Page 24 of Elusive Embrace

My panic rises as I finally manage to get the key into the lock. I turn it, push the door open, and call out, “Matt!” But the house is dark and silent. In my panic I drop the bag from the bakery on the floor.

Before I can shut the door, Al forces his way inside. I stagger back, retreating towards the stairs. Egon and Venkman dart down the steps but when they see Al they bolt into the living room, leaving me alone with him.

I flick the light switch beside me, and for the first time, I get a proper look at him. He’s dressed neatly, hair perfectly in place, but his face is twisted into that grotesque mask of rage that he wore when he attacked me before.

“Matt,” I try to shout but the sound escaping me is barely a whisper.Where is he?

“Is lover boy not around, bitch?” Al sneers, taking a few steps closer. I try to remind him about the non-molestation order, butthe words won’t come out right. All I manage is, “I have a non-mol… order.”

He laughs, the sound cold and cruel. “I’m going to prison anyway. Got fired, too. What difference does it make if I get a year or so more? You ruined my life already.” He’s edging closer and I can feel the bottom step behind me.

“Touch her, and you’re dead.”

I glance over my shoulder, relief flooding through me. Matt’s standing at the top of the stairs, still in his sports clothes, sweat dripping from his hair. He must’ve been on the bike, music blasting in his ears—that’s why he didn’t hear me come in.

“What’s this, are we trying to act tough?” Al smirks, but there’s uncertainty in his eyes. He’s not as sure of himself now.

Matt starts down the stairs, his eyes never leaving Al. When he reaches me he gently moves me aside, placing himself between us. “Try me, arsehole,” Matt says, his voice like ice.

The tension in the room is suffocating. For a moment I think Al might actually leave but then he does something stupid. He pushes his luck.

“Go on, hit me,” Al taunts, stepping closer to Matt. “You want to beat the shit out of me just because I touched her once?”

“More than once,” Matt replies, his voice steady, his eyes burning with anger.

“So what? She’s a lying little whore. She had it coming,” Al snarls.

That’s when I see the dark, dangerous flicker in Matt’s eyes. He takes a deep breath, his fists clenched at his sides.

“I’ll tell you what you’re going to do,” Matt says, his voice low and controlled. “You’re going to walk out that door and fuck off back home. I’ll call the police and they’ll make sure you understand what it means to violate that notice. If we’re lucky they’ll revoke your bail. But if they don’t and I find you anywhere near Nat again I’ll make sure it’s the last time.”

Al’s face twists with rage but he doesn’t move. He’s waiting for Matt to slip up, to lash out and give him the reaction he’s looking for. I realise what he’s trying to do, he wants Matt to hit him. He wants a reason to drag Matt down with him, making things even worse for me.

“Al please go,” I beg, stepping forward and reaching for his arm to turn him towards the door. But he recoils like I’ve burned him.

“Don’t touch me bitch,” he hisses, and before I can react he lashes out. His hand strikes me hard in the shoulder, sending me tumbling backwards.

I lose my balance, stumbling over a pair of shoes. Everything happens in slow motion. I reach out for Matt but he’s too far away. My arms flail helplessly as I fall, and then with a sickening thud, my head slams into the bottom stair.

Everything goes black.

Chapter 11

Matt

Time stretches endlessly asNat falls, her body hitting the bottom stair.

“Nat!” I shout, my voice breaking as I lunge towards her. But before I can reach her Al grabs my feet and yanks me back into the corridor. The bastard picks his moment well, attacking when my back’s turned. He’s a coward and he’s proving it once again.

“No mate. If I can’t have her neither can you,” he sneers, laughter dripping with malice. He stamps down on my ankle and the pain is immediate and excruciating, making me scream as I twist around and lie on my back. I kick out with my other foot, landing a solid blow to his chest. He stumbles back but the crazed look in his eyes tells me this isn’t over.

I don’t give a damn about him, he’s scum. All I care about is getting to Nat and making sure she’s alright. But as long as he’s here that’s impossible.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I roar, pushing myself to my feet, but he’s quicker and with a shove he sends me crashing backwards again.

“You had her and you let her go. You don’t deserve her,” he spits, his voice full of venom.

I ignore the blinding pain in my ankle and get to my knees. I reach for the wall, trying to steady myself, but Al doesn’t give me a chance. He kicks my legs out from under me and I crash back to the floor.

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