Page 54 of Strictly Forbidden

So many things were bugging me, aspects of what was happening keeping me in a mild state of shock, but I continued to allow my mind to drift to how familiar my pup and the man were. Was it remotely possible Kage had been the prisoner who’d trained my beautiful dog?

It didn’t seem plausible since my identity, like his, had been on lockdown. But stranger things had happened. Right?

I shifted on the couch, noticing he’d placed a blanket over me. How kind of him. I had full sarcasm in my thoughts, although I did believe his intent had been keeping me safe. And alive. I shuddered to think who the men were. Mafia? I knew the organizations existed, but here in Colorado?

Again, I had to remind myself that anything was possible.

Max was cuddled up, his body so long lying over my legs that I almost felt trapped. But it was his way of making me feel protected.

And loved.

Both of which I’d longed to feel.

As I rubbed Max’s head, I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off the huge man slumped in the chair. The images running through my mind were twofold: the possibility he really had killed people and the passion that he exuded from every pore. I’d learned to place a shield around myself, one made of iron and steel, titanium and whatever other hard metals were out there, but he’d somehow managed to pick my armor apart with ease.

Some would say that was destiny, or perhaps just the right man at the right time. As I noticed the boarded-up windows, was able to gather a musty scent from the cabin obviously being unoccupied for some time, I had to face the fact that this wasn’t some kind of romantic moment in time.

This was running away from danger.

This was being held captive, against my will.

This was…

I settled back against the pillow, still stretching so I could reach Max’s head. I adored stroking him behind the ears. Maybe things could work out. Maybe I could get over my ugly psychosis.

Maybe I could learn to breathe, and live.

And love again.

Or maybe the boogeyman was ready to once and for all claim his prey.

Sleep.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d shut my eyes and hours had passed. As I opened them, I noticed the fire first for a second time. While it was little more than embers, the red glow was enough to remind me of where I was.

I noticed a stream of light coming in through one of the windows. I also realized Max was nowhere to be seen. Now I jerked up, a slight moment of anxiety rushing in. Of course I knew Kage would never hurt him but I was the one at this moment who felt more than just a hint of sick anticipation.

The entire night before suddenly came crashing down. The odd phone call. The storm. The desire for violence. The man I barely knew showing up in the middle of a torrential rainfall.

And being taken from a home I’d worked so hard to build.

I was suddenly hyperventilating, barely getting enough air into my lungs to keep me from passing out. As I threw back the covers, my legs managed to get tangled up in them and I fell hard against the coffee table. Seeing stars, I tried to control my mind and body’s reaction to stress and fear. Sadly, for all the sessions I’d been through with a shrink, all the exercises to control my true worst enemy, my own mind, I was suddenly back to point zero.

“You will learn to serve me, you little bitch, whether you like it or not. Don’t make me grow tired of you before it’s your expiration date.”

I could hear his laugh, his fucking laugh as he’d banged my head against a wall, ripping out sections of my hair.

Tears sprang to my eyes, a scream threatening to give away my terror. I wasn’t certain how I managed it, but I finally crawled from under the tangled mess of covers, and away from the couch. My vision was blurry, which also hadn’t occurred in a long time. I was falling into the darkness that now rarely manifested itself.

The fear was real, the ache in my temple was real. The hatred of the world was also real. I realized I was whimpering like a child, trying my best to keep from sobbing as I fought to get to my feet. There were lights on, but everything had an ominous shadow, figures looming everywhere. Why did I need to go through this? I’d worked so hard. I’d tried everything.

Something in the back of my mind snapped and I refused to be this way. I placed my hand on the surface of some table, willing my muscles to stop twitching so I could stand. Every part of me was shaking but I managed to place one foot on the floor, doing my best to hoist myself up. Why did it feel as if I was being weighted down, monsters trying to drag me to hell?

I was almost there. Almost.

As if in slow motion, the table turned over, a lamp crashing down only inches away, my face smashed against the cool wood. A single yelp escaped my lungs as blackness overtook my mind and my soul.

Tears began to fall, anguished cries sounding hollow and bitter.

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