Page 68 of Cruel Betrayal

My hands shake as I wrap the tape around one end of the shard. It’s going to have to be good enough.

A hole tears through the door, Noah’s fist coming through.

I slash at it with the shard, cutting his hand deep and drawing blood.

“Stupid fucking whore! I’m going to kill you when I get in there!”

Ezra, please come home. Please come home.

The hand comes through the door, and I slash at it again, desperate to do some more damage. Anything that can keep his focus on me and a fist fight. If he starts thinking about using the gun, I’m dead.

Noah hisses. “I’m going to make this as painful for you as possible now. I was planning something nice and quick for you, but it turns out the bitch has a harder bite than I bargained for.”

“Fucking try it, asshole.” I keep one eye on the door as I rip open the cabinet above the toilet, pulling out the container of hairspray.

Lighting a fire isn’t the most ideal scenario, but if I can burn him, it might buy me a little bit more of an upper hand.

The gun appears in the door.

I jump into the shower around the corner, protected from the shots by a stone wall. I flinch at the shots fired, the bullets pinging off the stone and shooting to the sides.

What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck.

I let out a slow breath and open the vanity drawers across from me, barely ducking out from around the wall while he mutters to himself.

There’s a lighter in there.

I scramble to grab it, flicking it to make sure there’s still some fuel.

The little blaze flickers.

I move fast, hurrying to the door and stepping to the side. I hold down the top of the hairspray, a fine mist coming out.

With a flick of the lighter, the hairspray ignites.

I keep my finger pressed down on the top, using the flames to keep Noah back from the door.

“You fucking psycho bitch.”

I let out a shaky sigh of relief, but it’s too soon. The aerosol runs out, the flame dying.

As soon as it does, he’s through the door. His hands wrap around my neck.

I flick the lighter and touch it to his skin.

“Fuck!” He flings me to the side, my head bouncing off the wall.

The coppery taste of blood fills my mouth.

He grabs me by the hair, ripping the lighter from my hand and tossing it to the side.

I bite down a scream as he uses that grip to haul me around the bathroom, smashing my head off the edge of the counter.

“You get your fucking hands off her!” Ezra roars, surging into the bathroom as my vision starts to blur.

Noah laughs, grabbing for me again.

I try to crawl away, but my limbs feel really heavy. It’s like I’m moving through molasses.