Page 114 of Betrayed

He caught her wrist. “Stop it. All I wanted was a nice dinner with you. Why would you run from me?” He called her a derogatory name.

He jumped to his feet and yanked her up too.

She jerked her arm and twisted it trying to break free from his grasp. But his hand was too large, and he had a tight grip on her.

He hauled her back through the woods and to the house. He didn’t let go, and she couldn’t get free.

He took her into the kitchen and to a dining-room table set with candles and beautiful china.

If this man wasn’t a deranged stalker, it might have been a beautiful dinner.

He shoved her into the chair. With his free hand, he grabbed a roll of duct tape. He pressed his knee into her lap and wrapped the duct tape around her body and the chair. Then he taped each of her legs to the chair.

She wasn’t going anywhere until he decided to cut her free. The adrenaline from running faded, and exhaustion hit her. What was she going to do?

Miles snatched the plates off the table. He was fuming.

His behavior confirmed he was indeed a sociopath and not a psychopath. That anger was indicative of someone who still had emotions, unlike a psychopath. Why did she know so much about this? Probably the podcasts her co-worker Emily liked to listen to at the station.

Miles came back with plates filled with pot roast, potatoes, and carrots. It smelled amazing.

Against AJ’s will, her stomach grumbled.

“See what wonderful food I’ve prepared for you? Now because you’ve been so naughty, I’m going to have to feed you, aren’t I?”

“You could always free one of my arms.” Then maybe I could stab you in the eyeball with a fork.

“Not hardly. It’ll be more romantic this way anyway.” He put a small piece of potato on the end of the fork and lifted it to her mouth.

She refused to open it. She wouldn’t eat anything he made for her. Her conviction about that had not changed.

“You will eat the food I made you.”

She shook her head.

Miles leaned closer and took her jaw in his other hand, working his fingers into her cheeks and between her teeth until he was able to slip the potato in her mouth.

The savory flavor touched her tongue. It tasted incredible, but she wouldn’t eat it.

He leaned back. “It’s good, isn’t it?”

She spit it in his face. It landed square between his eyes. She’d have to thank Logan for teaching this homeschooled kid how to shoot spitballs.

Miles set down the fork and slapped her, hitting the same place he’d punched her not ten minutes ago.

Her cheek stung. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Her lip was split.

Yet she didn’t regret her actions.

“You going to eat now?”

“No.” She hoped her defiance came through her eyes as much as her word.

“I will—”

“Do your worst, I don’t care. I will not do anything willingly.”

“You better think again.”

She glared at him.

“Fine. I’m going to eat, but by morning you will pay.”

A shudder rocked her body, but she tried to contain it. She didn’t know what he planned to do to her, and if it would be before or after he tried to kill Logan again. As much as it all horrified her, she wouldn’t take back or regret her actions. She’d best him … somehow.