Page 208 of Wreck Me

Our eyes locked.

Shit.

I took the chance and pulled it out, keeping an eye on him in my peripheral vision.

I opened the text that had come in quickly.

Caspian: Bastian is with us. But Jett is in the city. Sending my people to escort you and your family to King Manor until he’s apprehended.

Then I rapidly dialed Caspian.

The second it picked up, I yelled down the line, “Jett’s here in my home!”

I hung up before I lost concentration on Jett.

That was when I saw him smiling.

And he hadn’t even made a move to try to stop me from calling for help either.

Reading my surprise, he told me, “I want them to know. I want them to come.” He took another step toward me. “And I want them to watch as I rip you from them, to feel that fucking pain down deep just like I did when you ran from me.”

“You demented shit, there was never anything between us! You stalked me, assaulted me in the most heinous ways, you fucking tormented me!”

“Exactly how you needed it. We’ll get into all that later. For now, though, we’re out of time.”

He burst toward me then.

I reacted, spinning and yanking out the first blade I could reach from the knife block near me—a paring knife—but that split second cost me the ability to dodge him. I’d made the decision to take the hit in order to gain a weapon.

And a fucking hit it was, as he slammed into me, then hauled me over the counter.

I choked as I landed on my back on the hard tile.

I kept my fingers tightened to a white-knuckle grip around the knife.

He was there in the next second, dragging me through the back door and into the backyard before I could even get to my feet. I grunted as my body smacked against step after step, before landing on soft grass.

And then he abruptly let me go.

I scrambled to my feet, assuming a fighting stance, my knife at the ready.

He held up his hand. “Wait for it, gorgeous.”

What? What was he talking about?

My eyes darted around erratically, searching for whatever he was talking about, something untoward, out of place.

And then it happened.

Something that eclipsed every deranged thing he’d done so far.

Thunder rolled through the house just a few feet away as a series of consecutive explosions tore through the structure, glass, brick, and debris hurtling from within, flames erupting in a violent lightshow, ripping through the house with no mercy.

“Mom!” I screamed. “Mom!”

I bolted forward, but Jett shoved me back with a hand to my chest.

In my state, I didn’t take the hit well, and I stumbled, losing my balance and ending up on my knees.

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