Page 91 of Burn With Me

“I didn’t mean to ruin anything, Leo. I wasn’t happy in DC. You were so happy with your job, and your family was there. You were doing big things. We grew apart, Leo.”

“You are mine!Mine, Amelia!” He picks up a scrap piece of wood and throws it toward me.

Itwhooshesnext to my ear as it just misses me, the breeze fluttering loose strands of my hair.

My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears.

He bends so that we’re eye level again. His breathing is labored, and his eyes are wild. “It’s time to come back home and end this pipe dream. I need to show them that I deserve my job back.”

I fight to pull back as he talks.

“Leo, I can’t just leave. I have people who count on me here. What happened with your job?”

I’m hoping talking about himself distracts him just long enough that I can figure out my next steps. I don’t know how I’ll be able to call for help, so I have to figure out if I can get away.

“What happened to my job? I’ll tell you what happened!” He straightens and starts pacing and flailing his arms. “You left me to come live in Hicktown, and I couldn’t focus on anything after you left. I waited for you to come back and apologize. I had to use the resources at work to find you, and apparently, that was a misuse of government time and property.” He spins on his heel to face me again and stalks toward me. Bending at the waist, he looks me in the eye as he puts his hands on the arms of the chair. “It took me longer to find you after I lost my job, but I never stopped looking. And once I got close, I was able to get some . . . inside help.”

What the fuck, he really has lost it.

I fight to maintain eye contact, which infuriates me because I worked so hard to be confident enough to hold eye contact with men. But his presence sends me back to the habits I created to make my life easier when we were together.

“I’m sorry that happened to you, Leo. That wasn’t my intention.” I truly mean that too.

He might have been a controlling, mentally abusive asshole, but I’m not one to wish ill will on someone. Now, if you had asked me four years ago, I would have told you I’m glad it happened. But I’ve moved past that. I just wanted to live my life on my terms with someone who treated me as an actual partner.

Luke.

My chest constricts at the thought of him finding out what’s happening.

“Now you’re down here with your dirty animals, whoring around with that man. I knew Pam was a bad influence on you, but maybe you were always just as bad as her. It’s time to come to your senses and come back home with me. You have ten minutes to decide if you’ll come with me willingly or if I’ll burn everything in this shithole down and take you forcefully.”

With that, he stands and walks away from me, mumbling to himself.

As he walks to the door that leads outside, I allow myself to panic. He must have taken my phone since I don’t feel it in my pocket anymore, so Pam can’t track me when I don’t show up.

How long have I been here?

Regardless, if I don’t touch base soon, she’ll alert the troops. Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I freeze on my first inhale. Leo says something as he walks out the door, but it’s the smell of gasoline that sends my brain into overdrive.

Tears fill my eyes because I don’t know what to do.

Do I go with him and hope someone can find me before we get too far away? Or do I try to slip away before he can get me anywhere?

I have to try and get away. I can’t risk him getting me even a couple of towns away. My only chance will be when he unties me enough for me to stand.

This ismyfarm. I know this place like the back of my hand. I can do this, if not for me, for the people I care about.

He comes back into the room and walks back toward me. He places a finger under my chin to make me look at him. “That fear looks so pretty on you. Are you going to come with me willingly?”

I hear a door open to my left, and someone walks toward us.

So I didn’t imagine hearing someone else.

“The other subject is on fire, and the fire department is tied up with that. There will be a delay in someone getting here. What’s the hold up here?” the new person says.

I know that voice too . . . There’s no fucking way this is happening right now.

“Amelia and I are just having a chat about what’s going to happen next,” Leo says without breaking eye contact with me.

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