Page 5 of Make You Mine

My eyes snap open, and the scene before me causes my throat to seize. There’s so much blood, and the woman looks to be near unconsciousness. There are several cuts down her tied arms and torso—stopping an inch from her mound—and while they don’t appear deep, her life’s essence pools and then slides down her flesh in little rivulets of pain.

“Your life for hers. Consider yourself useful, my bitter little sugar.” Bile rises, and I nearly double over as that term of endearment settles into me. It’s a play on what he calls me…

Always sugar. Something to devour.

Keep it together, Ava. Put the phone a little closer so the operator can hear.

“Yes. You’ll do just fine.” Jason sweeps a blood-stained finger down her cheek before placing both hands at her throat. Her body thrashes, and everything around me comes back into focus—a sharp punch to my senses.

It’s too much, and I scream.

The sound is loud and full of the utter fear coursing through my veins. Panic claws its way through my limbs, and his face snaps in my direction, eyes dark in the low lighting. His lips curled into a demonic sneer.

“Ava,” he hisses and rushes toward what I can only assume is the front door. My eyes shift to the woman, and I see her chest still rising. It’s slow, but she’s alive, and that’s all that matters. If I can keep him away until the cops… “Where the fuck are you, beautiful?”

“Get here quick, or you’ll have two dead bodies,” I choke on a whisper and take off toward the back of his home while giving the operator directions of where I’m heading. It’s dark, and I can barely see, but I don’t stop.

Jason’s cursing and getting closer, his heavy boots stomping on the higher-than-normal grass as he makes his way toward the back.

With my phone still connected to the call, I light the way, stumbling over an old ax and lawn care equipment near the property line. I’m so close to the unoccupied lot behind his home—this is my only chance to escape—and I scramble over a riding mower to reach it. The unfenced parcel of land doesn’t belong to our subdivision, and I’m so thankful for the wild cluster of older trees that provides cover as I crawl inside.

I don’t care about the thorns scratching my skin; they sting, and I can feel a few drops of blood sliding down my arms as I move deeper inside and hide within the unruly shrubs.

I’m lucky that the faint sound of leaves rustling is masked by his heavy footfalls and the sudden rush of a scared cat running.

Large trees are up ahead, just a few feet away when he whispers my name, and I freeze.

“Where did little Miss Ava go? Come out, Sugar, and I promise to play nice after you ruined my surprise.” His shoes crunch on old leaves or garbage—who knows—and I bite downhard on my bottom lip to keep in the whimpers that want to escape. I don’t turn around, but I know he’s very close. Jason takes another step, and his shadow looms near when sirens wail. They, too, are close, and he kicks something that sounds like metal near him. “You’ll pay for this, and only after I’ve lubed my cock with your blood will I forgive you.”

Oh God. Don’t make a sound.I’m panicking as multiple car doors open and close; he doesn’t move. The sound of Jason’s front and back door being kicked in comes next, and someone yells for help—for an ambulance. Again, he doesn’t move.

Multiple lights move throughout the backyard, focusing on him as feet pound the ground coming toward us.

He. Doesn’t. Move.

But I know he sees me now.

How close he was to me.

“Hands up and drop to your knees,” a man yells from behind us as multiple guns are cocked. Still nothing, but I feel him. His eyes burn into my flesh. Eating me alive. “On the ground now!”

At that moment, I look back, and our eyes lock a second before his knees are taken out from behind. He falls near me but can’t react when three officers grab him and force his hands behind his back.

Jason is in handcuffs before I can blink.

He’s being pulled up and searched as someone offers me their hand, and through it all, his eyes never leave me. Not once. There is no anger in them, either, which I find odd.

Instead, I’m given a disturbing grin. His cold, dark eyes are happy.

“You’re safe,” a female officer says, and my head tilts in acknowledgment. Through the corner of my eye, I notice her crouching down next to me, but I’m still trapped in Jason’s stare.

“I-I’m. I?—”

“Miss, are you injured? Do you need medical...” her words trail off then as I’m gripped by a horror-coated shiver running down my spine as Jason mouths the words:

“I’ll come for you.”

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