Page 57 of Twisted

Gritting his teeth, he matched her glare with one that could rival the devil’s.

“You’re mine, Maisie Jane, whether ya like it or not.”

Her derisive snort set his vision pulsing around the edges in red. Leaning in, that dead, veiled smile lit her features in a powerful glow, one that promised pain. He’d never seen a woman turn evil in a matter of seconds, yet here she was. He'd coaxed from within her a certain darkness, had brought it out into the light and played with it.

And he knew, as her smile grew, he was about to burn alive for his sins against her.

He barely registered the flash of something shiny and white, but by the time the ceramic mug connected with his temple, it was too late. He thudded to the ground, blackness consuming him.

17

Maisie

Present Day

The woods were dark and deep, but they were not lovely. Not at this time of night. Not when she was on the run—again. Only this time, she’d ensured she’d get away. This momentary blip in her carefully constructed plans was just that, now; a blip. A short span of a few days locked away in a cabin with a psychopath whom she’d somehow fallen for.

No, her acidic thoughts blazed through her mind. She’d not fallen for him. It had all been part of her plan to get away. Right?

But the lies she told herself as she swerved through the night were simply lies, and she knew it in her core. There was something about Jaeger that she couldn’t seem to deny, some part of his dark soul that called to the darkness in her own. It didn’t matter anymore. He’d explicitly betrayed her by not sharing the fact that he was also Lindsay’s big brother. And that whole spiel about him beating the shit out of Hunter in high school? Well, it all made sense now. How the fucker had suddenly stopped stalking her and had also had his face rearranged.

Jaeger had been intrinsically bound to Maisie for longer than she’d realized, and the thought sent a wild thrill of passion through her, effectively snuffing out her disgust at his betrayal. How could she be kidnapped, branded, tortured and fucked relentlessly by this man and still want him?

She hated herself most of all. Her betrayal to her own promises cut through her so deeply she felt the ache in her bones, and a choked sob exited her lips as she pushed the gas pedal down further. She’d stolen his phone and found her keys and her own car parked in the garage after she’d knocked him out, used his thumbprint to access his phone, and had found a map and a way out of these woods.

The fucker had lied about that as well. They were only a mile from a service road, and then another short mile to the main highway.

At least she’d found her jeans before she’d fled.

Her heart pounded an erratic rhythm. Her mind swirled with chaos once again; Jaeger had been able to quiet it, to calm her frayed nerves as he took over and took control, and without him her mind buzzed with the torment of her past. Each phantom tree that jumped in front of her headlights had a sickening thought behind it that pushed her faster.

Raped.

Abused.

Coerced.

Denied.

Forced.

Another breathless sob left her lungs. It hurt more than anything, hence why she kept it locked away as best she could. But with her emotions rampant and uncontrolled, her mind forced her to relive every despicable moment with Carter. Every decision that had been ripped from her flitted through her mind like an old film movie.

Swiping angrily at her tears, she couldn’t push the pain away any longer. It was there in her heart and at the forefront of her mind, begging to be expelled, and she felt the weight of her solitude in those deep, dark woods. She yearned for someone to hold her tight, to hold her together while she faced her past head on. Her heart knew who it wanted, but he was far away now, hopefully still knocked out...hopefully not dead. She’d ditch his phone when she no longer needed the map. She had a feeling a man like him would be able to track her, but the reins were hers again, and she had to make good use of her time.

The night dragged ever on, but as the lights from oncoming traffic pierced the darkness, some form of relief washed over her.

She was in a liminal space, a liminal state, caught between two impossible circumstances. Jaeger and the time they’d shared together was one side, and her future was the other, but right here and now, there was nothing else she could do but think.

In the desolation of the night, her demons slouched forward to consume her.

Maisie

Two Years Ago

(Maisie is 24)

“I’m so sorry, hun. But this was your decision. And decisions such as this have consequences, right?”

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