Page 31 of Hunting Pretty

“You arenotmy boyfriend.” I struck his forearm with my elbow, causing him to let go with a curse.

I raced down the stairs as fast as I could, my heart beating out of my chest, my breath ragged as his heavy footsteps followed after me.

I fumbled to unlock the front door.Come on, come on.

His sudden presence seared against my back and his breath was foul against my ear. “You’ve made your point, Ava. You can stop pretending we broke up.”

“You’re fucking delusional, Cormac. We areover.” I wrenched the door open and stumbled out into the dark icy night.

Cormac’s cruel laughter echoed as it followed me. “No onedumps me.”

“I did. Get over it.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. I was being watched.

Hewas here.

My eyes scanned the edge of the woods. I couldn’t see him. But he was here.

Cormac stepped into my line of vision. “Hey, you look at me when I’m talking to you. Why then? Why did you dump me?”

I let out a humorless laugh. “You’re acting like an aggressivedick right now and you’re wonderingwhyI don’t want you?”

I spun and began walking in the direction of my car.

Cormac followed on my heels.

He wasn’t being chivalrous. It was a threat. He wanted me to feel his presence. I was supposed to see that I was never out of his reach.

“What’s the big hurry all of a sudden, Ava?” he said, his voice growing hard.

At my car door, I fumbled with my keys. Shit. I was so close to escaping.

Cormac pressed me against my car and my keys clattered to the ground.

But I couldn’t move. He was pinning me to my door.

“You snobby little bitch,” he said, then hebitmy ear and I let out a yelp at the sharp pain. “You’re not even arealMcKinsey.”

“Getoffme,” I cried as I fought against him, trying to push him off me.

But he was too strong.

He ground his cock right into my lower back. “You’re just an unwanted gypsy-blooded bastard child andyouhave the nerve to dumpme?”

Dread rose in my throat, thick and suffocating, making me feel like I was choking on it. Oh God, what was he going to do to me?

I squeezed my eyes, tears slipping out of the creases as I struggled to get free.

I heard athwack.

Cormac howled in pain and stumbled back.

I was free.

A rock lay at my feet. Blood pooled on Cormac’s forehead.

That’s all I stuck around to see.

---