Page 93 of Hunt Me

The door upstairs was thrown open and I struggled to climb off the cot. My legs didn’t want to cooperate, the ache worse than before.

Where was the crowbar? No. No.

A slight whimper escaped as I found it near the edge of the cot. I quickly wrapped my fingers around it, taking careful steps into the shadows.

Mikhail had returned.

He flicked on a light.

His arrival sent shivers crisscrossing over every inch of my body.

I held my breath as he walked down the stairs. From the angle where I was standing, I had the advantage. As soon as he’d stepped off the last wooden tread, I reacted, racing toward him with the crowbar raised over my head.

His reactions were immediate. He spun around, managing to wrap one hand around the bar, keeping it several inches from his head while snapping his other hand around my throat and driving me against the wall.

I struggled with everything I had, using the last of my energy to try to kick him. When he blocked the action, I almost managed to stomp on his foot. He laughed and tightened his hold until his fingers were digging into my neck.

“That wasn’t very nice of you to do, Bristol. I already told you that I have no intention of hurting you.”

“If only you were telling me the truth.”

It would be so easy to get lost in his eyes, to drown in the aura of the man as I had no doubt scores of other women had. But I wasn’t like other women. I had a backbone. When my reaction was to laugh, his eyes turned cold for several seconds.

He jerked the crowbar from my hand, tossing it aside. The hard clang as it tumbled across the concrete was as jarring as his brutal hold. “Now, I need to punish you.”

“You’re out of your mind. You lock me in a basement and now you’re going to punish me?”

As he reached for his belt, my eyes were drawn to his horrible actions. He took his time, unfastening the buckle. A shiverslammed into my system. No. This wasn’t going to happen. I refused to allow it.

The moment he jerked the thick strap by a couple of inches, the fight or flight inside me kicked in. This time, instead of using my skills in kickboxing, which he’d likely suspect, I lunged for the stairs. I’d lock his ass in for a change.

I took them two at a time, certain the element of surprise would allow success.

Suddenly, I was ripped off the stair tread and into the air, his strong arm holding me like a rag doll.

“Let me go!” I screamed, fighting him with everything I had inside.

His growl was deep and throaty, and he stomped down each stair, the hard pressure booming in my ears. “That’s not going to happen. You will learn you’re required to obey me. One way or another.”

I pummeled my fists on every inch of body I could reach, kicking out violently, but he wasn’t budging.

Once he was downstairs, he ripped the cot away from the wall and pitched me over it. I scrambled up immediately, managing to kick him in the stomach.

He pushed me over again, holding me down. My head hung over the side with my hands on the floor. He was so damn strong that all the wiggling in the world wouldn’t budge him.

“Calm down, Bristol.”

“Fuck you, Mikhail.”

He snorted. “That can be arranged. You are going to be punished. It’s up to you to decide if I’m going to be lenient with you.”

“Ha. You’re a monster. Why would you show me any leniency?”

When he cursed in Russian, I pitched my body upward, almost managing to gain control.

In response, he ripped up my dress, exposing my naked ass. I was shocked how strong he was or maybe I was losing strength from exhaustion and whatever else that was keeping me so emotional.

“I’m going to spank you and you will comply. Period.”