Page 87 of The Dark Obsession

“Dale, I’m at the farmhouse. I tried, I tried so hard to fall out of love with you.” I cry real tears now.

The phone goes silent, and ten long seconds later, the front door clicks. Dale’s pale face peers through a crack. “Are you alone?”

“I am,” I answer quickly, not allowing a hesitant moment.

He beckons me forward and opens the door barely enough for me to fit through.

I dare not look back, not even for a second, as I head into the darkness. My body shudders with cold, though the house feels unnaturally warm.

Dale’s hot hands grab my shoulders in the darkness, and he directs me down a hallway into a dim stone room. A dusty sheet-covered sofa sits on the left, and across from it is an old, large box TV set. “You’re shivering, Rose.” He shrugs off his jacket and wraps it around my shoulders.

Dale’s sweet scent floats around me, and the memories seep from my veins. His skin is so pale, and his eyes, once so beautiful to me, are circled brown and purple. His plump red lips are swollen, a fresh cut bright against his whiteness. I feel his pain as he watches me, grinning.

Dale leads me to the sofa. “Did you mean what you said?”

I nod, and Dale’s arm drapes over my shoulder. “I did. I just can’t forget you—what we have, what you’ve given me—”

Dale’s tender lips reach for mine.

I part my lips, forcing my eyes closed. My mouth struggles to move with his, my aching stomach yearning for Rafael to save me now. I wait expectantly as Dale lifts my chin and kisses along my neck, biting gently on my collarbone. I wince as his teeth move along the recently healed bite wounds from days before.

“I’m sorry for that.” Dale nods towards my neck. “I got a bit carried away.”

“It’s okay. Let’s forget the past,” I say into his ear as his hands caress every part of me he can reach.

Dale removes his jacket from my shoulders and moves my jacket down my arms.

The heat on my skin spreads through to my heart. My stomach wrenches, and a bitter taste fills my mouth. I force it down and lift Dale’s head from my chest. “Where’s Ben?” I ask quietly, my heart ticking like a bomb.

Dale lifts his shirt over his head. “We’ll talk about it after. Make-up sex is always the best.”

My insides squirm. “What about my brother?”

“We’ll go to him after.” He leans closer, his muscles pushing through his skin.

I wildly scan the room.Rafael, please!

My body locks in place as Dale removes my jacket, and it falls with a thud onto the dusty wooden floor. The gun is partially visible inside the folds on my jacket. He licks his lips when he runs his finger over my recently scabbed cheek.

“I …”

“Don’t you love me?” he spits dangerously, his charm disappearing.

“I do, I do. I’m a little bit nervous.” I try not to acknowledge my weapon on the floor.

He snickers and squeezes my cheek. “You’re adorable, Rose.” He smiles. “Lie down on the sofa.”

I lean back, my arms wrapped protectively around my body.

“Im cold,” I whisper, noticing Dales raised eyebrow.

Dale stands over me, his hungry eyes devouring my body. He wraps the fabric of my shirt in each hand, and with a yank, the buttons clatter to the floor, bouncing across the room in different directions.

I suck a breath in and lock my hands across my chest.

“Now,” Dale says, his lips on my chest, “tell me, why did you tell me you came alone if Rafael was with you?”

I try to sit upright, but he holds me down by my shoulders, pushing me into the sofa.

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