Page 92 of Total Obsession

twenty-nine

ZOEY

Before I knew what had happened, I was being pulled off the man's body. I was covered in a combination of his blood and my blood, the knife still tight in my grip.

"No!" I screamed, struggling against whoever was manhandling me. "I killed him, I'll kill you too!" I shouted.

"Zoey!"

I recognized Axe's voice immediately. I let out what I knew was a bloodcurdling scream as I tried to wrench myself free from his grasp. His grip on me was strong, but I wasn't going to let him win.

Not again.

Not ever.

I swiped the bloody knife wildly around his face.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, his grip loosening up on me just enough so that I could turn around and plunge it into his shoulder. "Shit," he said, his hold on me weakening, but still not entirely letting me go. "Why'd you have to go and stab me?"

"You deserve more than that!" I screamed at him.

"Zoey," he replied. "I can explain everything," he said through labored breaths.

"Save it, Axe," I spat. "I'm tired of your lies."

"No, seriously," he said. "For real this time. But, we have to get out of here. The cops are going to show up."

"Good!" I yelled at him. "I hope they take you away forever, and I never have to see you again."

"You're angry, I get it," he said.

"Angry?" I scoffed. "That word doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Cops show up and they're going to arrest you, too, love," he said. "For what you just did, plus other things that Will probably planted on you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just get in the car, and I'll explain."

"No fucking way!" I said before spitting on his face.

"Okay. Hard way it is then," he said. His arms squeezed tightly around my midsection and to my utter astonishment given the state of his shoulder currently bleeding out, he lifted me off the ground and promptly put me into the backseat of what appeared to be a disgusting-looking old car.

The knife was still sticking out of his shoulder, and I lunged for it, but he was quicker than me. He shook his head and pulled a zip tie out of his pocket.

"I can't believe I have to use this on you," he said, pulling my wrists tight together before securing them to the seatbelt.

I screamed and raged against my restraints, the plastic digging into my skin as he limped his way around the car and into the driver's seat.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" I screamed at him from the back seat.

"I know," he replied calmly, turning onto the highway. "And you have every right to. But, right now, I need to get you somewhere safe."

"Get me somewhere safe?" I scoffed. "Clearly I'm not safe with you! Admit it, Axe! You're a murderer and you messed up my life on purpose!"

"I admit it," he replied sadly.

His answer took me completely by surprise. I expected him to deny it. Tell me that I was crazy. Gaslight me into believing that I was losing it, just like he had all this time.

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