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“Be safe,” Soul says. “Bring your girl home, Thorn.”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do.”
CHAPTER 33
DELANEY
“I’ve waited five long years to have you.”
The Phantom has been silently pacing back and forth in front of the bed I was haphazardly thrown on when we arrived hours ago. My only reprieve was when he left for about an hour. I’ve been lucky so far that he hasn’t touched me or made a move to kill me yet. I’ve been waiting for it, though, since rape and strangling are the highlights of his MO. I’m propped up against the wall at the head of the bed, and I keep my eyes trained on his movements.
Keep him talking, Delaney.
“Where the hell are we?”
“Oh, do you like it?” He waves his hand around. “This house holds my secrets and one of my fondest memories.”
The room is faded and gaudy. It’s as if a pink fairy threw up all over everything. Definitely not my color. Maybe it belonged to a little girl once upon a time. You can tell that nothing’s been done to fix up the place. The only furniture in the room is the bed and a chair in the corner which is facing me. The chair looks ominous though. There are chains secured to the wall with steel square pad plates. On the other side of the chains are iron manacles.
“What’s so special about it?” I twist my hands in the zip ties but can’t get any traction to break them free. “Did you kill your kid sister in here or something?”
“Or something.” He shrugs. “Keep struggling, it makes me hard,” The Phantom encourages. “Let me tell you a little story.” I roll my eyes like I’m bored, but it doesn’t deter him. “Once upon a time, a geeky scrawny boy in high school grew up. He was no longer sporting the acne, he built muscle, and he had a man’s face. He became every girl’s fantasy.”
“Let me take a stab at this,” I say with a snicker. “You’re talking about yourself?”
He knits his brows. “Of course, it was fucking me. Now shut the fuck up and let me continue.” The Phantom takes a few deep ragged breaths. “Tamara wanted me, but she was afraid of her feelings because she was dating Kyle. I tried reasoning with her. But ultimately, she made her choice, and I made mine.”
“Tamara never wanted you,” I taunt. “She was Thorn’s girlfriend.”
“She wanted me!” he yells. “Me, Shawn Williams, not Kyle Gruber. Tamara was too afraid to break up with him.”
I shake my head. “Nah, sounds to me like she was satisfied being with Thorn.”
Shawn stomps up to the side of the bed, whips his arm out, and backhands me. My head bounces off the wall. My lip splits, but I don’t react.
That’s what he wants… a reaction.
I lick my bottom lip, tasting the familiar copper tang. “I’ve been with Thorn. I can tell you…” My eyes roam over his body. “You aren’t half the man he is.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he snarls. “I fucked Tamara on the very bed you’re lying on. She screamed for me as she came all over my cock.”
“Screamed for you? Or screamed at you while you were strangling her to death?” I ask snidely. “Seems to me, you can’t get your limp dick up unless you’re killing some helpless woman who doesn’t want your sorry ass.”
Shawn’s mouth curves up into a wicked smile. “Your whore of a sister didn’t have any trouble coming with my dick inside her.”
My heart pounds erratically, and the blood drains from my face. “Don’t fucking talk about my sister, you sick son of a bitch.”
“Sweet, sweet Delaney,” he coos. “Daphne wanted it. Don’t kid yourself into thinking she didn’t. Watching her body convulse around me as she took her last breath is as close to heaven I think I’ll ever get.”
“You’re right,” I say coolly. “Because I’m gonna enjoy sending your ass straight to Hell.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” He wags his finger. “We still have the main event.”
Shawn kneels on the end of the mattress and yanks my legs toward him. I slide down the wall and wiggle to get free. I roll over to my stomach to crawl away, but he snakes his hand out and pulls my hair, tearing a chunk of it out at the scalp.
Shawn flips me back over and hovers above me. “Now where were we?” He smiles sardonically before snapping his fingers. “Oh yes, the main event. When Kyle finally pieces together where you are, I’ll be ready. See that chair over there?” He nods toward the chair and chains. “He’s gonna have a front-row seat to your demise, my love. I want to take my time with you, so we’re gonna start without him.”
I struggle beneath him, but it's a futile attempt since I’m tied up. I snap my teeth at him in an effort to bite him anywhere I can reach. Shawn grabs my wrists, stretches them above my head, and holds them down. He rips open my shirt, his eyes flaring with desire as he takes in my black lace bra. His mouth descends as I wildly buck my hips to dislodge him. Shawn smirks right before he sinks his teeth into my nipple.