Page 35 of Possession

“For years I’ve looked for you. Every time I thought I found you, it turned out to be the wrong woman. Do you know how frustrating it is to think you’ve located the love of your life, only to discover she’s a stranger?”

Who the hell was this guy?

Steadily I crept closer to the door, keeping a close eye on him, watching, waiting for any signs of movement. “I’m sorry, but I think you have me confused with someone else, sir.”

He sneered, ugliness now marring his expression. “Don’t tell me what I think, Madeline,” he spat.

I threw my hands up in a placating manner, trying not to notice how they shook and trembled. “I apologize. I can understand your frustration. I would feel the same way if the person I loved didn’t return my love.”

The man took a step in my direction and I froze.

“When you got my first letter, I waited for you,” he continued as though I’d never spoken. “For days I waited for you in our special place, but you never came. With every letter I sent, I kept hoping you’d understand what I tried telling you. Instead, I was left with bitter disappointment.”

He took another step, but this time it brought him to the chair reserved for my patients. I tried to understand and piece together what he was saying, but nothing he said made sense. He took a seat and crossed one ankle over his knee. He leaned back, facing me, and threaded his fingers together to lay over his stomach. His eyes never left mine, and even though he was no longer standing, I was still afraid to take another step. He remained watchful.

My men were supposed to be picking me up from work. I just needed to stall until they arrived. I also wanted answers, so for the moment I needed to play along so I tried to appear contrite. “I’m sorry I didn’t come. That I didn’t understand what you were trying to tell me.”

With my apology, finally, some emotion flickered across his face. It looked like hope, but it was quickly erased. “I sent you clue after clue and still you remained oblivious. Then, I realized you had forgotten. About me. About us.”

I could see his muscles shifting, tightening, then loosening. His jaw clenched and unclenched like he was trying to control his emotions. His gaze shifted and became unfocused, like he became lost in some memory. I didn’t hesitate. Instead, I raced out my office and through the waiting room. My scream echoed in the air, before being abruptly extinguished by a large, calloused hand slamming over my mouth. Another hand wrapped around my waist, trapping my arms at my side, and he ripped me backwards trapping me against his body. I thrashed and kicked as muffled cries tried to escape, but the strength of his hand held them, and me, back.

I tried to stomp on his foot, but he anticipated the move and wrapped his leg around my hip and knee to block my movement. The force knocked us off balance and we fell forward. I landed face first against the waiting room couch, the cushions softening my landing. Instantly, he jerked me back to my feet and threw me forward again, his hold never loosening. I screamed in pain when the side of my head bashed into the wall. Dizzy with a possible concussion, the fight in me slowed. Pounding pain filled my head and my ears rang.

With my body caught between the wall and the surprisingly powerful stranger behind me, I was helpless, immobile. Tears and snot clogged my nose and I began to panic, afraid I was going to suffocate. My brain screamed to fight, to get free, but there was no room for me to move. Please, I don’t want to die, I silently begged. Not now when I’d just found love. The missing pieces of my soul. God—someone—please help me.

The room rushed past me as he spun me around, the hand leaving my mouth, before instantly slamming back against it, effectively silencing me again. I hissed at the sharp pain in my neck. A flash of silver caught my eye and my gaze zoomed in on the knife being waved in front of me, a drop of blood on its tip. My eyes widened and I inhaled, not getting nearly enough air through my nose. I was starting to feel lightheaded and my vision was dimming around the edges.

“Don’t move. Don’t scream. Do you understand?” The instructions were delivered calmly, with no hint of breathlessness in its delivery, despite the resistance I’d demonstrated.

Frantically, I nodded in agreement. The hand over my face loosened and pulled away. I gasped in deep, cleansing breaths, desperate to fill my lungs. I forced myself to slow my breathing for fear of hyperventilating. The man, Casanova I assumed, shifted his body slightly away from mine, but the knife remained near my throat.

“Please”—I tearfully choked out—“please don’t kill me. I’ll do whatever you want.”

He slammed his fist into the wall beside my head, spittle spewing out of his mouth and all over my face. I didn’t dare wipe it away. “I just want you to love me like I love you!”

“I ca—I can do that,” I stuttered, willing to agree to anything if only he’d let me go.

He stepped back, taking the knife with him. “Oh, I know you can. I’ll make you.”

My abuser snatched me by the hair and yanked me away from the wall. I screeched and stumbled at the force, but managed to stay on my feet.

“You’re coming with me. We’re gonna walk down the hall to the fire escape outside the window. From there, we’re climbing down and you’re going to get in the van at the bottom. I’ll be in front of you the whole time. Don’t attempt to escape or call for help in anyway or I’ll kill you. Do you understand?”

I winced when he pulled my hair again, but ground out, “Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Now let’s go.”

He pushed me out the door and toward the end of the hall all while I prayed for Nathaniel and Joseph to find me.

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