Page 79 of Borden 3

Taking her hand into his, he kissed it and led her out. She was a mess, so he took some turns down corridors and found the back exit out of the restaurant. She gave him a cheeky smile, her thoughts loud and clear. “Thought you wanted everyone to know—”

“Not tonight,” he cut in. “Tonight, you’re all mine.”

When he took her home, all he wanted to do was hold his queen.

So he did.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Emma

Past

Police sirens echoed in the distance. The sound of heavy footfalls followed. It took hours for the streets to die down from the heavy activity. I was stuck in a bad area. One of the worst streets in New Raven. With my back against the wall of the bastion, I held my backpack to my chest tightly, foolishly waiting for Theo to come back.

But he left.

They all leave.

Nobody stays.

It was anger and heartbreak that eventually forced me out of the lookout and down the steps. I clutched my switchblade tightly in my hand as the gate creakily opened. I stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked both ways. It seemed like the violence had drifted away. Like vampires, the rough and the homeless disappeared before the sun came out. Driven away by the light, comforted only by the darkness and its secrets.

I booked it without second guessing myself. I moved fast on foot, cutting through alleyways, thinking of how Theo moved with such stealth. I could barely move like him. I accidentally kicked rocks, stepped into puddles, my shoes crunching on fallen leaves and random street debris.

I didn’t stop.

I thought of the sanctuary of home and the smells that Granny brought to my world. The sausage rolls and the floral laundry detergent. The random bouquet of daisies on the kitchen counter, and the coconut smelling hand moisturiser she dotted on her palms and cheeks. I’d wake up to the smell of tea and freshly baked sugar biscuits. Then she’d leave for work. This old lady was still working in some grimy cafe for the extra cash under the table. My heart clenched.

I was a shitty granddaughter.

Like mother, like daughter.

Instead of tears, anger ripped through me. I was unlikeable. A snoop, like Theo said. I could have enjoyed his touch, instead I sabotaged the moment. I could have lived in ignorance, even for a little while. I could have basked in the feeling of joy, even for a minute. Even if it was wrong.

My legs ached as I continued moving. The sound of a bottle rolled along the pavement behind me. I looked over my shoulder, catching sight of a figure striding behind me. He was half a block away. I zigzagged, running now, clutching that knife tightly. My heart pounded as I jumped over puddles and stared up at the sky, waiting for the light to break through.

The sun wouldn’t offer me protection. Not in the way I hoped. The streets were so quiet, the shoddy storefronts either empty or abandoned. If people were waking up, they weren’t leaving their beds.

The footsteps gained on me. I held my switchblade out, ready to attack when arms came around mine. The stench of alcohol and cigarettes invaded me.

And rot.

He smelled so strongly of body odour, it immediately nauseated me. I couldn’t even swing the knife as the figure dragged me down an alleyway, his other hand tightly wrapped around my mouth. His hot pants were loud in the air as I flailed my body, trying to kick my legs out.

“Just stop moving,” he growled as he twisted me around, slamming me against a brick wall. He crowded around me, grabbing at me, his hand still attempting to silence me, but he wasn’t all that successful.

“Fuck you,” I furiously retorted.

He hiked up my shirt, his hand digging around the buttons of my jeans. “This doesn’t have to be a fight. Just stop moving and we’ll be done.”

I didn’t stop moving. Not even when my muscles ached. I had barely slept and I had walked a long, long way to get here. I was lagging badly.

Still.

I didn’t stop fighting. Tears burned at the back of my eyes as his hand loosened around my mouth. I immediately sunk my teeth into his hand when he attempted to silence me again. I tasted blood and heard him bark out a loud curse. He called me a bitch, but I wasn’t entirely sure what else. My head spun from adrenaline, my heart sat in my throat in trepidation. He gathered my hair and pulled, saying all kinds of things as I felt spent and exhausted, close to collapsing.

I really fucked up.

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