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In a flash, Mitch is already in front of me.
“Why can’t you just be a good little girl and listen to me? Save me from all the trouble of keeping you in line? If you would just listen, things wouldn’t be so painful.” Before I can question what he means, a blow to my face knocks me to the floor.
My hand flies to my cheek, and there’s a copper taste in my mouth. The pain radiates through my skull. “Mitch, stop! What’s wrong?” I scream. “Stop!” My hands shoot up in front of my face to try and protect it from any more blows. I close my eyes, praying for the abuse to end.
Pain sears through my skull, and I cry out as he yanks me up by my hair. His nails scrape against my skin, no doubt leaving a trail of blood. My hair is practically being ripped at the root by his grip.
“You lied,” Mitch hisses. “You lied to me!”
“About what?” I gasp, flailing to get him off me.
He drags me over to the wall next to the couch, bringing my head forward to slam me against it. For a moment, I’m seeing spots. I start to slip down the wall, sputtering blood from my lips.
I finally find my voice and yell, “Stop! Please! I don’t know what I did!”
Mitch drags me back up the wall, taking my hands and raising them above my head. I hear metal clanging above me and something cold clamping around my wrists. I whip my head up and the sight before me frightens me. Metal cuffs wrap around my wrists, holding me against the wall. My head turns back towards Mitch and I stare into the deadly black of his eyes. His lips curl up, but he’s not smiling because he’s happy. No, he’s smiling because he has me right where he wants me. Trapped.
Mitch exits the room, leaving me chained to the wall. My heart picks up pace, beating wildly in my chest. I try to tug against the chains, but it’s useless. They won’t budge. My body aches and feels heavy, but I’m stuck.
“Zoey? Zoey, where are you?” a voice calls from somewhere.
I know that voice. Ugh, there’s a drummer pounding away inside my head. The pain makes it hard to concentrate on the sound of that voice. Think! Who is that?
“Zo, darlin’?”
Oh my God! “Ryker! I’m here! I’m in the office!” I close my eyes, praying that he finds me. When I open them, Ryker is in front of me. Tears stream down his face. He’s crying. Why is he crying?
“Ryker, what’s wrong?” I ask, my voice wavering slightly.
“I can’t save you. I’m so sorry. I can’t slay the beast.” The beast? What is he talking about? I hear a click of a gun cocking. Looking past Ryker, I see Mitch with a gun to Ryker’s head. My mouth drops open, and a cry makes its way past my lips.
“Please! Don’t do this, Mitch,” I plead. I pull against my bindings, but nothing gives. Ryker merely stands there, his cheeks glistening from salty tears. His mouth is moving, but I can’t make out what he’s saying. Why isn’t he doing anything?
“Say goodbye.” Mitch turns to me with an evil glint in his eyes.
“No! No! Please! No!” The sound of the gunshot is deafening, making my ears ring.
“Zo! Sweetheart!”Ryker. Why do I still hear him?
“Ryker!” My eyes fly open, and I roll out of bed and land on the floor.
“Zo! Are you okay?” Ryker comes running around the bed, crouching down to me. His hands fly to my face, cupping me and trying to get me to focus on him. Warm. He’s warm.
When I look up at him, the dream comes back to me. The tears he cried, the pain I felt. “Oh my God! No!” I start shaking my head back and forth, trying to erase the dream. But I can’t. Mitch killing Ryker is all I can see, all that haunts my mind. I feel like I’m floating. The images of Ryker dying are too much. I let out a scream of frustration, and my fists clench. No! He can’t take Ryker from me.
Without warning, I feel ice-cold water being poured over me. Everything comes back into view. My surroundings become more focused, and the confusion settles in my mind. Cold. I’m freezing. My mouth opens, but I can’t get any words out.
“Zo, look at me. Sweetheart, I need you to look at me.” Ryker smooths my wet hair back. I look up at his crystal blue eyes, and reality comes crashing back.
“R-Ryker.” My teeth are chattering. “C-Cold.”
“There you are. You had me worried, darlin’. Sorry, I know it’s cold, but I needed to shock you back to the here and now. I’m not sure where you went to, but you freaked me out. Here, let me warm you up.” Ryker reaches behind me and warms the water. He steps closer to me, pulling me into the shower. We’re both still in our clothes, which are now sopping wet.
“Y-You’re okay.” Placing my head on his chest, I curl deeper into him. I listen for his heartbeat and feel it pounding against my head.
“Shh. Yeah, I’m okay. Whatever you think you saw, Zo, it was just a nightmare.” His hand runs over my hair. The water is warmer now, but I’m still shivering. “Tell me what you saw. Let me help you through it, please.”
I place my hands on his chest, grasping at his wet shirt. “I can’t.”