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I had no plan. I knew he wasn’t going to let me just walk out of here. If I had any chance at getting away, I needed to stall.

“Why?”

“Jake’s fuckin’ crazy when it comes to you. I knew he’d be a dick and push you away. He couldn’t help himself. You were so sweet, so forgiving, but even you’d have a breaking point.” He looked at me over his shoulder and smiled. “Now you’ll be sweet to me, right?”

Before I could answer, his face clouded as anger took over.

“You didn’t notice me. You didn’t care when the pervert’s date was hitting on me. You laughed. You were supposed to feel what I felt. But you didn’t. Now you’ll love me. You’ll need me. You’ll listen and stick to the plan!”

Watching Z walk around with his gun bouncing, I swallowed down my panic and tried to stay calm.

His mood was mercurial, his expressions changing rapidly between fury, disgust, crazy as fuck, and obsessive love.

It was the love that was scaring me the most.

“I tried to be patient,” he started again, staring into my dresser drawer before looking back to me. “I tried to wait. But all the while, you were letting him fuck you wherever. Like up against the wall in Boston. Anyone could’ve seen you. Heard you. You let him fuck you in a car at the side of the road. That’s what whores do, Piper. They suck dick and fuck in cars at the side of the road. And that’s what you did.” He picked up a fistful of my panties and nighties. “You were a fuckin’ whore! Why, Doll Face? Why’d you do that?” he screamed as he pulled at the delicate fabric, tearing it apart.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“I tried to save you from him. I tried to remind him how young you are and how much more experience he had, wanted, needed. The trash he usually fucked talked about how he liked it. At least he wasn’t as bad as Rhys. Thank Christ you didn’t get with that pervert. Still, I thought even if Jake did go for it, you’d run from him when he did that stuff. But you couldn’t get enough. You were fucking begging for it. I heard you. Literally begging. Like his dick was magic. Like you needed it to breathe.”

It’s not his dick I need to breathe.

It’s only him.

“And, fuckingJacoby.” The hate twisted his face again. “All of a sudden he couldn’t get enough. He wasn’t jumping to anyone else. Girls, exactly his type, would come on to him, but he brushed them off like they were pests. Nothing more than annoying gnats. He wasn’t even tempted.”

Based on him leaving with Rachel, I’m guessing that’s done.

“He didn’t go with the plan. What’s so addicting about that pussy, Doll Face?” he asked softly. As his eyes travelled my body, his arousal became evident. Dropping the tattered panties, the scraps fluttered uselessly to the ground.

I knew what was going to happen if I didn’t find a way to distract him. “You never told me the plans. You started packing ‘cause we’re going, right?”

Z walked towards the side of my bed, his eyes bright with twisted pleasure. “You hurt him so badly, he’s not coming back, Doll Face. He’s probably fucking Rachel already. You told him how you really feel, didn’t you? You were over him. No one could fake being that mean, that cold. Tell me you don’t love him. Tell me!”

Even in the face of his crazed rage, I couldn’t force myself to say the words.

A pained yelp burst out instead when Z pulled his arm back and backhanded me. The force slammed my head back to collide with the headboard. Lights burst behind my eyes, and a dazed nausea followed.

“I told you to say it. We need to stick to the plan. You weren’t supposed to love him. He wasn’t supposed to love you. And now he’s hurt you. It’s his fault and he’ll die, Doll Face. Just like Green. Just like James. You weren’t supposed to be here. I have to do things to protect you. You weren’t supposed to see.”

I couldn’t keep up with his tirade. It was a safe bet that no one but the voices in his head could.

I tried my best to appease him. “Tell me the plans. Please. I want to make sure I’m doing the right stuff.”

“I love you. I knew you’d love me, I just had to get you away from him. He had you blinded and fooled. But it’ll be fine now. We’re going to disappear together, anywhere you want. Just the two of us at first, but we’ll start a family soon. Jake didn’t want kids, but you’d make such a good mother. That’s another way I’m protecting you, by giving you everything you deserve. Where do you want to go?” Sitting on the side of the bed near me, his hand rubbed my tight cheek.

Holding back the urge to scream and move away, I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. I could feel my blood dripping down my fingers.

I forced a smile. “Somewhere far. If we’re going to be together, we need to go now. Just the two of us, we’ll leave all this behind.”

If I can’t get away, I’ll make him take me far from here. To keep Jake and everyone safe, I’ll do anything.

I jolted back, hitting my head again, when Z lowered his head and sloppily pressed his lips to mine as he climbed on top of me. I could feel him hard, thrusting against me. Tears pooled in my eyes as I battled to control my retching stomach. My mouth filled with saliva.

“I have to feel you again, Doll Face. I have to see what made Jake go so far from the plan.”

Again? What the hell is he talking about?