Page 12 of Big Gruff Owner

I’m trembling all over, my heart racing so fast it feels like it might burst. I want to scream, to fight back, but I know better. This is the man who controlled every part of my life for years, who made sure I knew exactly what would happen if I ever disobeyed. And here I am, facing the consequences of daring to escape.

“Please, I don’t want to go,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. But he hears me.

“I don’t care what you want,” he spits, shoving me toward my bedroom. “You’re coming home, and you’re going to forget about whatever foolishness you’ve been up to.”

I stumble up the stairs and into my room, the place that was supposed to be my sanctuary, now feeling like death row. My vision swims with tears as I start throwing clothes into a suitcase, my hands shaking so badly I can barely hold onto anything. I can hear him breathing behind me, heavy and angry, and the sound of it makes me sick.

How did this happen? How did everything go so wrong so fast? Just this morning, I was safe and happy, wrapped in Nathan’s arms. Now, it’s all falling apart.

“You think you’re an adult now, huh? Living on your own, doing whatever you please?” His voice drips with sarcasm. “You’re just a child, Sadie. You don’t know anything about the real world. You need me to keep you in line.”

I choke back a sob as I shove more clothes into the bag. The idea of going back to that house, back to the suffocating control and constant fear, is unbearable. But what can I do? I’m alone. Nathan doesn’t even know what’s happening. My stomach twists at the thought of him, the one person who made me feel safe, being completely unaware of the nightmare I’m living right now. God, he’ll probably think I just left him.

“Faster,” he barks, and I flinch, hurrying to zip up the suitcase even though it’s barely half full.

My mind races, searching for a way out, a way to delay this. But all I see are dead ends. He’s not going to let me go. He’s never going to let me go. He’s kept my mother under him for twenty years, why did I think I’d be any different?

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” My head snaps up at the voice that makes my heart pick up again. My father’s grip tightens on my arm, and I can see the fury flare in his eyes as he whirls around to face whoever dared to interrupt him.

And that’s when I see Nathan, his face hard as stone, eyes blazing with a fire I’ve never seen before. He’s here. He’s here and he looks like an avenging angel.

Chapter Seven

Nathan

Something was off. I knew it when I hadn’t heard from Sadie in hours, and it was gnawing at me like a dog on a bone. She’s usually good about texting, even just a quick message to let me know she’s okay, but when I knew she’d gotten off work—nothing. My gut told me something was wrong, and I’ve learned to trust my gut.

Thank god I did.

When I’d swung into our duplex’s parking lot, I’d seen the car, I’d seen the open door, and I knew without a doubt something was wrong. That old training kicked in without me even thinking about it. I’d moved quietly, slipping inside like I was back on a mission, every step measured, every sound noted. I didn’t even make it all the way through the front door when I heard her. The sobbing, the male voice screaming over hers. The living room was a mess and I knew they were upstairs.

What I didn’t expect was the scene I walked into.

She was tossing clothes into a suitcase like she was trying to get the hell out of dodge. But that’s not what had made the blood drain from my face and then boil over in fury. The handprint on her cheek, the split in her lip, the raw fear in her eyes.

I’m seeing red. Pure, unfiltered rage like I haven’t felt in years. No one fucking touches what’s mine. Sadie is mine, and whoever did this is about to learn just what a fucking mistake they’ve made.

“I’m going to ask again. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

He’s standing there like he owns the place. Older guy, face twisted in anger, and I know without a doubt that this bastard is the one who hurt her. He takes me in, looking unimpressed and furious.

“Get the fuck out of my—”

“You’ve got about three seconds to step away from her,” I say, my voice low and deadly.

Surprise flashes in his eyes before it’s swallowed by that same arrogant anger. He’s got a hold of Sadie’s arm, and she flinches when he squeezes tighter. The sight sends another wave of fury through me, and I take a step forward, fists clenched so hard it hurts.

“Who the hell are you?” he spits, but I’m done talking.

I’m on him in a flash, faster than he can react. I grab him by the collar, yanking him away from Sadie and throwing him into the wall. The sound of his back hitting the drywall echoes through the room, and I’m right there, pinning him in place. He swings at me, but he’s slow, sloppy. I duck and drive my fist into his gut, knocking the wind out of him. He gasps, eyes wide with shock, but I’m not done.

Not even close.

“You like hitting women, huh?” I growl, my voice barely human. I slam him into the wall again, harder this time. “How about I show you what it feels like?”

I don’t give him a chance to answer, not that he could with the way he’s wheezing. I pull back and deliver a punch straight to his face. His head snaps back, and blood spurts from his nose, but I don’t stop. He hurt her. He laid his hands on Sadie, and that’s unforgivable.

That’s an offense punishable by death.

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