Page 58 of Tainted Love

The generator sits in the corner with a red gas can nestled beside it. I pick up the can and swish it around, happy to find that some gas still remains inside. I pour a healthy amount into the generator and yank at the string to bring it to life. It twitches, clicking loudly before settling back to silence. I pull it again. It revs a little but fails once more.

“Come on…” I hiss.

I ready my arm to pull again but pause as another distant revving sound hits my ears.

Fucking hell, Lucy.

I bolt out of the shed and race through the thicket toward the house. Headlights illuminate the dark driveway and I curse to myself for leaving the damn keys in the ignition.

Suddenly, her spunky determination is a real fucking turn-off.

“Lucy!”

I charge down the driveway, chasing the taillights as fast as I can go. She speeds up and the car sways left and right to try and keep me from passing.

I slap the trunk. “Stop the car, Lucy!”

She slams on the brakes and I bash into the rear bumper before I can process the change in speed. I fall back and gravel kicks up at me as she tries to speed off again.

“Goddammit.”

I race off-road into the woods, picking up my pace to cut her off when she reaches the end of the drive. As she slows down to make the turn, I fling myself in front of the car and she stops to avoid crashing into me.

“Get out!”

I quickly rush to the door and throw it open before she can react. I blink at her position, noticing that her right leg is stretched out across the passenger’s seat while she operates both pedals with her left foot only.

“I’m going back!” she shouts.

“No, you’re not!”

“You can’t keep me here!”

“Yes, I can.” I reach over her lap to shift the car into park before wrapping my arms around her to pull her out.

“This is kidnapping!”

“Technically, I guess.”

I slide the lever to pop the trunk open and throw her over my shoulder as I stand up. She wiggles in my grasp, nearly slipping off my back, so I tap her knee and she shrieks with pain.

“Sit still.”

I throw open the trunk and grab a gray canvas bag from inside before closing it again.

“Help!” she screams. “Somebody help me!”

“Bellow all you want, Lucy,” I say, smacking her ass. “The nearest neighbor is five miles away.”

“Help—” I whack her again. “Stop that!”

“Stop screaming and I’ll consider it.”

She punches my ribs and I spank her again, this time digging into her cheek with a hard squeeze.

“Ouch!”

“What’d I say?”

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