Page 29

CHAPTER 28

C assandra

Get out. Leave now.

Words in my mind that made sense yet remained difficult. Why? Because a part of me trusted him.

Him.

An admitted career criminal.

A heinous killer.

A fucking prick.

Okay, maybe no longer someone I’d consider a prick.

But trust him?

After what he’d done? He was nuts in every way, shape, and form. Did he think I was stupid and couldn’t figure out who he was?

And what he was doing?

He was trying to keep me as his possession and nothing more. I could easily read though the lines.

He’d embraced the heightened danger, but in doing so, he’d placed my life in the center of controversy and potential peril. He’d sworn to protect me against all odds, no matter the strength of the enemy.

Was that even the truth or some story he’d concocted so I’d cling to him?

The thought was revolting, yet I wasn’t certain the true treachery was centered on Wilder and no one else. How was it possible his father had escaped a maximum-security prison? If that had occurred, wouldn’t the entire country have been placed on alert? Was he just playing another game with me in his attempt to break all my defenses?

What if it is true?

What if a monster is determined to drag his sons into his dark, demented world?

What if the social worker had purposely abandoned them?

There were too many thoughts and one too many questions that likely wouldn’t be answered after all these years.

Tears. I was fucking crying. Did I honestly think he was going to break down and confess he loved me? That wasn’t the kind of man Wilder was and he never would be. I was enshrouded in some fairytale, pretending as if I could change him. That was nuttier than everything he’d said.

I rushed toward the front door, shocked he wasn’t on my heels. I took a single look behind me, unable to catch sight of him. The entrance was locked, but the mechanism was easy to maneuver and I managed to make it outside without so much as hearing his voice. Was he testing me?

I’d seen the flash of sadness in his eyes when I’d mentioned Patty. I could tell how much her death continued to hurt him. What I’d said had been cruel. I’d never been that way in my life. Why had I taken all my frustrations out on him? He didn’t deserve it.

There were so many emotions buried deeply inside the man, but other than anger, there was no way of prying them free.

Damn the man. He was right about me. I felt more than a twinge of excitement at the thought of him disciplining me. That was as nuts as everything else.

Even more, I craved him wrapping his arms around me, holding me close.

Yet as I scanned the perimeter, I continued to be pulled into a strange sense of destiny. I swallowed a lump as I raced away from the house.

As I rushed down the path, I thought about his promise to punish me. As with everything occurring with the man, I was titillated, far too much so. The thought of toying with him was also as enticing as racing away as if I truly was his prisoner.

However, wasn’t that the truth? He’d taken me from my home, putting a ridiculous hood over my head. As if I didn’t know where this house was. All under the guise of fucking with me. Dragging me into the darkness he’d accepted as a child.

While I was different.

I refused to surrender to the same needs that had overtaken him and at some point, would take his life.

Heavy footsteps. I was certain they were echoing in my mind.

The moment I heard his dark growl far too close behind me, I bolted in a different direction. It was dark, the moon blanketed by a wall of clouds. Wind whipped all around me, creating eerie sounds as I found myself heading toward the beach. If I could stay along the shore, I’d eventually make it to another house.

A residence had to be close by. I’d seen several when he’d driven me here hours before. The air was heavy with moisture. It must have rained earlier when I’d been asleep. Asleep. When I’d been drugged. My head was still slightly foggy, my mind reeling from everything I’d learned, the horror in acknowledging David’s murder.

But there was also glee in my emotions, as sick and depraved as that was.

I was glad the man was dead. He’d gotten what he deserved. I was thankful he’d never be able to threaten me again.

My foot slipped and I tumbled toward the sand, barely catching myself with my palm before falling on my face. Gasping, I threw another look over my shoulder before barreling forward.

A small building was attached to a dock. I needed to get my bearings. As soon as I reached it, I shifted around the side, stopping and catching my breath as I listened for any sounds. There was a rumble of thunder in the distance, the whipping wind creating a powerful rustling within the trees. Oh, God. What was I doing? I darted my head around the side, trying to catch sight of him.

He wasn’t there.

Or so it appeared. But he was the master of the chase. I was merely his latest prey. I took another deep breath and sprinted toward the water, bypassing the dock and heading toward some lights in the distance. While in bare feet, I was making good time, pumping my arms and legs and refusing to look back.

Even as I ran, longing to escape his clutches, a part of me longed to feel the captivating exhilaration that only he’d managed to provide. All I could hear was the lapping water and wind through the trees mixed with the hard thudding of my heart.

There was no other noise, no indication that he was anywhere close, but I could swear I felt his presence all around me.

The electricity crackling against my skin was overwhelming.

As soon as I was jerked off my feet and spun around, I tried to scream, but a hand was slapped across my mouth before I had a chance.

“I told you not to run. You honestly believe you’re in no kind of danger?” His tone was harsh, his breath hot as it floated across the skin on my neck. “Relax. Breathe for me.” He slowly allowed his hand to fall, instead wrapping his fingers around my throat.

“Just stop. Let me go.” I slammed my fists against him.

“No, you will listen to me. What did you mean about Sugar Babies? Who contacted you?”

“You did. I know it was you.”

“Why do you think that?”

Another rumble of thunder was followed by a bolt of lightning electrifying the sky. “Stop.”

“Tell me!” He dug his fingers into my skin. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

The rain was lightly falling, the light breeze turning my anger into chills. His usual strong, unwavering voice was entirely different. “I was just getting ready to delete my account altogether and a message popped up. You caught me online, Wilder. Another game.”

“No.”

“It was you. You called yourself the Stalker.”

Wilder froze, lifting his head by a few inches. His jaw clenched before he briefly closed his eyes. “That wasn’t me, little butterfly.”

“I don’t believe you. Let me go!” I raised my voice, uncertain the truth about anything at this point.

“There’s no one close to hear you, Cassandra, but I’m not the man you need to be afraid of. Not right now.”

Not right now?

Another bolt of lightning tore at the fear. Yelping, a rush of adrenaline was combined with an even darker sense of desire. No. This just couldn’t happen.

I struggled in his hold, managing to punch him twice in the abdomen. When I also drove my foot between his legs, he was forced to drop me. I scuttled to my feet, taking off running.

Only to be tackled, my body driven into the sand.

“Stop fighting me,” he growled.

“Never. Never!” I proved my point, trying to push up on all fours. When I succeeded, I was ready to kick him again. Yet his hold on me was too strong. I clawed at the sand, gasping for air as the bastard jerked up my skirt, ripping the material. When he grabbed a handful of my lace thong, jerking his arm, I managed a short scream.

He pushed his weight against me, using his knee to push my legs further apart.

“What are you doing?” I spit out, sand now digging underneath my nails from continuing to claw.

“What I promised I would do. I’m punishing you. Since you were fascinated with the thought of a belt being used, you’re going to get your wish.”

I was stunned, enough so I stopped moving until I heard the slight whoosh as he jerked his belt free. My breathing was completely labored, my mind in a crazy fog. What the hell did he think he was doing?

“No!”

“Yes,” he snarled, refusing to waste any time. As he cracked the strap across my naked bottom, I jerked up. The pain was intense, tears immediately forming in my eyes.

“Stop!” Somehow, I knew he wouldn’t.

He snapped the belt four times, the sound even worse than the actual anguish. But not for long. As he continued, every stroke methodical, I lost more sense of reality.

His breathing was heavy, but he remained quiet as he doled out one after the other. I wiggled and tried to fight him for a full two minutes, but all the strength and will to drive him away collapsed. I closed my eyes, pushing my palms into the cold, wet sand. The intense sensations crawling all over my body were incredible. Suddenly, I was wet, my pussy throbbing. It made no sense, but he knew exactly what I needed and how to fuel me.

“I’ll kill you,” I managed, as if that was possible. The second wind rushed into me and I fought like a caged animal, almost managing to make some headway.

Yet he fisted my hair, dragging me back by several inches. The strikes of his belt were even more vicious, pain mixing with sick vibrations of euphoria. The moans erupting from my throat escalated, my vision cloudy. All I could think about was how much I loathed the man while enjoying every brutal strike.

“You can try. You will fail.” His words weren’t filled with anger, merely amusement. And that pissed me off even more.

When he struck the strap across my upper thighs, I was stilled by the agony and the horror that my pussy juice had stained my inner thighs.

He emitted a low growl as he stopped his savage actions, but I could still feel the vibrating hum of the electricity coursing through him. I barely had a few seconds to catch my breath before he slipped his hand between my legs, flicking a single finger around my clit.

“You are always wet for me, Lady Butterfly. You crave everything we’ve shared.”

“Fuck you.”

His laugh penetrated deep inside. “Soon enough.” He drove several fingers past my swollen folds, flexing them as he pumped hard and fast.

Shock remained although there was no possibility of ignoring the pleasure he was providing. I wiggled, biting back every sound threatening to give away the ecstasy I’d only experienced with him. Even as I tried to push my legs together, he continued to force them apart.

Every thrust of his fingers pushed me into a darker place.

I was no longer trying to escape.

Why bother?

He had full and utter control over me.

I fell into a lull as he continued the round of discipline. There was a strange feeling of joy that I couldn’t understand yet my body refused to deny. As I lolled my head, he pinched my clit. Another rush of sheer bliss tore through me.

There was nothing like the crushing weight of having a man’s body pushed against mine. When he did, a strange but knowing smile crossed my face. He pressed his throbbing cock against my wetness, shifting back and forth as if he believed he could entice me more than I already was.

I thought I was prepared when he thrust the entire length of his shaft inside, but I was wrong. My entire body began to shake, the way my muscles clamped around his cock stifling my breath.

“Oh, God,” I managed, no longer recognizing my voice.

“You should know better by now, sweet butterfly. There is no such thing. At least not in our worlds.”

His plunges were deep and hard, filling my pussy. I was breathless, staring out at the night sky while my mind created a series of ridiculous images from people gawking at us to a crazed killer laughing as he prepared to end our lives. The haze around my eyes was thick, the thoughts ravaging my brain terrifying.

Yet all the while, all I could think about was that he’d protect me.

That he’d save us.

Was that insane to think that way?

The jarring effect created breathless whispers. There was no way to rationalize what was occurring or the fact my core had exploded with heat. I finally closed my eyes, shutting out the world as he fucked me.

Every sensation was incredible, the yearning for him yet to be satisfied. The guttural sounds he made only heightened the lines of pleasure. It no longer mattered his actions were brutal, pitching me into the sand. I just didn’t care how he used me or if I’d surrendered. All that mattered was the intense sensations, the feeling of being one with the dangerous man.

I lifted my head toward the sky as light rain began to fall. The splash as drops fell across my face was healing, almost as much as letting go. With the moment.

With the man.

He’d not only captured my body; the man had also surreptitiously taken my soul.

Wilder’s body tensed and he jerked back my head as he dug his fingers into my hip. There was nothing as special or as defining as when he erupted deep inside.

But this time as he filled me with his seed, I felt as if I’d finally reached a level of peace.

Even if I was enshrouded in darkness.