothing butsheer panic coursing through my system.“He’sgonnafind you and he’sgonnafucking kill you.”My words area prayerand a taunt.
Even if Ellis doesn’t get here in time, I refuse to go down begging for mercy.
“Shut. Your. Whore. Mouth,”he growls, slicing open the front of my dress, nicking my chest in the process.
I open my mouth, but my scream never comes out.
Clint falls eerily silent, staring intently as abead of blood wells up between my bare breasts. He groans, rubbing himself against me as hepresses either side of the cut, causing more blood to trickle out. “I bet you taste so good.”
“I swear to god, if you don’t—” Shock steals my words as he brings his bloodied fingers to my lips, smearing them withthe warm, coppery liquid.
He dives down, sealing his mouth to mine, licking and sucking at my blood-soaked lips.
I’m damn near feral trying to get him off of me. Without the use of my arms, I do the only thing I can think of—I bite him.Hard.
He bellows like an angry bull as he jerks his head away from mine. My victory is short-lived though, as hisfist barrels into my temple.
“You stupid fucking bitch.” He wraps his hands around my throat, squeezing like his life depends on it. “Useless. Fucking. Bitch. Whore.” His grip tightens with every word.
My face feels like it’s burning right alongside my oxygen-deprived lungs as silent tears slide down my cheeks.Please stop. Please, please, please,I beg silentlyas my head begins to pound.
My throat joins the inferno raging through me, even as my feet go ice cold. My body’s at war with itself, desperate to stay alive but losing the battle with every second that passes.
A loud roaring sound fills my ears as my vision flickers, and I know.
I’m going to die here. In this weird, hot metal building, all alone at the hands of a man I was foolish enough to call a friend.
This is it…
I’m not walking away from this alive.
