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“I guess, in the realm of abuse, mine is a fairly common story. I watched my mom get the shit kicked out of her by different boyfriends for the majority of my life. Each time she met a man, she would be so hopeful that ‘this time will be different,’ but it never was. She just attracted assholes. And then she met this guy and he really was different. He was so good to her and good to me, too, but she didn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe it, I guess, and she left him. After that, she never tried to date again. She just drank herself to death.”

I gasp and my hand flies up to my mouth. “Oh my God, Chance. I’m so sorry.”

He smiles but I can see the sadness lurking there. “Thanks.”

“How many other guys in the club have personal experience with abuse?”

“Enough. But those are their stories to tell, not mine.”

I open my mouth to thank him but a loud knock on the front door interrupts me. I jump and press my hand over my heart. Chance glances toward the front of the house before turning back to me and pulling a gun out of his waistband.

“Stay back here, darlin’,” he commands and my head bobs up and down.

I’ve never seen Chance be anything but funny and playful. Right now, he looks like a trained killer as he creeps closer to the front door, gun raised.

“Holy shit,” I whisper to myself. Of course, I knew that I was in danger but it really sunk in in this moment. Dread washes over me, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. I can’t shake the feeling that something really bad is about to happen. The screen door behind me creaks as someone opens it and in that moment, I know.

He’s here.

He finally got to me.

“Hey, baby,” says the voice that haunts me day and night, making my body go rigid from fear. I suck in a breath and turn around, coming face-to-face with the man I once loved, the man who claimed to love me, and the monster who beat and raped me.

“Ryan.” My mind begins to race. Different scenarios keep flitting through my head as I try to figure out how I can get out of here, get away from him. My eyes flick to the front door and I pray that Chance will walk through it at any second to save me. Straining my ears, I try to hear where he is.

“He’s a little tied up,” Ryan says and a sinister laugh spills out of him at his own joke. Nausea turns my stomach as I realize that I have no way out of here. God, I was so stupid. Why did I think that he would just give up? How many times did he tell me that he wouldn’t? And I just didn’t listen.

Maybe I could run…

“What do you want, Ryan?”

He smiles and my unease increases. His face is devoid of any emotion. He looks like pure evil.

“I want you, Emma.” He inches closer and I take a step back, trying to put even a tiny amount of space between us. “It’s always been you, baby. I told you, I need you. I’m lost without you.” He takes another step forward and I mirror his move. I need to fight.

“You can’t have me anymore.”

His face clouds over with anger. He lunges at me and I see my opportunity. I kick my foot out, catching him in the shin. I hear him fall to the hardwood floor as I turn and sprint for the front door. As I run, I pull my phone out of my pocket and quickly dial Nix’s number.

“Hey, sweetheart, I’m only gonna be a little bit longer,” he answers and I can hear the smile in his voice. Tears well up in my eyes at the thought of never seeing it again. I know I’m not in the clear yet. This could still end very badly.

“Nix! He’s here!” I scream into the phone. I’m tackled into the grass from behind and the phone flies out of my hand, falling a couple feet in front of me. I can hear Nix screaming on the other end but I can’t make out the words.

I love you, baby, I think, just before my world goes black.