Page 66 of Knight
That was when it all clicked into place. The club would know something was wrong by now. I was supposed to meet my dad and Knight, and when they couldn’t get in touch with me, I knew they’d panic. I imagined that the whole club was probably out looking for me. I needed to suck it up, find the strength inside, and try to delay whatever she had planned for as long as I could.
Keep her talking.
As I thought about that, the bile threatened to push its way up my throat. I wasn’t sure I could listen to another crazy word come out of her mouth but it looked like I didn’t have much of a choice.
“Why now?” I asked and yeah, okay, maybe a part of me did wonder what had changed. What was it that made her want to kidnap me and plan to kill me?
She let out a heavy sigh that almost sounded regretful. Her head dropped and her shoulders sagged.
“It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I don’t really want to hurt you. It was all going fine.” Her head snapped up and her arms raised, her hands curled into claws. “Untilhim!”
“I don’t understand. Please, help me make this right.” My tone was surprisingly calm and even.
Did I mean those words? Fuck no! But I could sense this was what she needed. I knew she was talking about Knight and my mind raced as I tried to place all the pieces together.
“At first he did his best to avoid you. He was an asshole to you and it was almost like you didn’t exist to him. But I saw it. I saw how he looked at you when hedidlook at you. Though, you didn’t. It was all alright when you were blind, when you thought he hated you.”
She paced the small area in front of the mattress, her fingers clawing at her strange, blonde hair.
“You should have gone for Dale. If you had then everything would be fine. Because I knew you’d never really have feelings for the guy. I mean, like really?”
She laughed like the thought of me being with Dale was ridiculous. The guy was nice and I liked him, but as much as I hated it, I had to agree with her. My heart belonged to someone else and even if I did date him, he’d never be able to get even a sliver of me.
“It would have been perfect because you’d have this mundane relationship with lukewarm feelings at most. So, you’d still want to hang out with me. I wouldn’t be pushed aside because you’d never let Dale have that much of you.”
I must have been losing brain cells from the filthy air around me because I could almost see the picture she was painting. And as much as I hated to admit it, she was right.
Not that it made any of this even remotely okay.
I mean, she was still crazy beyond reason.
“But then something happened between you and Knight, and I’m so desperate to know how he got his princess. I really am. Did he finally break and tell you how he felt?”
She looked up like she was trying to figure it out.
I wasn’t about to tell her that he finally let his guard down for me. That he finally stopped fighting everything. Oh, and how could I have forgotten the kiss. Honestly, I think that was the breaking point for both of us. But she didn’t get to know any of that. It was mine, and if that meant I’d take it to my grave, then so be it.
“I need caffeine,” she announced like it had been something normal to say right then. It didn’t escape me that I’d heard her say those very same words on more occasions than I could count. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?” Her voice was oddly chipper and the smile that graced her face would have seemed normal if she hadn’t drugged, kidnapped, and bound me.
Then she bounced out of the room.
I was mentally and physically exhausted. I wanted to close my eyes but I was afraid what would happen if I did.
The minutes stretched on and I questioned if she was even going to come back. My whole body ached and it hurt to even shift on that lumpy mattress. I pushed it all down as I tried to plan a way out. My ears were pounding, but I did my best to listen to any sound that might indicate where she’d gone. I couldn’t hear a damn thing.
I tried to roll over again, gritting through the pain as my body screamed at me. I wondered how long I’d been in that position. My legs and shoulders were stiff and cramping. With my hands tied behind my back, I had no way to free my legs. I finally managed to get myself in a seated position. I looked around for something—anything that would help me rid the tape that held me bound. Not finding a thing, I started moving my legs back and forth in hopes to loosen the duct tape around my ankles. My skin burned as it felt like it was being ripped off.
I felt the slick heat of blood building up inside the tape and I wanted to cry. I was getting nowhere and I wasn’t sure if I should even try to keep at it.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Tara’s voice made my whole body snap to attention. I hadn’t even heard her come back in the room. “Trying to escape? You wound me, princess.”
She tossed a canned coffee energy drink my way. It hit the floor and rolled right into me. I looked up at her wondering why she would do that. It wasn’t like I had my hands free to even open the thing, let alone drink it. She raised her can to her lips, her head tilting back as she swallowed the last little bit.
“Much better,” she said with a shrug and tossed the can over her shoulder without a care in the world.
“So I was thinking…” There was a long pause as I waited for whatever new psychotic plan she had now. “I might be going about this all wrong. I don’t want to hurt you. I really don’t. You believe me, don’t you?”
I found myself nodding but only out of fear of what would happen if I didn’t agree with her.
