Page 58 of Hunter's Revenge

While I’m giving as good as I got, Malik effortlessly moves with me across the room toward the bed.

He sets me down, or rather throws me down, and I tumble to the ground, his gun falls out of his pocket.

When I see it, I see a way to get out.

But I’m not quick enough. He picks it up and smiles.

Like some crazy person, he taps the side of his head with it and runs the metal over his temple as if it’s nothing.

His smile widens when he reads my terror.

“Gwen St. James, you’re a quick little one, aren’t you? I wonder if sweet little Gwen would have killed my ass if she’d gotten her beautiful hands on my gun?” He laughs. It jars me.

I’ve never heard him laugh before, but I find it odd that he would call my hands beautiful at a time like this.

“Why don’t you give me the gun, and we’ll find out?” I surprise myself with that answer and my obvious bravery. Maybe it’s coming from that place inside where I’m sick of everything going to hell in ways I can’t control.

A deep, scary chuckle rumbles from his lips. “You know what? I’m almost tempted to give it to you, but I’m more obsessed with seeing my plans through than I am with tasting death’s welcoming kiss.”

That answer surprises me even more. It’s like he’s not afraid of anything, and he talks about death as if they’re old friends.

He’s crazy.

I caught the attention of a madman who’s going to wreak havoc on my life in ways I can’t imagine.

“Fuck you. You fucking asshole. You know this is wrong.”

“I’m sure you know I don’t give a shit about right and wrong. But I’m going to give you a piece of advice you need to listen to. Don’t piss me off, Gwen, or fuck with me in any shape or form. Don’t do it. If you do either, I will punish you, and that’s a side of me you don’t want to meet.”

I’m so scared by the darkness I see in him I can’t say another word.

I can barely breathe.

It’s hard to believe this is the same man who took such good care of me and my dog, and devoured my body like he wanted me.

It was all a lie.

All of it.

This is the real him.

He rises to his feet and glares down at me, a crumpled mess of fear on the ground. I expect him to continue his threat, but he doesn’t.

“None of it was real, was it? Nothing you said, nothing you did, was ever real. Everything was a fucking lie.” I don’t know why I’m bothering to point out the obvious. “Why did you help me when you knew you were going to do this?”

“Malyshka, let’s just say now you owe me instead of Conrad. I don’t think that money or trouble you got yourself mixed up in should just go away. So, this is what we’re doing, and in four days’ time, you’ll be my wife.”

My jaw drops open in horror. There are no more words left inside me to speak.

I owe him now, and we’re getting married in four days’ time.

This maleficent devil is being even more of an asshole than he already was by telling me the price I had to pay to get Conrad off my back. He’s acting like I had a choice, but I never did.

He turns his malicious stare from me and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

The rattle of the key in the lock sounds, then doom fills my soul.

ChapterThirteen