Page 66 of Haunted Nights & Savage Sins
“You’ve got to be feverish. This isn’t like you at all.”
She tosses her head back and cackles like a madwoman. “This is exactly like me. Are you impressed? Do I make the cut?” She points her finger in my face. “You disgust me. Everything about you irks me to my very core. Leave.” She orders, pointing to the door.
“No, I’m not going to leave. Something is wrong. Tell me what it is so I can fix it. Don’t fucking do this, Brenna. Not now. Just talk to me.”
I can see it before it happens. She pulls her hand back and smacks me across the face hard. “Get out!” she screams so loud I’m sure the windows shake. “Fucking leave!” She raises her hand to hit me again, but I block the blow. It doesn’t deter her. Instead, she hits my arms. The blows come fast and furious. With each one she screams at me to leave.
There’s no getting through to her like this. The woman I thought I was in love with isn’t standing in front of me. Maybe this was the real Brenna after all. I shove her back and she stumbles but thankfully doesn’t fall to the floor. Instead, she lands on the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Leave me alone. Leave me alone, Cormac. Go.” She orders over and over.
I clench my jaw, having nothing to say.
I turn on my heel and walk out of her room, the engagement ring feeling like a concrete brick in my pocket.
18
BRENNA
It’s cold again.
I know all the holes in the roof have been fixed, so the only explanation I can give for the constant chills rushing through my body is I’m going through withdrawal.
Cormac is a drug and I’ve got to wean myself off of him.
The best way I can even attempt to do that is by staying away from him. That’s what we’ve been doing for the past four days. We don’t eat together anymore. I don’t sleep in his room anymore. He looks into my room two or three times a day, probably just to make sure his property is still intact.
I wonder how long it would take him to find me if I pulled one of the knives from the kitchen to slit my wrists? Would he even care? I doubt it.
The constant intrusive thoughts run like a never ending stream in my mind. I’m broken.
I told my father I would but I don’t think he believed me, or if he did he didn’t care.
That seems to be the story of my life. I’m only worth what I can be used for. Since being here I let Cormac use every last piece of me. My happiness, my strength, my body, my spirit. I gave him everything only to find out that he only planned on keeping me for the trial period.
I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to keep this up. I’d rather just become another one of the ghosts that haunts these halls than have to live like this.
In the distance, I hear the in-house phone ring. Someone is coming in. To think in previous days I would be excited just for the fact that I would get to see another human face.
I don’t even know how much time has passed. I don’t hear anyone. Did they come and go already?
I’m losing time, completely in a haze for hours until my eyelids refuse to stay open and I lay back down to go to sleep.
I hear the in-house phone again. Is someone else coming to visit or is it the same time?
My head drops forward and I’m so dizzy I actually fall out of bed. I land with a loud thump on the floor.
Seconds later, Cormac bursts into my room.
“Brenna, what the fuck.” He growls as he takes large steps in my direction.
He leans down and lifts me up off the floor.
“No! Don’t touch me. Get away.” I use as much strength as I can muster but even to my own ears I can hear the way the wordsslur and sound weak. He doesn’t do as I ask. Instead, he walks me to the door where I see Killian standing there.
“You’re just like him, aren’t you? A fucking monster.” I snarl at the man who had been nothing but nice to me so far.
He raises his hand to touch my forehead.
