Page 180 of Mad Love

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demanded, absolute terror washing over me as I realized Cori was upstairs and we were on our own.

Whatever happened next, all that mattered was Corinne surviving this.

Please don’t come down here.

My gaze shot to the clock on the microwave, and I realized it had been only thirty minutes since Royal left. He probably wouldn’t be back for at least that long still.

Dammit.

“I live here,” he sneered at me. “Maybe you and my cumstain of a son forgot that, but this is my home.”

“Last I checked,” I ground out, “Ryan and I owned everything that was ever in your name.”

His eyes flashed with a maniacal glint a second before he drove his fist into my stomach. The air was crushed from my lungs again as I struggled to breathe. Nausea rolled through me in waves, fear and physical pain a toxic cocktail that damn near sent me to my knees.

“Where is he?” Beckett demanded.

It took a second to get enough oxygen to reply, and I used the moment to really look at him.

Gone was the posh, sophisticated man who stormed around in power suits and thousand-dollar haircuts. His blue eyes, the same shade as Ryan’s and Cori’s, were wild and bloodshot. His hair was messy, and he was in jeans and a t-shirt that looked like something a last-minute tourist bought at an airport.

I lingered on my assessment too long and his open palm cracked across my face. “Where is he?”

Fuck it. I was going to lie my ass off.

“On his way,” I snapped, holding a hand to my throbbing cheek. “He’ll be here any second with the others.”

Beckett stared at me. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” I challenged, arching a brow like my life wasn’t literally hanging in the balance. “By all means, stick around. I’m sure Ryan will love seeing you again.”

He hissed out a breath. “Guess that means I’ll have to work fast, huh?”

My heart pounded in my chest as I looked for a way out. Any way out.

Beckett had backed up to hit me, which put a little room between us. There were knives in a butcher block on the other side of the island, if I could get to it.

“Pity I’ll be long gone,” he added, a cruel taunt in his tone. “I’d love to see the look on his face when he finds your body and his precious little sister’s. Maybe I’ll lay you out in the foyer… or hide your bodies in different rooms so he can try and find you.”

The sound of my phone ringing in my back pocket made both of us jolt, but I recovered faster. I ran forward, slamming my hands against his chest and pushing him back with all the strength I had as I made a run for it.

Beckett crashed back into the barstools at the island while I took off at a sprint, not willing to risk my shot at freedom for the dicey chance at grabbing a knife before he could overpower me.

As I ran, I fumbled for my phone and nearly dropped it. Royal’s name flashed across the screen as I heard Beckett thundering behind me.

I hit the answer button and screamed, “Royal! Beckett is—”

He crashed into me from behind, sending me flying into the opening of the foyer. The phone hit the door several feet away.

I kicked out blindly, struggling to crawl to the phone as Beckett pulled at me, trying to roll me onto my back and pin me down.

“Get off!” I shrieked, turning my full attention to him instead of the phone. I punched and kicked, raining blows down on him. My knee landed on something soft, and he roared, rolling off me to cup his dick.

I shot to my feet and ran for the stairs, ignoring the phone as I took them two at a time.

Cori. I had to get to Cori.

“Bitch! Get back here!”

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