Page 96 of Forever Mr Black

“You stay where you are, or I’ll slit her fucking throat,” Theo yells, dragging me backwards across the room.

Art throws his hands up in the air and slowly edges forward, like he’s approaching a wild animal. His gaze flicks from me, to Theo, to Aisling, assessing the situation. “I think everyone needs to calm down,” he says.

Ire flickers in his eyes, and his jaws set tight. I know he’s anything but calm, but he’s putting on a convincing show. “Why don’t you put the knife down?”

“Please be careful, darling.” Aisling rushes up to Art and flings her arms around his neck. “He’s deranged.”

She’s deranged, I want to cry, but I’m too scared to move.

“Do you think I’m fucking stupid, lover boy?” Theo tightens his grip around my neck, and I wince as the blade scores my flesh.

Art clocks the fear in my eyes. His gaze slides to Aisling, still with her arms wrapped around his neck, looking up at him adoringly. He’s changing tack.

He shoots me a purposeful look and turns his attention to Aisling. “I’ve been thinking about what you said to me earlier, and you’re right. Sophie can’t give me what I need. Only you can.”

“Oh, darling, I knew you’d see sense,” Aisling cries.

Is she seriously buying this?She must be properly unhinged.

She kisses him for what seems like an eternity but can only be a matter of seconds. Clearly, she is.

“We should go,” Art says. “Theo’s welcome to her.”

She cackles with glee, and then she turns around and flashes me a smug smile. “Maybe he can be happy with me after all.”

She holds his hand, and they disappear, the door closing behind them.

I know Art’s got something planned, but at the moment, I’m left on my own with Theo, who has got a knife to my throat and is about to rape me.

He gives a sardonic laugh and pushes me down into the sofa. “Looks like lover boy’s not so into you.”

I scramble round to face him, so I can at least try and fight him off, but he’s immediately on top of me.

His weight crushes me into the sofa, and he grabs my face with his hand. “You see how you feel right now? Now, you know how I felt when you left me and for every fucking day since.”

“I left you because you were an abusive rapist,” I spit.

He slaps me across the cheek, leaving me dizzy, and I’ve barely come round when his hand closes around my neck.

He presses his face into mine. “You always did like it when I was rough. Now, this is gonna hurt.”

I close my eyes tight and try to scream but can’t because his grip around my throat is too tight. His other hand starts tearing at my clothes, and I’m willing myself to go to my happy place when, suddenly, he’s not there anymore. For a split second, there’s no noise, no nothing, and then an almighty crash tears through the room.

I draw in lungful’s of air and push myself up. Theo is sprawled on his back across the room, and Art’s standing over him. One minute, I’m looking at him, and the next, Art is scooping me into his arms and cradling me to his chest. I cling to him and bury my face into his neck, sobbing tears of relief.

We don’t speak for a few moments. We just hold one another.

“You’re safe now. Did he hurt you?”

I can barely shake my head. “What … what about Aisling?”

“She’s been taken care of. Big Steve’s outside with her until the police arrive. She’s not going anywhere.”

“How did you know I was here?” I ask, tilting my face up to look at him.

Art cradles my face in his hands and wipes the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. “When I got home, I picked up the voice mail you’d left me. You weren’t there, and I just knew something was up. I made the concierge go back through the CCTV footage and saw you and Theo leaving. I knew he’d bring you here. Going back to his was too much of a risk.”

“She’s fucking deranged.”

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