Page 57 of Betrayal & New Beginnings

“Ah,Elliana, nice try, but you will not be leaving.”Randallcame back into the room with a gun in his hand as he wiped it on his shirt. “Sorryabout the delay, but as helpful asBethhas been up to this point,Idon’t like loose ends, and sadly, she became someone who knew a little too much.”

I realized now that the gunshots came fromRandall, and he must have shot her.

“Y-You… you killed her?”Istuttered, asking whatIalready knew was likely true but still needing the confirmation.

“It pains me a little because she was so helpful—especially when that boss of yours started to encroach on what belonged to me,” he said, his voice laced with even more malice. “ButIalso couldn't have her running back to that man and telling him what she knows.However,Iunderstand she helped us, andIknow this upsets you, so we can take her with us, andIwill bury her with the others.”

“Others?”Isqueaked, and his face oddly softened.

“Sweetheart, we aren’t the only ones who know this relationship was meant to be.Butthere have been a few bumps along the way, soI’vehad to remove a few obstacles.”

I had been scared before, but nowIwas terrified—not just at the fact that he had obviously killed other people, but at how easily he spoke about it, as if burying them was just another chore.

I thought ofKatie.Iknew she would never willingly helpRandall, knowing the monster he had become, but she had been radio silent for the last few days.Iwas worried about her.

“Katie?”Iasked with a bit of a cry.

“That bitch?” he snarled, and his demeanor changed once again. “No, butIshould have killed her with your grandma for trying to interfere in our connection.”

My heart stopped.Gran.Mybeautiful, sweetGran.

“Gran,”Iwhispered with a huge lump in my throat. “Shefell down the stairs…Ifound her whenIgot home from work.”

“Of course she did, sweetheart.”Henodded and moved his hand to my leg as he sat on the bed next to me.Iscooted my leg away as bestIcould, but he grabbed ahold of my ankle tight and squeezed.

“She didn’t want you moving in with me, and she wanted you to go away to college.”Hestarted shaking his head in disbelief. “Shewas preventing us from taking the next step, andIcouldn’t let that happen.Youdidn’t need to go to college.Icould have given us everything we needed.Shejust wouldn’t let that happen.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“I went to your house to have a chat with her and explain you would be moving in with me and that was final, and she had the nerve to tell me no.”Heshook his head, as if he couldn’t believe someone would tell him anything other than what he wanted to hear.

“She was old.Oldpeople fall down the stairs all the time.Ijust simply assisted her,” he said with a shrug.

I was overwhelmed with emotions—anger that he killed her, sadness for my poor grandma who had done nothing wrong, and fear becauseInow realized he had no problem killing.Ifhe was so flippant about their deaths, what would stop him from killing me too?

I thought of my brother and howIwould never get to see him again.Wade…Sweet, handsomeWade.Hefinally opened himself up to being with someone, and he picked me.IfIdidn’t make it out of this, he would go right back to his hidey hole, andIcouldn’t let him do that.Ineeded to survive soIcould heal with him.Thetwo of us together.

Randall must have misinterpreted the look on my face, because his softened a bit as he looked at me.

“It’s okay now, darling.Thereis no one else in our way,” he said, staring at me and obviously very happy with himself. “Youwill, of course, need to be punished because this long scavenger hunt you’ve sent me on has gotten me in trouble with work, and we cannot have that.Butwe’re destined to be together, so we’ll get through this and come out better on the other side,” he said, putting his hand on my cheek.

I flinched and he smiled.

I knew in that momentIhad to get out of there.Ihad to find some way of distracting him and finding a way out.

“O-Okay,Randall,”Isaid, trying to placate him to buy myself some time. “Iunderstand.Ihave to use the restroom.Canyou help me, honey?”Ihoped the endearment and submission would allow me to get out of these restraints.

“Nice try,Elliana.”Hemoved the hand from my cheek to my neck and squeezed. “Youaren’t leaving this bed until you’ve been punished, and you will be punished thoroughly.”Hissmug smile came back onto his face. “Andyou can scream as loud as you want, and no one will hear you.Irented this house for the week because it’s remote with no neighbors anywhere nearby.Exactlywhat we needed for your punishment.Thenwe’ll head home toTennesseewhere we belong.”

He stood up from the bed and started to take the belt off his pants.Ibegan to shake, knowing what was about to happen.Hewalked over to me, andIstarted to scramble up on the bed.Icouldn’t use my arms, butIcould use my legs, so when he got close,Ikicked my right leg out and got him right in the crotch.Hescreamed in pain and fell to his knees.Hewas heaving with one hand on the floor and the other over his family jewels.

“You will pay for that,Elliana,” he growled at me with a tinge of pain in his voice.

I was frantically trying to think of how to get out of this situation.Think,Ellie.Think!

Still cupping his junk with one hand and breathing heavily, he sat up a little and used his other hand to grab my leg and pull himself up.Onceupright, he sat on me soIcouldn’t move.Hisweight on my legs prevented me from kicking out.Istarted to scream, even thoughIknew it was unlikely anyone could hear me.Ionly got a brief scream out, and then his free hand was on my neck.

“You’ll be sorry you did that,Elliana,” he wheezed, but with the full force of anger.

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