Page 12 of Taunting Tarran (Wild at Heart #1)
THE BUTCHERBIRD
I clear each room, cautiously hoping that whoever was here has now gone. Nothing seems to have been taken, so whatever they were after wasn’t found. Yet, I still clutch the knife, just in case. Fear surges through my veins as I discover a note on my bed.
You’re getting warmer, Tarran.
I look left, then right, my heart pounding as I notice more items out of place.
Finally, in the spare room, I suck in a deep breath, anticipating what’s to come.
I pull the handle down and push open the door, and there, covering the floor like a carpet, are the petals of dozens of yellow roses… and another note.
I hope you like them.
I’m sure these weren’t here a few moments ago.
‘WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? I’M CALLING THE POLICE!
’ I shout, though I’m not really and have no intention of doing so.
But he doesn’t need to know that. The last thing I need are more people probing into the fact that I’m in my thirties, live alone without even a pet, and to have some balding, middle-aged police officer remind me how dangerous my lifestyle is.
Then, while rifling through my file, he stares at me and says, ‘You’re that girl! You’re her.’
I’m such a mess.
Sighing, I look outside towards the dense undergrowth, the patter of rain hammering against the window.
The police here are pretty useless anyway.
They wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop some lunatic breaking in.
After all, he hadn’t taken anything, and if he had, I’d just be required to file a report.
Grandpa always said, ‘Tarran, you must rely on yourself because no one else will look after you.’
As the storm really starts to roll in at sunset, I press my face against the cold glass, straining to see any movement on my driveway. I can’t seem to tear my eyes away, no matter how much I want to. Every rustle of leaves or flicker of a shadow sends a shiver down my spine.
They would be mad to be outside in this weather !
I’m straining harder, convinced someone is out there. The paranoia fuels my thoughts, each one more irrational than the last. I feel trapped, hyper-vigilant, and stuck in a never-ending cycle of anxiety.
FUCK THIS.
‘Eso es carino…,’ the voice whispers.
SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP.
I rush outside hurriedly throwing myself into my car to escape the anxiety that’s building.
The club is all I can think about, a place to drown out the voices. I turn the engine, my mind already drifting to all the sordid things The Conqueror will do to me.
The teeth? No, it can’t be.
I am praying the teeth incident was just a sick joke.
Then, as I start to pull away, a strong hand clamps over my mouth from behind, immobilising me. My heart leaps to my throat, and I freeze in horror.
I try to struggle, but a cold, menacing voice whispers in my ear.
‘I wouldn’t struggle, baby girl. Something tells me you were on your way to the club, defying my explicit instructions. And we can’t have that, can we?’
Panic floods my body as I realise there’s a man in the backseat. My eyes dart to the rear-view mirror, and I catch a glimpse of his cold, merciless black eyes staring back at me.
‘Turn off the car, Tarran. Stay quiet and follow my instructions, if you can.’ His last words drip with icy sarcasm, and we fall into silence as I twist the key, turning off the ignition.
‘Good,’ he says. ‘Now, I’m going to come and get you out. Understand?’
I nod. As he exits the car, I notice he’s dressed in a black suit, the rain soaking its dark fabric. He adjusts his jacket, puffing out his chiselled chest, and then opens the car door. His hand is open-palmed waiting for me to take it.
‘What do you want with me?’ I demand, my voice trembling. He doesn’t answer; instead he nods towards his hand. A sinful smirk spreads across his face, and I yelp as he snatches my wrist and yanks me out of the car towards my front door. The wind lifts his jacket, revealing a black pistol.
‘You’re hurting me,’ I protest, my voice shaking. He turns and steps towards me, his presence overwhelming. I try to step back, but his grip tightens, immobilising me once again with a cold, dead stare.
‘Pain? Oh, sweetheart, pain is just a side effect. I thought you enjoyed that sort of thing. If that’s the case, we will get along just fine.’
‘No...You have me all wrong,’ I say, struggling from his grip.
‘Really? So you weren’t at my club to be treated like a common whore?’
‘NO! Look, you’re giving me pressure cooker vibes,’ I swallow. ‘How about we just resolve this misunderstanding over a cup of tea? Tea is good for the soul,’ I smile.
When he lets his guard down, I’ll knee cap him.
He stills, and yanks me harder towards him.
Determined not to show him any fear I glare at him. ‘I’ll fight you,’ I growl.
His face turns to the side and his grin widens. ‘I’m banking on it.’
For the first time in years, I’m speechless, and I struggle to catch my breath as we enter the house.
I had foolishly left it open in my haste to escape.
He thrusts me towards the kitchen counter, and before I can process what’s happening, my hand is pulling out a six-inch knife from the block.
To my horror, he steps back, drawing his gun and placing it on the island that now separates us.
His eyes flicker from the gun to mine, and his lips curl into a sinister smile.
‘Looks like we’ve got ourselves a Mexican standoff, isn’t this fun? You’re so beautiful; it hides a darkness I can’t wait to uncover.’
‘Go to Hell!’ I scowl, wielding the knife.
He stands, running his finger along the island’s surface, and pushes his chest into the tip of the knife.
‘I would, but Satan still has a restraining order against me.’
He flashes me a feral grin, his hand lowering the knife from his chest. ‘So, you’re stuck with me!’
My mind races to make sense of the situation, a mix of fear and exhilaration, and the rush of facing fear head-on.
He just stands there, staring into my eyes, his presence menacing and ominous.
Suddenly, my phone rings, its sound piercing through the tense silence.
My heart skips a beat as I glare at it, leaning closer.
But before I can answer, his cold, menacing voice cuts through the air, ‘Ignore it. No one interrupts me.’
His command sends a fresh wave of fear, but I hold composure. The phone continues to ring, but his gaze holds me captive.
‘You’re a tough cookie to crack, but don’t worry. I enjoy breaking the tough ones. It’s going to be fun watching you crumble.’
‘It was you, wasn’t it? You sent me those teeth! Oh God, help me,’ I gasp.
‘God works for me. Every prayer, every plea – it all comes to me first. So, be careful what you wish for.’
‘Whose teeth were they? You know, don’t answer that!’
‘I think you already know the answer, Tarran.’
‘Is he dead? People are going to be looking for him.’
‘I’m not afraid of some low-level criminals. And if you think I am, then I’ve not made myself clear.’
He leans in, pushing my back against the counter, his hands trapping me on either side. I’m terrified, pinned by his overwhelming presence.
‘Who are you?’ I ask, inhaling his intoxicating aroma, his scent enveloping me. His lips graze the side of my ear as I pinch my eyes shut, still gripping the knife’s handle.
‘If there’s going to be any pain dealt, it will be by my hand. Now, hand me the knife.’
‘So you’re going to kill me?’ I gulp.
He backs away, shaking his head and rubbing his jaw .
‘If I wanted you dead, Tarran, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.’
I feel the bile rising in the back of my throat. ‘Then what do you want?’
‘To possess you.’
‘I don’t even know your name or is Psychopath OK?’
He chuckles. ‘You can call me G. Tell me, Tarran. Would you ever ask me to stop, if I loved you, to let you go?’
I hold my breath, steadying his gaze. I raise my chin, and then carefully drive my head forward, slamming my forehead into his face.
He grunts, slowly wiping the blood away that trickles down his nose. ‘That, will never happen again!’ he growls, wrapping his hand around my throat. Blood cascades down over his lips, and his tongue flickers out to catch it. He gives me a feral grin, his teeth covered in blood. ‘Well?’
‘No...’ I shamefully admit.
‘I’m really going to enjoy taunting you, Tarran.’
And I’m going to enjoy that too, but let’s see whose limits are truly boundless.