Page 19 of Affliction
Grabbing my keys, I fumble trying to find the one for the front door as I approach the steps. I grab the railing, the thin hairs at my nape erect with the electrical charge in the air. At first nothing stands out but I can’t bring myself to move forward–the dim porch light doing me no favors.
Out of the darkness a shadow emerges. It stops where there is barely enough moonlight to make out the figure; a man. A very large one at that. My heart stops beating and drops to the pit of my stomach, my eyes widening with apprehension when I finally see him.
He’s well over six feet tall, and broad shouldered; wearing one of those masks that people wear to hide everything except the eyes.
“Hello, Sweetheart.” the man says in a low, gravelly voice which painfully pulls my choppy breaths past my lips.
I feel like I’m going to throw up–who the fuck is this?
With surprising calmness, I reach behind me to grab the Ruger from the small of my back–I don’t go anywhere without it–watching the man like he’s seconds away from ripping into me.
“Uh-uh.” He tuts. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
“Who are you?” I ask, the shake my voice betraying the calm front I try to put on.
“The more important question is…” He starts, tipping his head slightly to the side. “Who are you, Raven?”
What the fuck? Raven? This guy must have the wrong person.
His body language tells me he's exactly where he should be.
Stepping back, my fear starts to get the better of me.Did someone find me? Did they find out what really happened to Preston and they’re here to make me pay? How the fuck did they find me?
The man starts walking in my direction and I almost trip trying to retreat back to my car. I quickly abandon the idea of running the bastard over when my keys fall to the ground in an audible rasp of metal and gravel.
He’s only a couple feet away from me now and there’s zero time to escape to the car at this point so I make a snap decision. I drop my purse and haul ass into the woods. Risking a quick glance over my shoulder, I see the man standing at the end of the driveway, head cocked to the side.
Is he…laughing at me?
I look back ahead of me and launch myself at full speed into the tree line, branches slapping me in the face and the mud splashing up my jeans. My heart is working double time to push me forward, and my lungs fight for oxygen.
I’m out of shape, I haven’t ran since that night at Preston’s and I never planned to again. I curse myself for not exercising more, but in my defense, I thought I was done fighting for my life.
I bob and weave through low hanging branches, and jump over rocks. All of a sudden goosebumps break out all over my body and nausea hits me again. I cannot let whoever this is catch me, I just need to find a spot to hide so I can pull out my gun and shoot the fucker between the eyes. I’ll figure out what to do with the body tomorrow.
Just as I reach a small clearing in the woods, I hear the heavy sound of footfalls behind me. I look over my shoulder to see he’s right behind me. I let out a scream as an arm snakes around my waist and we collide, crashing down on the muddy ground. I fall face down and he lands on top of me.
The man flips me over and I let out a pained groan when my weapon digs into the small of my back. I try to wiggle free, but I’m trapped between his enormous thighs. I scream so loud I think my voice will go out and he slams a hand over my mouth, wrapping his other around my throat. I try to bite his hand, kick my legs, anything but it’s useless.
“Shhh, Raven, shhh. It’s okay.” He leans down and whispers in my ear.
Tears start to well in my eyes and I begin to panic.
He straightens himself, one hand still on my mouth and the other wrapped around my throat. The moonlight catches the side of his face and I gasp behind his hand.
His eyes. Sage green eyes twinkle in the light and look down at me. I’d know those eyes anywhere, I’ve been thinking about them all night.
It’s Maverick.
“I didn’t know you liked being chased, Sweetheart.” He says in a calm voice, his eyes darkening as he rakes them up and down my body.
His grip on my throat loosens and he removes the other from my mouth as he shifts on his knees. Taking advantage of the split second to wiggle out from under him quickly, I launch my foot at his chest. My foot makes contact and I think it’ll give me an opening to take off and run again, but nope. He wraps a thick hand around my ankle and yanks me back underneath him, my shirt and jacket riding up and stopping just below my bra.He grabs both of my wrists in one hand and slams them in the mud above my head.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Parker.” He says as he cages me once again between his thighs.
“What the fuck do you want?!” I shout, not giving up my fight. I can't believe I thought about calling this guy.
“The answer to your question is simple.” He leans back down so he’s nose to nose with me. I can only see his eyes, and in them I can see the hint of a smug smile.
