Page 22

Greyson

Grabbing Alora’s wrist, she jumped but didn’t fight me as I pushed her back up against the wall and dropped my lips to hers. She was stiff in my hold at first, but as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back with the same ferocity that was racing through my body, I knew it was time.

I experienced emotions as one would feel jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Rage, sadness, desire they were all hyped and amplified by who and what I was, but love…I’d never been in love. At least, I hadn’t until now.

“I want you to run, Doll,” I whispered against her soft lips.

“What?”

“I want you to run,” I said again.

“You’re setting me free?”

I smirked. “In a way.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Run. Run as fast as you can, and if you make it off this property, then I’ll give you what you really want. But if I catch you, then you’re mine forever.”

Bracing my arms on either side of her head, I questioned my sanity in doing this, but it needed to be done. Alora’s eyes searched my face. Uncertainty was etched into her beautiful features.

“So, you’re going to let me go right now, and if I get off this property, then I’m free forever? That’s the deal?”

“No, Doll. I said that I will give you what you really want. You asked me to kill you so you could be with your sister. I will not keep you captive or paint your sexy body,” I said, looking down and picturing her naked. “I will end your life swiftly, and you will be at peace. But if I catch you, then you become mine, willingly. You will hand your mind, body, and soul over to me to do with as I please.”

The property was massive, and what looked like neighbors lots were more of mine, but Alora didn’t know that. She also didn’t know that I owned a thousand acres across the road, so no matter which direction she chose, she would have a hell of a run to get away from me.

“This doesn’t sound like a choice.”

“Isn’t it? You begged, screamed, and cried in this house for me to kill you. Now we see what you really want. Ultimate freedom or me.” I pushed away from the wall and pulled my T-shirt off over my head. Her eyes dropped from my face like a magnet as she stared at my chest and nibbled her bottom lip.

“This feels like a trick.”

“No trick, but there is one rule. The deal is void if you run down the driveway or take my boat or any other vehicle. You must make it off the property going cross country through the fields or woods.” Her face blanched.

“What happens if I do that?”

I smiled. “You’ll become my full-time prisoner with no other chance at freedom. I will cut off Miss Harper’s hands and make you wear them as a necklace to remind you what happens to cheaters.” She swallowed hard, fear shining in her eyes. “Now run, Doll. Run. I’ll give you one minute head start.”

“But….”

“Fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven….” Alora raced out of the room, and I heard her feet on the stairs a moment before the front door opened and closed. I bounced on the spot, my body pumped for the hunt as I counted down in my head. As soon as I hit one, I was off. I leaped from the upper floor to the main floor and ran out the screen door.

It was still dark out, but the sky was starting to lighten, and I sucked in a deep breath of the early morning air. Jumping off the porch, I looked around at the ground and picked up her sneaker print in the soft, damp dirt. Like all good hunters, I learned to track at a young age. Nothing gave me more joy than learning how to follow others with the smallest of clues. Picking up a jog, I followed her footprints, making sure she wasn’t doubling back before I took off at a run. I knew this land like the back of my hand, and I knew I was on the right path as a flurry of Nightjar birds soared through the bushes at me and then veered off.

The hunt was on. I’m coming for you, Doll . This was our moment of truth.

Alora

Jesus Christ. What the hell was this newfound horror? I was just starting to get my bearings when Greyson hit me out of left field with something else new and terrifying. My heart pounded fast as adrenaline sped through my veins while fear clawed at my throat. It was so dark in these woods that I had to go slow so I didn’t wander off the narrow path while I prayed that I didn’t come across a rattlesnake or a wild hog. Those were my choices: a wild hog, a poisonous snake, or a serial killer. It was the makings of a bad joke.

That was one thing about the woods in Louisiana. There were things more dangerous than serial killers that could take you out. All I could hope was that Greyson was slower and I was faster. But what was I running to? My certain death? Greyson was right. Not long ago, that was what I wanted. That was what he’d saved me from doing, so why was I having reservations now?

Fine, I could admit that I wanted to live, but choosing to become a serial killer’s plaything? What the hell kind of life was that? No, I needed a different plan, one that wasn’t set by him or his rules, one where I controlled the outcome.

I scared a flock of Nightjars from a bush when I jumped to the side and winced as my ankle twisted. The little birds zoomed past me and did nothing to settle my out-of-control nerves.

“Doll, I can hear you,” Greyson said, and a crippling terror scattered my mind, making it difficult to think straight. Twigs and leaves grabbed at my hair, and I squealed as a cobweb stuck to my face. The laugh that echoed behind me was closer than before, and it felt like cold water running down my spine.

There was a break in the trees, an opening that was lighter than the endless darkness behind me, and I could see a fence. Placing my hands on top of the wooden board, I hesitated. I didn’t want to die, and jumping the fence was certain death. If I happened to find a vehicle, I believed that he would find me, and I believed that he would take his rage out on Rex, Miss Harper, and even Mr. Molisano.

Shit! Come on, Alora think.

To my left was a stack of short wooden boards. Grabbing one, I darted behind the closest tree.

Thump, thump, thump.

My heart was so loud I was sure it was going to give away my hiding spot. A twig snapped, and I had to cover my mouth to keep from whimpering.

“Doll, I know you’re still here. I can feel you,” he said, and I tightened my grip on the piece of wood as my arms shook harder. Ironically, my body warmed at the thought of what he’d do once he caught me. He had definitely screwed with my head, this wasn’t a sane reaction.

“Come on, Doll. Come out and play. I promise to make it worthwhile,” his voice was buttery smooth and yet wholly terrifying. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” I sucked in a slow deep breath and held it as the bushes rustled nearby. “Ah ha,” he yelled, and I almost screamed as he spread open the thick foliage not far away. “I will find you, Doll. Whether you want to admit it or not, you’re already mine.”

Inching further around the tree, I peeked out to see where exactly he was just in time for him to yell, “Got you.” But he spread open the bushes on the opposite side of the trail, and I took my chance. Jumping out from my hiding spot, I swung the wood like a baseball bat and caught him in the middle of his back. He went down to his knees, but the old board split in two. I grabbed his knife and pulled it free of the sheath. The sharp blade glinted in the dull light. He snatched my wrist before I could strike.

“Ah!” Screeching like a banshee, I punched him in the face and brought my knee up into his groin. I missed and got his leg, but he loosened the grip on my arm enough that I slipped free.

“Naughty, naughty, Doll.” He laughed, his eyes finding mine as he looked at me, and sheer panic wrapped around the last logical thought in my brain. I took off like a shot, about to run the race of my life back the way I came along the trail. “That’s it. Run, Doll. Run,” Greyson said, his voice ringing with a manic edge that had tears welling in my eyes.

The sound of his feet and the trees moving was loud behind me. I looked over my shoulder and screamed. He was only a couple of strides back, his face hidden by shadows. A burst of adrenaline got my legs moving faster, and I suddenly broke free from the forest. I had no idea which way to go, and the slight hesitation, a single stride misstep, was all it took for him to catch me. His arms wrapped around my waist like a massive beast as he tackled me to the ground.

I screamed and wiggled in the soft mud, managing to pull myself partially out of his hold. He still had me by the legs. Terror filled me, the likes of which I’d only experienced once before. The car wreck flashed behind my eyes. The screaming and the blood. Evie’s dead body and lifeless eyes. The pain that I’d held in my soul for so long burst into one chaotic, horror-filled moment.

I kicked and thrashed just like I had that night in the car as I tried to get free, but I couldn’t free myself then, and I couldn’t escape his hold now. His hands held me firm as he slowly crept up my body. The past and the present merged in my mind, and I was unable to distinguish which I was living in the moment. I clawed at the dirt, trying to pull out of his hold, but I lost every inch I gained as he moved higher.

“No!” I wailed at the top of my lungs, my body jerking as the sensation of flipping through the air and the airbag knocking me out rode my mind and body. Tears clouded my eyes. The visceral reaction to the fear and pain had me fighting, but from what I didn’t know anymore. I was trapped, and I couldn’t get to her. Evie. No. I jerked my legs, but they wouldn’t budge.

I was suddenly flipped over onto my back. Greyson easily straddled me and kept my arms pinned above my head as I thrashed beneath him. There was a loud tearing and the hoodie I was wearing split. His knife just missed my face. Part of me knew what he was doing when I heard his belt and felt the tug at my jeans, but it wasn’t until the cold earth touched my bare ass that it became clear.

“Let me go,” I screamed and wiggled under his body. His hands felt like they were scorching my skin. “Let go!” Greyson was nothing more than a dark shadow with piercing blue eyes. “Please, let me go,” I cried as tears ran down my cheeks.

He grabbed my jaw, and a moan broke free as he rubbed himself between my legs and pushed aside the insanity racing around in my brain.

“Doll, look at me,” Greyson growled as he pressed his knife against my throat. I didn’t hesitate to lock eyes with him.

“Let me go,” I sobbed.

“Why?”

“What?” His question confused me as I tried to wade through the hysteria and grip reality once more.

“Why didn’t you jump the fence? All this pain I see shining at me from your eyes would’ve been over. Why didn’t you jump the fence?”

“Because…because…I…I don’t know,” I yelled at him.

“Yes, you do,” he said, spinning the knife in the light before he pressed the tip against my chest. “Tell me the truth.”

“I don’t know,” I snarled at him and then screamed as the knife bit into my skin over my heart. Blood dripped from the tiny wound.

“Answer the question.”

My body trembled as all the emotions collided into a chaotic storm. “I don’t know,” I repeated, closing my eyes and whimpering as the blade sank deeper.

“I will keep going until I pierce your heart and stop it forever. Tell me the truth, Doll. Why didn’t you jump the fence and take your peace?” I didn’t answer. My body shook as it and my mind warred with one another.

“I don’t know how to put it into words,” I said, prepared for the knife to bite again, but he held still. Opening my eyes, I searched his face.

“I’ll put it into words for you. You didn’t jump the fence because the decision was made for you the night you were in that accident. A part of you died and became something else that night. You’ve been looking for me ever since. You just didn’t realize it. If, by some miracle, you had made it off the property, I’d forever stalk your thoughts. I’d be there when you opened a door and looked behind it. I’d be there when you looked at a knife. I’d be there when you heard a scream or jumped at your reflection. And when you closed your eyes at night, I’d be there as you slipped your fingers into your pussy. Every part of me would haunt you for the rest of your life.” I stopped fighting him, but I’d stopped fighting days ago. “Do you know why?” I shook my head. “Other men would give you diamonds and flowers, but I’d rip the soul from a body and hand it to you. You didn’t hop that fence because you want me for all the reasons you hate me.”

I sucked in a sharp breath as he pulled the knife out of my chest and laid it against my bottom lip. Never taking my eyes off his, I licked the blood off and tasted the truth of his words. Smirking, he brought the other side to his mouth and ran his tongue along the blade before he stabbed the dirt beside my head and shoved his cock in me at the same time.

I arched and screamed as he filled me, forcing himself into my tight pussy. “Yes, that’s it, Doll. Scream for me.” He latched onto the cut on my chest and sucked as he fucked me hard. Each thrust was painful, and yet I couldn’t deny that I wanted this, that I wanted him. “Oh fuck, yes,” he growled as he picked up the pace.

Pulling out, he flipped me over. My boobs pressed into the cold mud, and the air was pushed out of my lungs as he slid into me. Pinning me by the back of the neck, my face was pressed deep enough that mud covered my right nostril, and I couldn’t open my eye. Yet when I screamed, it was because I couldn’t get enough and arched my ass up in time to his powerful thrusts.

“That’s it, Doll. Fuck my cock, show me how much you hate me. Kill me with your pussy,” he said, his breath hot against my skin. I yelled and bucked under him as he bit my ear, the sharp pain bringing on the climax in a rush. The sound I made was feral as I came, and black spots dotted and danced behind my eyes.

“Yeah, that’s it. Fuck me, Doll. Fuck me.” Greyson snarled like an animal before he bit the base of my neck hard enough to draw blood. Even as I rode out the intense pleasure—and the continuing climax that I never wanted to end—I could feel his tongue lapping up the blood.

I was reduced to wailing and moaning as he pounded me harder. My pussy loved the rough fuck and the sound of him grunting as his body slapped into mine.

“You’re mine,” his voice rumbled against my skin with his teeth still firmly lodged. “Say the fucking words, Doll,” he snarled.

“I’m yours,” I yelled.

“Yes, you fucking are,” he said. Rearing up, his cock pushed me toward a second peak. “Oh fuck,” he groaned, and I could feel him coming, pushing me over the edge. “Yes. You. Fucking. Are.” With each thrust, his cock twitched as he came, and another convulsion ripped through my body.

Panting, Greyson pulled me up out of the muck and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look over my shoulder. He captured my mouth, and I could taste my blood and the earth on his lips. I ate him up as he devoured me while our tongues danced. His fingers slipped between my legs to pinch my clit, drawing out the last of my orgasm on his fingers as I moaned.

Spent, I collapsed against him as he wrapped his arms around my body and cradled me to his chest.

I had no idea where he got the strength, but he stood and walked to the house with me in his arms. My mind was fuzzy, like an out-of-focus movie that I couldn’t be bothered getting up and fixing. A warm spray of water hit us, and I looked up, instantly drowning in the icy blue of his eyes. Eyes that would chill me to the bone as much as they lit my soul on fire.

“I am yours,” I said softly, my throat raw from all the screaming.

“And I am yours,” he said, kissing my forehead.