Page 79 of Forbidden Bond

One thing I know for sure is that I’m not leaving Topher. Not now, not ever.

I start to drive to his house on autopilot. I’m about ten minutes from the drugstore when my car starts acting up. I manage to drive it to the side of the road before it stutters to a stop. I stare for several minutes, dumbfounded.

Why the fuck is this happening to me?

Groaning softly, I step outside and pop the hood. I just got it back yesterday; it should be good as new. After checking to see if it’s an issue I can fix, I call Topher. He picks up on the first ring and I quickly tell him what’s wrong.

“I’m not sure what happened. It was fine when I drove it earlier and now there’s smoke everywhere.”

“What?” he says, confused. “That doesn’t make any sense. I made sure everything was in perfect shape.”

I shrug, “It’s okay. Accidents happen. Can you come pick me up?”

“I’m on my way, princess.”

He hangs up and I shiver, rubbing my arms. The road’s pretty much deserted. It almost reminds me of that first night Topher and I met. We were such different people back then. Especially him, he’s changed so much.

A car starts driving toward me from the other direction, and I pray silently that whoever’s in it won’t stop. Unfortunately, the car does stop, a few feet away from me. A man steps out.

He’s wearing a baseball hat and a face mask below his eyes. I immediately get a bad feeling. I rush to my car door, to lock myself inside or at least grab the pepper spray I keep in my purse. He starts to run toward me. I turn my back for one second, which is when something hard hits my head, and I go down immediately. The last thing I see before I pass out are green eyes filled with malice.

* * *

When I wake up, I’m inside a dark room. I sit up with a gasp and rub the back of my head, where a lump has formed. My throat goes dry because this situation feels all too familiar. But I can’t let myself panic yet. Very slowly, I get to my feet. A movement in a corner causes me to startle. I whirl around and see someone seated in the corner. A girl, with olive skin and dark hair.

“Who are you?” I ask, fighting to fight down the terror clawing up my throat.

She whimpers softly. Her brown eyes are hollow. She looks thin and starved. I move toward her but she inches away. She’s obviously scared out of her mind. I raise both hands up.

“Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. My name’s Katherine. What’s yours?”

Her voice is hoarse when she speaks. “Stacey,” she replies. “My name is Stacey.”

I let out a soft gasp. “Stacey?” There’s no way. “Do you know the D’Angelos?”

She nods vigorously as tears pool in their eyes. “I do. I’ve spent the past month hoping someone would come to save me. Christian,” she gasps. “Why hasn’t Christian come for me yet?”

My vision feels a little blurry. I’m actively trying not to think about how small this room is. Or the darkness surrounding me. There’s a small lightbulb on the wall that keeps flickering on and off, but apart from that, the room is pretty sparse.

“He’s been trying. Stacey, do you know where we are? Who has us?”

She opens her mouth to reply but then there’s the sound of a door being unlocked. Stacey inches closer to the wall, cowering in horror. Someone climbs down the stairs. My heart starts to race and then it stutters to a stop when I’m face to face with a face I’ve only seen in my worst nightmares.

“Hello, Katherine.”

Charles Leeman grins as he stares at me with a hungry expression. He’s larger than he was six years ago, more menacing, with tattoos trailing up his arms and a large scar on the side of his face. I don’t move, I don’t even breathe. I just stand there, disbelieving.

This is a dream. This has to be a dream. I repeat the words in my head over and over again like a chant.

Then he advances on me. Before I can blink, I’m on the floor. My cheeks sting where he hit me. He leans down and sneers, “That was for calling the cops on me the last time, bitch.”

“How—”

“How am I standing here free? I got out on parole, sweetheart. Been a model prisoner the last six years. Your daddy didn’t tell you? I came here for you and your sister. As soon as I got free. I wanted you both. But Tessa’s not in New York anymore, is she?”

I’m suddenly very glad Tessa already left with Mom. If not, I don’t doubt she’d have been in here with me. My sister suffered so much the last time, she doesn’t deserve to be near him ever again. But he’s been watching us, and the knowledge causes my skin to crawl. My fists tighten as I stare him down, drawing on all the willpower I’ve got. My stomach churns—from fear, from nausea, I’m not sure.

“How did you find me?” I ask.

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