Page 41 of Haunt Me

Seizing the moment, I dash past him, the hallway stretching before me. But my freedom is short-lived as he lunges from behind, crashing us both to the ground.Agonizing pain shoots through my skull as it collides with the unforgiving tiles, a dull thud accompanied by a moan of anguish. Swiftly, he flips me over, his weight pressing down upon me, suffocating my breath.

“No! Let me go!” I shout, my voice echoing through the room. I struggle to push him off me, his grip firm. Panic courses through my veins as I feel warmth spreading on my right side. Glancing down, I see his blood staining my dress where I struck him with the knife.

“Stop!” He yells, his voice filled with rage, as he tightens his hand around my throat. The sharp sting of his slap resonates across my cheek, the pain radiating from my skin to my eye. My eyes tightly shut, and tears stream down my face, mingling with the burning sensation left by his palm.

Gasping for air as he releases his grip, I cough and inhale deeply, desperate to fill my lungs.

“Don’t make me hurt you, Starlet.” His warning rings in my ears, his voice laced with a chilling threat. I meet his gaze, his dead eyes void of any emotion, piercing through me. The fear he instills in me now surpassesany anger I have seen from him before. I know he intends to kill me.

“Fuck you,” I spit out, fueled by a surge of adrenaline. With all my strength, I kick him off, causing him to crash against the wall. The framed photo of Chloe and I shatters into countless pieces as it falls to the floor.

Springing to my feet, I sprint towards my bedroom, maneuvering through the trail of blood he left behind. Each step is a battle to remain steady, but I manage to stay on my feet. As soon as I enter my room, I slam the door shut, the sound reverberating through the silence. With trembling hands, I lock it, hoping to find a momentary refuge from the danger lurking outside.

Backing away from the creaking door, my wide eyes dart frantically, taking in the dimly lit room. My breath comes in ragged gasps, the sound echoing in the silence as if taunting my fear. The terror grips me, refusing to let go. He’s either going to force me to go with him wherever he plans on taking me—or he’s going to kill me.

The outcome of this is inevitable.

In a rush, I tear open my nightstand, unearthing a collection of notes from Argent. I snatch one andswiftly turn it to the empty side, grabbing a nearby pen to begin writing. However, before I can complete my thoughts, Zavier forcefully bursts through my door, causing me to startle as wood fragments scatter throughout the room. He seizes me from behind, his arms encircling my waist, hoisting me up in the air.

“Please, please don’t do this!”

“Shut up!” His words echoed in my ear as he shouted, “If you scream again, I’ll slit your throat.”

A sudden sting in my neck makes me hiss, as a fiery sensation courses through my veins and my limbs tingle with numbness, causing my vision to blur. He forcefully lays me down on the cold, hard ground, muffling my cries with a tightly bound fabric, rendering me completely silent.

I feel his tight grip as he binds my hands and feet, rendering me helpless and unable to resist. I could feel the effects of a relaxer coursing through my veins, evidence of his injection.

I feel myself lift off the floor, my vision blurring together as my head falls back effortlessly.

I sense his firm grip as he sets me down on a cold, unyielding surface within a confined space. Despite myefforts, I struggle to fully grasp my surroundings. My vision starts to fade, but I catch a glimpse of him leaning in, his face mere inches from mine. His words, dripping with malevolence, resonate in my ears.

“There’s no escaping me now, sweetheart.” Just as the darkness envelops me, a chilling sensation pulls me deeper into the abyss.

Chapter 25

Argent

Slowly cruising through theneighborhood, my thoughts go back to the face of that grieving mother. How can anyone be so evil to make someone fall in love with them just to take their life? There’s no doubt in my mind that Zavier has an unhealthy obsession with Starlet. Rage courses through me just thinking about it.

I know that my obsession with her is not healthy, but I grew obsessed because of how intriguing she is, and how beautiful and strong she is. She fascinates me to the point where I want to know every single detail about her life. The difference between Zavier and me is that I would do anything for Starlet.

If she told me to put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, I wouldn’t think twice about doing it, but Zavier, he would harm her, like he already has—or worse. And I swear to God, if he or anyone, as much as lays a finger on her—I’ll be the one laughing as their mothers weep over their lifeless bodies.

I would kill for her—and I have.

I would die for her.

As I make my way out of town, my phone starts to ring, the sound echoing through the car. Checking to see who it is, I see it is Demitri, and instantly my heart drops.

Something is wrong.

Grabbing my phone off the passenger seat next to me, I quickly answer, “What happened?” The line is silent and I hear him inhale a deep breath before speaking, “I came back to her place to make sure everything was still fine, and I noticed her door was open.” The hair on my neck starts to rise and my heart is in my throat.

“Did you go in and check?”

“Um, yes, and, uh–”

“Fucking spit it out, Demitri!” I sneer.

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