Page 46 of Cruel Vows

Kara angles herself closer to me again. “I know that this is hard for you right now, but I have to keep you safe. Letting you go running off in the middle of the night isn’t going to keep you safe.”

“Does that mean that you’re going to lock me in a room and call Sean again?”

“I have to.” Kara’s voice is soft as she holds her hands out, palms up. “You know that this puts me in a difficult position. I have to do my job, and I really do think you should stay here and try to figure things out.”

“Tell me what there is to figure out.” I snag my laptop and another tote bag from the closet before dumping the computer in along with the charger.

“I don’t know.” Kara looks down at the ground for a moment as she admits defeat. “Look, I don’t agree with this situation as the way you should live the rest of your life, but this is the way things are done.”

I set the tote on the bed. “It doesn’t have to be.”

Kara shifts her weight to her right foot, getting ready to lunge. “I don’t want to have to do this. Just take the night to think about everything.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, but I can’t do it in this house. I need to get out of here.” I close the suitcase and zip it shut, setting it on the floor beside the bed. “You can try to stop me if you want, but I’m not going to hold back like I did last time.”

Kara lunges, trying to get into my personal space.

I move to the side, spinning out of her reach, hands coming up in fists in front of my face.

She scowls. “You’re going to regret doing this.”

“I should have done it when you stopped me the first time, but we’re friends. I didn’t want to hurt you. But it’s obvious that you don’t share that sentiment anymore.”

Kara swings with her left fist, catching my arm hard. Pain radiates through it, my body shifting slightly as she swings again.

I get my arm up in time to block her, moving quickly to get inside her arm span and slamming my fist into the side of her ribs.

She gasps, stumbling back a step, and that’s when I advance on her.

I sweep my foot behind her knee, knocking her to the ground.

She rolls to the side when I lunge for her, springing to her feet. I twist before I hit the floor, hitting my shoulder, then rolling back up to my feet.

Kara’s foot shoots out, slamming into my stomach and knocking the air from my lungs.

Doubling over, I take a ragged breath before getting back up.

Her arms wrap around my waist, and she tackles me to the ground, sure to leave a bruise in the morning.

Kara attempts to straddle me but I manage to get my legs beneath her torso before she can, flinging her off me.

There’s a heavy thud as she crashes hard into the wall, groaning as some of the drywall indents from the impact of her head against it.

I rush over to her while she’s still disoriented, holding down the pressure point in her neck, kicking her hands away every time she reaches for me.

A few moments later, she’s unconscious and slumped against the wall.

I rip the flat sheet off the bed, sending the duvet flying to the floor.

Thankfully, she’s leaning against the wall which makes it easier to maneuver her arms back, wrapping the sheet around her and tying it tight.

She feels heavier than normal as I drag her into the closet and slam the door shut.

My vanity chair scrapes against the floor as I pull it over to the closet door, wedging it beneath the handle so she can’t get free even if she does get herself untied.

I pause for a moment to take a deep breath, lungs still aching from having the air knocked out of them.

The second I feel like I can breathe again, I grab the tote and my suitcase, hurrying down the stairs.

---