Adrian's Wrath(45)

“When we get back home I’m going to show you how much I’ve missed you.” No, she couldn’t leave with him, wouldn’t. If he managed to get her back to his house she would never be able to escape. He wouldn’t allow it. Death was far more welcome.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Her words were distorted from the swelling in her jaw, but he heard her all the same. She might have only had a few months of peace while being away from him, but that time had hardened a piece of her. Sure, the fear had always been there, but now that she was confronted with Cameron after all this time, she saw a difference inside of herself. She was not the docile little punching bag any longer. She would never be that way again.

Aside from his satisfied smile that had only slipped slightly when she told him she wasn’t going anywhere with him, Cameron looked like the professional everyone paid a lot of money to unload their problems on. “That’s where you’re wrong, Brea.” He knelt beside her, the nauseating scent of his cologne causing bile to rise in her throat. “I’m going to have fun breaking you.” He turned his back to her and started putting his shirt back on. “This time away has made you forget who is in charge. All of that will change, though. I’ll make you remember.” She turned her head and spit, seeing the saliva-and-blood mixture seep into the carpet. She had prayed every night that she would never be in this situation again, but here she was.

“How did you find me?” It really didn’t matter at this point, but if she could buy a little bit of time she might be able to think of some way to get herself out of this. Once she was fully in his grasp, there was no way Cameron would let his guard down again.

He didn’t turn around to speak to her. “You’d be surprised how far fifty dollars goes.” He turned around then, his eyes on her as he buttoned his shirt. “Your landlord was pretty forthcoming in giving your ‘brother’ the code to your alarm system.” His grin told her there was much more to the story and she felt her skin crawl. “You know, you still look so beautiful when you sleep.”

Oh God. The bile that she had successfully kept down rose to the surface with so much force she couldn’t hold it back. When the contents of her stomach were out, she cried out in pain when his fingers grabbed her chin, angling it up to him. “There were so many times I wanted to take you while you slept. Even in slumber your body remembered the delicious pain I gave you. I wanted to spread those pretty thighs and fuck you harder than that back-alley fighter did. Then I would look at you and get disgusted that you had let another man’s cock inside of you.” He shoved her head away and went back to buttoning his shirt. “Don’t worry, though. There will be plenty of time for you to make it up to me. You’ve inconvenienced me, Brea. You’ve made me look like a fool in front of everyone I know. I will not stand for that any longer.” His voice was hard and cold.

The very thought that Cameron had been in her house, watching her sleep, being that close to her, made the ability to stop crying impossible. Actually hearing him admit he had someone following her, watching her and Adrian’s every move and reporting the information back, had her skin tightening in fear and disgust. Just thinking about how the scumbag Cameron had hired to do his dirty work had spoken to her left a bad taste in her mouth. It was clear as day that Cameron would go to any length to destroy her life. She could see his haggard face as he sat across from her at the coffee shop. She knew there had been something off about him. And then when he entered her house, watching Cameron slap her continuously, there had been no compassion, no sympathy for her situation. He was a dirtbag that had taken the wad of cash Cameron had given him and left without a backward glance.

Cameron bent down when his clothes were in their rightful place and unzipped the duffle bag said asshole had dropped off before he left. She couldn’t see what he had gotten out, but when she heard the sound of a gun chamber being opened and then closed, her heart stopped. He turned around, her father’s Colt .45 in his hand. Her eyes danced between the gun and his face. She knew he wouldn’t kill her, not yet anyway, but he did like to maim.

“When I found your little getaway bag I was surprised to find this little beauty tucked in there. You even had the chamber fully loaded. I have to say, love”—he lifted his eyes to her and lifted the gun, his brow rising at the same time—“I find it a turn-on that you were actually going to use this on me.” He tossed the gun back in the bag and then stalked toward her. “Although I’d love to finish what we started right here, I find this atmosphere unattractive.” He scowled and started untying her hands and feet. Before she could stand, both his hands were on her shoulders, his face right in front of hers. “If you try and leave me again, Brea—” He slammed his mouth hard on hers. Teeth and lips clashing together, she tried to turn her head which just resulted in his grip tightening.