Page 71 of Fallen Petal

Chapter 35

Petal

“Just you and me, Liliane. Like it was always meant to be.”

My blood freezes at his words. I tense up, suddenly feeling very lost and very helpless.

Did I just go from smoke to smother?

“What do you mean by that?” I probe, my heart racing with fear.

A smirk spreads across his face.

“Don’t worry, Liliane, I’ll treat you well. Better than he did, for sure,” he says. “Your friend, Malia, told me about the things he did to you. I promise you, you’ll never have to live through any of that with me.”

He takes a deep breath, his features softening while he turns to me in an oddly robotic motion.

“I love you, Liliane. I have loved you for years. I’d never let anything happen to you,” he adds. “And I can promise you that he will pay for what he did. You no longer have to worry about him.”

“Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” I ask, ignoring his eerie declaration of love. “Why won’t you answer my question?”

He lets out a heavy sigh, slowly shaking his head.

“You’ll see, we’re almost there.”

“Where?” I probe, my eyes scanning the landscape outside as we keep driving. It’s almost completely dark around us now. No buildings, no people, no lights and no traffic. We’re driving out to the middle of nowhere.

My pulse speeds up, fueled by rising panic as I try to think of something that could declare my darkest thoughts and assumptions null and void.

I may not remember knowing this man, but he’s a policeman. He can be trusted. Right?

“Why are we not going to the police station?” I keep asking. “Where are we?”

He doesn’t respond this time, but just keeps driving, moving us further and further away from a place I could feel safe at.

“Christopher!” I urge. “Please talk to me; you’re scaring me!”

He hushes me, moving his right hand over to my side. I flinch when he pats my upper thigh in a calming, yet possessive, manner. His touch makes me recoil, and I feel like I’m being choked in the worst way. I try to move away from him, but he only tightens his grip, his bony fingers digging into my flesh through the jeans Jayson made me put on just moments before this man showed up.

My breathing turns erratic, almost impossible to control, but I try my best at it anyway. I need to remain calm, focused, alert. It’s my only chance.

My hand moves up to my neck, tracing the outline of the metal collar that’s still closed around it.

“What’s that?” he barks from the side. “Did he fucking chain you with that?”

This time, I’m the one denying a response.

“Like a fucking dog he treats you,” Christopher adds. “Sick. We’ll get that off right when we get to the house.”

The house. His house? Another mansion for me to be locked up in?

“We won’t be able to,” I utter, my eyes locked on the road ahead. “It has a lock. You’ll need the key.”

He lets out an angry growl while slowing down the car, turning right on to a barely visible path that seemingly leads to nowhere. It’s so dark out here that I don’t notice the little hut until he parks right in front of it. There’s no front light, no gate, nothing that suggests anyone has been here recently.

He jumps out of the car, hurrying to the other side while I try to work the door. I don’t get it to open, forced to wait for him to open it for me from the outside.

“Come,” he says, offering me his hand in a seemingly sweet gesture to help me get out of the car.

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