Page 61 of Pen Pal

When I burst outside, the cold chill of the air barely affected me as I got to the nearest car and began to hotwire it. There was a gym bag inside, and I quickly changed into the clothes so no one would recognize me in my prison uniform.

I floored the gas pedal as I tore off to the highway, willing to catch every charge on my way to her. Nothing would slow me down.

I’m coming, Amara.

I’m coming for you.

23

Amara

Iwinced, pain making me regain consciousness as I looked up. Mark was on top of me on the floor, my towel long discarded, and he was squeezing my breasts painfully, intentionally hurting me.

The feeling returned to my limbs, and fire returned to my spirit.

I slapped him as hard as I could.

His face morphed into a mask of fury as he punched me across the face, and my head bounced off the floor. I cried out, my hands flying to my face, trying to soothe myself from the damage he’d inflicted there over the past week.

“Fucking worthless,” he spat. “You’re not even a good lay anymore.”

Good,I wanted to scream. I didn’t want Mark to like any part of me ever again. I hoped he hatedme and never wanted to see me and that he would disappear forever.

“Where’s your secretary?” my voice croaked instead.

Mark bared his teeth at me, slapping my mound instead, and I shouted, gritting my teeth against the pain. “She knows I’m stopping you from taking what’s mine,” he snapped.

“You already lost,” I muttered. “In twenty days, I won’t be your wife anymore.”

“If you die first, everything you own becomes mine,” he laughed, cocking his gun. “But not before I’ve gotten every use out of you that I can.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to get him talking as my throat burned.

“I mean, you’re staying right here, bitch, until the day before the divorce is final. Then you’ll be dead, and everything you ever owned will be mine, including the nice life insurance policy I took out on you,” Mark laughed.

“Isn’t that cheating on your girlfriend?” I countered.

“It’s not cheating when you’re still my wife,” he argued, crawling up my body on the floor. He roughly pushed his fingers in my hole, and I cringed, pain shooting up my pelvis. “We never tried fisting,did we? I’ll make you so loose even your boyfriend won’t want to fuck your corpse.”

Mark was sitting on my thighs this time, so I couldn’t kick him. He trained his gun on me, and I froze as he violated me, the pain getting worse with each new finger he inserted.

“Shit,” I gritted, the pain radiating through me.

“You like that, you fucking whore?” Mark taunted, forcing a fourth finger through my dry flesh.

“Stop!” I sobbed, unable to stay strong. His nails were sharp and brutal, and I was sure he was tearing me up.

But he didn’t listen. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying my best not to break again as my ex stole from me, using my body against my will.

“What did I tell you about touching what’s mine?” a voice growled.

Enzo?I thought. I was probably imagining it, but I leaned into the fantasy, needing respite from this hell.

“What the fuck?” Mark screamed.

A loudthudechoed, and Mark’s hand went limp.

My eyes flung open, hot liquid spraying over my body. I looked down, and I screamed. Mark’s severed hand was still inside me, his wrist seeping blood all over me.

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