Page 60 of Between Regrets and Promises (Between Us Trilogy #2)

SOPHIE

When I come to, my entire body feels as though I was thrown off a bull.

When Caleb cut my arm and I saw blood, the world faded away once again.

I’m not sure how many times I’ve been unconscious.

I was in shock, horrified that he could cut into my flesh as if I’m nothing more than a slab of meat.

He found way too much satisfaction in my earth-shattering screams when he pushed the blade into my skin.

My eyes are nearly swollen shut, and my lips feel busted. My back hurts from being taped to this chair for so long. What Weston did to me doesn’t compare to what his brother has done tonight.

I glance at Caleb, noticing the similarities between the two and wonder how I never noticed. I’m a fucking fool. Same cheeks, same nose, and even the same coldness behind their eyes—they’re monsters cut from the same cloth.

“Finally,” Caleb huffs when he notices me stirring.

He looks at me like I’m a huge inconvenience, but I didn’t wish for this.

All I wanted to do was support someone I thought was my friend, attend grief circle, and experience a first date with Mason.

I should’ve known it was too good to be true.

The timing is always wrong, but this is the most fucked-up way for the universe to show that.

The thought nearly blinds me, but I try to push it away.

“Caleb,” I croak out. The excruciating pain is causing my body to go into shock.

“Stop calling me that! My name isn’t Caleb, you dumb bitch.”

I swallow, not knowing what’s true and what isn’t anymore. At this point, I don’t care what his name is. I want to get out of here alive and back to Mason, but I don’t know if that’ll happen. My heart races when I think about dying at the hands of this monster.

He watches me, amused.

“What should I call you then?” I ask, trying to keep him talking so maybe it’ll give me more time to live. Or, rather, figure out how to get out of here before it’s too late.

He snarls, then shrugs. “I guess you should know the name of your killer. It’s Dalton.”

I nearly choke on the thick air that fills the room.

Does he really have it in him to kill me?

From what I’ve seen already, I think he might.

I don’t doubt he’ll follow through with his threats, just as I didn’t doubt Weston.

I have no reason to believe otherwise, not after he’s hit and cut me. I’m losing blood and hope.

“Your boyfriend must think I’m stupid as fuck.” Dalton snickers, pacing in front of me, turning up the volume on the police scanner. “If he makes a call about you missing, I’ll hear it, and he’ll regret it. I’m not a fucking idiot like he thinks.”

I try to swallow down the lump in my throat that’s quickly replaced with bile.

“No,” I whisper, but my response only pleases him more. “No one thinks you’re an idiot.”

I nod as he twirls the knife between his fingers. “Do I scare you, Sophie?”

No matter what answer I give, it won’t be good enough.

It’s a loaded question because if I say yes, he’ll continue his sick, torturous game, and if I say no, he’ll change tactics until I am scared.

After living with Weston and being pushed to my limits emotionally and physically, I never thought I’d feel fear like this again.

When he died, I thought it was over, and I’d be safe.

The way my body trembles should be enough for Dalton, but it’s not.

“Fucking answer me!” he screams, then slaps me across the face.

I wince but hold back from crying out. “Yes. You do,” I admit. “I thought I knew you. I thought we were friends,” I say with tears streaming down my cheeks because it’s the truth. I believed his whole damn story.

“And that was your downfall. Your issue is you trust too easily. You’re nothing more than a little lamb who so willingly followed a tiger into the jungle,” he mocks with a roar of laughter.

A chill runs up my spine when he smiles. I don't recognize him with that crazed look in his eyes.

“You know…” He takes a step closer before pacing in front of me.

“My brother loved you so damn much. So. Damn. Much. A month before he was murdered, he told me he was planning to propose. When I helped my parents clean out his house, I found the engagement ring. He talked about how you saved him. Little did he know, you’d be the reason for his death. ”

“You’re lying,” I say between gritted teeth. I don’t believe a fucking word he says about Weston, especially that.

He’s in his element with a large ass knife tightly gripped in his hand and a gun behind him. “I have no reason to lie. Weston spoke so highly of you. He loved you. And you pretended to love him back so you could use him for his house.”

My emotions begin to spill over. “That’s not true.”

“He told me how he felt sorry for you because of your roommate situation and mentioned how you sucked dick like a champ. So he let you move in, though it seems you had an ulterior motive.” He narrows his eyes before rushing over and kicking me in my stomach with all his strength.

My body and my arms feel as if they may break off as I slam against the hard floor.

Although my throat is dry and everything hurts, I let out a terrifying scream.

Dalton stands over me with his arms crossed over his chest, laughing.

“I’m gonna get more satisfaction ending you than I did Dacia.”

His words course through me like venom. “What?”

“I wonder if you’ll scream the same way she did, or if it’ll take longer before you stop breathing.” He speaks as though he’s talking about the weather.

“No,” I whisper, forcing my eyes closed, wanting to disappear as he bends down closer to my face.

“She was getting in my way of getting to you and asking too many questions. I didn’t need her warning you about me, so I did what I had to do.

” He gives me a wide grin. “Glad you reminded me. I need to get her body out of my trunk.” He purses his lips, then continues.

“In fact, I can burn all your bodies together. Hers. Yours. And Mason’s.

Hope none of his little friends get in my way, though, or I’ll have more bodies than can fit in my trunk.

Hmm…maybe I’ll leave you all in here while I torch the whole fucking house.

” I’m not sure if he realizes he’s thinking aloud, but it’s terrifying.

“You’re a monster,” I spit out, but he smirks. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has weapons hidden all over this place, considering the way he talks about taking out anyone who tries to stop him.

My gut twists as I think about my friends. I hope he’s only trying to scare me, but I have a feeling he’s telling the truth about Dacia. I haven’t heard from her in weeks.

This can’t be happening.

“Thank you.” He’s amused. “Want to know how I killed her? It’s a lovely story.”

I keep my mouth shut as he stands over me.

Swiftly, he brings his foot back and kicks my stomach with his boot, knocking the breath out of me.

Pain shoots through my body as he kicks me again, and I’m scared he’ll break one of my ribs.

After he’s worn himself out, and the pain becomes my new normal, he stands over me with the cell phone and takes pictures.

My dress is bunched up to my waist, and I’m regretting wearing it since I’m exposed, and he has access to any part of me he wants.

“Wonder what your boyfriend is gonna think about these? Want to smile for the camera?” He continues to take more as I lay in agony.

Dalton forcefully grabs me and yanks the chair upright. I keep my head slumped, hoping this is over soon, but beating me to a pulp won’t be enough for him. Dalton grabs a fistful of my hair and jerks my head back, making me gasp as the pain.

“Dacia was smarter than you. I don’t think she ever trusted me and purposely forced herself between us, but unfortunately for her, she couldn’t stay out of my goddamn way.

So when you invited us to dinner, she told me I needed to explain to you who I was because she’d figured out that my name wasn’t Caleb.

” He shakes his head. “She threatened to tell you if I didn’t.

That was the bitch’s first mistake. Don’t ever threaten me,” he spits out.

“It never ends well.” He flashes a satisfied grin. “For the other person, that is.”

Dacia, protective Dacia. She was always so intelligent and observant. I cry for her. I cry for her mother, who already lost one child. I cry because I will have the same fate as her by the same man.

“Aww, are you sad for her?” he taunts. “Boo-fuckin’-hoo.”

I squeeze my eyes tight as he continues to ramble, giving me details I don’t want to hear.

“I waited outside her house, knowing she’d be leaving for work soon. When she walked to her car, I snuck up behind her. She put up a good fight, but she was too weak for me. Overpowering her was easy. Almost as easy as my wife, though Dacia didn’t beg me to stop like my wife did.”

“You…” I swallow, shocked that the part of him being married was true. “ Killed your wife?”

“Threats, Sophie darling. No one threatens me.” He emphasizes his words. “She threatened to leave me after she found out she was pregnant with another man’s baby, and after the whore cheated on me, I wasn’t gonna allow her to do that. She was mine. Now she’ll always only be mine.”

His sentiments echo Weston’s. More tears well in my eyes, and he cracks his knuckles. He’s killed two women with those hands. I’ll be his third.

The phone vibrates, and he laughs when he reads the message, loving every minute of this.

“Oh, your sister Maddie is texting you now. What should we tell her?” He taps the knife against his lips.

“I should’ve taken her too, but I don’t know if I could’ve dealt with two of you cunts at once.

Maybe after I’ve killed you and Mason, I’ll go after her too.

Seems like a good fuck. Bet she’d give good head with her arms and legs tied up. ”