Page 20 of Swallow Your Fear
He let go of my skirt and stepped away from the bed, not meeting my gaze. “You’ve got chores tonight, so get dressed and out to the barn.”
Then he left, taking all the oxygen in the room with him.
I had a feeling I’d need to get used to him leaving.
Chapter 10
Brynne
Crickets chirped out in the fields as bugs darted around the spotlight above the barn. Austin had given me a quick rundown of how to feed the horses, then he’d disappeared inside the house, muttering something about needing a stiff drink after the day he’d had. Working on a ranch day in and day out had to be hard, but I could tell the three of them loved it. I wasn’t sure if anyone else helped them or not, but they seemed to have things under control—not that I knew anything about ranching, though.
I used the pocket knife sitting on one of the bales to cut the bailing twine, then set it on a shelf so it didn’t get lost in the mess of hay. I filled the wheelbarrow to its max, then headed down the aisle, tossing a flake in for each horse. The barn had to be twice as long as the house, holding about twenty-five stalls. Only ten of them were occupied, the others out in the pasture.
After I finished feeding the horses in the barn, I refilled the wheelbarrow and headed outside. Over a dozen horseswaited by the fence, making various noises as they awaited their dinner. Unlatching the gate, I squeezed inside with the wheelbarrow, making sure to close it behind me. The horses swarmed, but I pushed it about ten feet in, then started tossing the flakes around, spacing them about two to three feet apart, like Austin had instructed.
I grabbed the wheelbarrow, but right as I did, a clang rang out, like a chain hitting the fence. I looked over my shoulder, searching the pitch black field for any signs of an animal or person, but it was quiet again. My mind was most likely still reeling from the man at the diner. There was nothing out here besides a few livestock animals.
Leaving the horses to eat their hay, I slipped back out the gate, making sure it was latched properly, then pushed the wheelbarrow back to the barn. The wheel crunched over the loose rocks in the dirt, then went silent as it moved onto smooth concrete inside the barn.
I wheeled it back to where I found it, then flicked the floodlight off on my way out. Once the beam disappeared, that same clanking sound came from the field, and I whirled, squinting my eyes in an attempt to see better. Only pure black stared back at me, which was expected.
“Just the wind, Brynne. Calm down,” I muttered to myself, continuing on my way toward the house.
But then the sound came again, and I froze. My heart beat in my ears, and even the crickets paused their song.
I wasn’t alone.
“Hello?” I called into the void.
I should keep going. Get into the house and lock the door.
Footsteps on dirt sounded, and then my eyes focused inon a body by the barn. In the dim light from the moon, I recognized the mask before anything else.
My body should have relaxed even a fraction, but every nerve stayed on high alert, fear overtaking my senses in a rush.
His hand moved, a glint of light reflecting off whatever he held, and then the clang sounded again as he hit the object against the hitching post.
“You can run from your fear, Brynne. But if I catch you, I have my way.” Even from where I stood, I heard him loud and clear.
“What are you going to do to me?” I hated the uncertainty in my voice. I wasn’t sure what he was trying to do, or why my body was lit bright like a sparkler at the idea.
He casually prowled forward, the item in his hand jingling with every step. “Would you like to find out?”
I swallowed. Did I? I should say no. Go inside and lie back in that heaven of a bed. But a part of me wanted to know. Wanted to experience firsthand what he’d do to me if he got his hands on me again. If it was anything like the first time, I had no reason to object.
“Maybe,” I answered, realizing how stupid my response sounded.
“Then run, Darlin’.”
I hesitated, which wasn’t the smartest move, because he was already running, and I was still frozen in place. I spun, darting in the direction of the house, but he was taller, faster, and was gaining fast. My shoes pounded on the gravel as I booked it toward the corner of the house, speeding around the side. One glance over my shoulder told me I had no hope of getting away, but I could try. My chestheaved, my heart pounding dangerously as I made it behind the house. But then, Booker’s boots sounded directly behind me, and I screamed.
Large arms wrapped around my waist, and I was lifted from the ground mere feet from the first step of the porch. We were both breathing heavily, but for different reasons. His was from sprinting to catch me, and mine was from the anticipation of what was to come.
He threw me over his shoulder, landing a slap to my ass through my loose shorts, then hauled me back to the barn, not bothering to turn the light on as we entered. The slight sting sent a surge of heat through my core, and I silently wanted his hand on me again. He carried me like I was barely more than a paper weight, an attestation to the muscles toning his arms. His hand wrapped around a bundle of bailing twine, and then he set me down, pinning me between his body and a stall.
He grabbed my hands, forcing them together, and wrapped the twine around them multiple times, tying the ends in a knot. The frayed string bit into the soft skin of my wrists, but I barely felt it as he lifted my arms above my head, hooking the string on a metal hook above me. With the position, I was forced to keep my arms up. My thighs clenched together as I swore heat dripped from me.
Between the dark of night, his mask, and the black cowboy hat, I could barely see him, but it only fueled my fear and excitement more. His hands gripped the top of my baggy t-shirt and pulled down. The fabric tore easily, straight down the middle. I wasn’t wearing a bra, assuming I would be going to sleep after I finished feeding thehorses, and even with the low visibility, I could tell my exposed breasts made him feral.
