Page 45 of Twisted Obsession

22

Regina

The scary version of Ansel I’d met the first day we’d been introduced had emerged. He harbored this brute force inside him that I was sure had never been tamed. How could I have let myself think that because he was attracted to me that I’d never meet that version of him again? I was older, but so much more naïve than him.

He’d never hidden his true self from me, but I’d chosen to see what I wanted: the playful, handsome, and hardworking parts of him. There was also that sexy and seductive part of him that left me breathless and twisted up with lust and desire. This incident proved that I needed to be afraid even though he’d taken on the task of protector.

When the hairs on the back of my neck started to stand, I peered through the windshield, swiveled my neck around and searched for what or who, I hadn’t a clue.

I jumped, my head nearly striking the ceiling when my door popped open. My hand sat on my heaving chest as my raspy breaths bounced around the interior of the car. A strong hand reached in and gripped the front of my dress, jerking me out of the door with unyielding strength. I’d assumed it was Ansel who’d opened the door, but I was wrong.

The strong scent of cigarettes drifted up my nose and invaded my lungs as powerful arms tightened around my neck. The other arm was a vise around my body as tart, hot breath swiped across my face and shot up my nose to join the cigarette stench I’d inhaled. Despite the nausea his smoky breath dredged up, I filled my lungs with as much air as I could and prepared to scream my head off.

“He...”

My yell for help was cut short when a big hand was thrown over my mouth. My heart hammered hard enough to chip away pieces of my chest plate. The noise of horns blowing, revving engines, and people shouting around the bend of the alley sounded, but none of them were in earshot even if I could have screamed.

The hand clamped over my face squeezed with a bruising force that allowed me to feel the rough pads of his fingers digging into my jaw. My teeth scraped the back of his calloused fingers and attempted to bite, but the grip was so tight I couldn’t close my mouth.

My feet kicked and scraped against the concrete. The sexy red heels Ansel liked on me were being skinned alive. Sharp kicks and straining attempts to break free from the tight grip around my body were useless.

My family had caught me, and they were going to ensure they killed me this time. Muffled screams scratched my throat and died at the back of the hand around my mouth as I called for Ansel.

The veins in my head and neck protruded from the force of strength I’d used attempting to break myself free. My wide eyes caught a glimpse of the perfect sky as I prayed for Ansel to walk back out of that door before the monster that had me, took me.

“If you don’t let her go, I’m going to paint this dirty alley with your brains.”

It was the voice of the devil, so deadly that the man holding me, froze.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” the voice sounded once more. Ansel was back, and my heart rejoiced at the sound of his voice.

I stumbled down to one knee when the tight grip around me loosened. My knee and hand struck the ground, but in my stunned state, if there was any pain, it didn’t register. My joy at being set free overwhelmed me. I scrambled to my feet, ran on the shaky heels, and hid behind Ansel’s back. In my haste to get away, I’d failed to cast a glance back at the man who’d snatched me.

Ansel held me against his back with one hand and aimed his gun with the other.

“Toss your gun and turn slowly. I haven’t killed anyone in almost three days, and my fucking trigger finger is itching like a motherfucker. Try me, and it’s going to take a miracle for you to be identified.”

The man’s gun flew left, clinking to the ground before it slid to a stop about five feet to the right of him. I gripped Ansel’s non-gun arm and peeked around his muscular shoulder at the man. He raised his hands and turned the rest of the way around like he’d been ordered to. When he turned and faced Ansel’s direction…

Pop! Pop!

The powerful punch of Ansel’s gun registered, but a silencer muffled the noise. The scent of gun smoke drifted up my nose and swirled into the air around us. Ansel had shot out my attacker’s knees. He crashed to the ground when his legs gave out under his body. The man’s face was scrunched in pain, but I couldn’t make out his unfamiliar features. I didn’t know the man, but it didn’t mean he didn’t work for my family.

My grip on Ansel’s arm was so tight, I was likely cutting off his circulation.

“Let’s go,” he ordered as he turned. My tight hold caused my body to turn right along with his. My heels scraped the road with each wobbly step I took as my bugged-out gaze remained aimed at the man yelling in pain on the ground. The noise on the streets had covered all that had gone down in the alley, including the man’s incessant screams.

Ansel escorted me to the car. My mind hadn’t wrapped around the fact that he’d just shot someone in broad daylight. Although we walked back towards Ansel’s car at a brisk pace, it didn’t stop me from turning back to snatch glances at the yelling man.

When another man approached the yelling man from behind, a loud scream threatened to scratch the back of my throat. However, recognition registered, and my scream died on my tongue. It was JG, one of Ansel’s ranger buddies. Ansel had promised me he’d protect me, but I didn’t think I understood what protecting me truly meant until now.

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