Page 1 of Undeniable

Chapter One

Tasha

The familiar metallic stench fills the air as I stare into a lifeless pair of sea blue eyes. I watch as the light drains out of them by the second until it slips away all together. My mind flashes with all the memories I shared with those blue eyes. They were always there, watching me, protecting me, loving me. Now, they are nothing but an empty reminder of all I have lost.

A large hand sinks into the back of my silky black hair and rips me away from the stiffening body on the floor. I screech in pain as my exposed legs are drug across the rough concrete. The pungent smell of liquor and body odor infiltrate my senses as his hot breath brushes across my cheek. My skin crawls at the nearness of him. I close my eyes, willing myself to retreat within, to imagine I am anywhere but here. Anywhere but living this nightmare.

“You are mine. Never forget that. If you run, I will catch you. If you hide, I will find you. You are bound to me, forever.”

My body shakes as his words fill my head. Forever. I would rather die than be in this man’s presence for one more second. The tell-tale sound of his belt jingling rings through the air like nails on a chalkboard. I squeeze my eyes tighter, imagining I am somewhere else, where this hell isn’t my reality. Just a little longer and I will be free. I have to be, or I will die trying. Just a little longer.

I jolt awake, cold sweats plastering my tank top to my damp skin. My head whips around frantically to take in my surroundings. I notice that I am still safely in Becca’s loft in SOHO and breathe a rough sigh of relief. It has been 6 years since that horrific night. I haven’t had a nightmare about it in a long time, I thought I was past it all. I guess returning to New York is bringing up more memories than I would care for.

I swing my legs off the side of Becca’s pull-out coach before I stand up to stretch out my aching joints. It is only a 1-bedroom loft, and I did show up unannounced in the middle of the night, so beggars can’t be choosers. I hadn’t spoken to Becca since I left New York all those years ago, but being best friends since we were young, I knew that she would be there for me.

For what seems like forever now, I have been running. Never settling in one place for too long, just in case. It seems my paranoia was rightly felt though, considering the men I discovered last week that were sniffing around my apartment back in Charleston. After 6 years he still hasn’t given up on tracking me down.

If you run, I will catch you. If you hide, I will find you.

I have never forgotten those words, not for a moment. I live every second of my life in fear. It isn’t the best way to live but it is better than not living at all. Unfortunately, my resources have officially run out and the one person that I can trust besides Becca is unreachable, which is what brings me back to this horrible city. The one comfort I find is that hiding right under someone’s nose tends to be the best place to stay perfectly hidden.Hopefully.

As I creep down the hallway to the bathroom, I notice that Becca’s door is already open and her room empty. She must have already left for work. Becca is somewhat of a jack of all trades. She runs her own catering business out of her apartment, does medical billing 3x a week and nannies Monday-Friday. In my opinion, the girl is juggling too many plates, but she is nothing if not driven.

I jump into the shower and do my best to wash away the dirty feeling my nightmare has left behind on my body. Lathering my loofa with my favorite pomegranate body wash, I furiously scrub at my skin until it is red and raw, doing my best to remove the foulness of his touch. No matter how hard I try though, it never fades.

Once I am showered and my hair is dry, I slip on a pair of nice jeans and a long sleeve white blouse with a pair of black pumps. I put some big waves into my freshly dyed auburn hair to give myself that effortlessly beautiful kind of look. My fingertips graze my roots where my natural raven color is starting to bleed through. Looks like I already need a touch up. I miss my natural hair. Paired with my pale blue eyes it was the only thing left tying me to the girl I was before. But with my fake hair it makes me that much harder to recognize which makes me that much safer.

While my hair used to fall just above my hips it now comes just a bit below my shoulders. I change my hair color and style with every city I live in, just in case. I know better than to underestimate his reach and the intel he could have in his grasp, so everything that I can do to throw him off is key to my survival.

After I apply a soft layer of makeup, I make my way out of Becca’s loft and lock it with the spare key she left me. I hop into the elevator and ride it down to the lobby before I step out into the brisk morning air, quickly skimming my gaze around my surroundings like usual, just in case.

Becca told me last night about a few restaurants that were looking for some dishwashers or prep cooks. I just need something to make a little money for now that keeps me out of the public eye. My time in New York won’t last long. I am just laying low to save enough until I can move to my next temporary home, until the illusion of safety fades there too.

The busy New York sidewalk has me sidestepping and cursing every asshole that dismisses my presence as they bump into me and shove me along. While I try to weave in and out of people, my eyes continue to swivel all around, focusing heavily on the shadows. That is after all, a monster’s favorite place to lurk. Out of nowhere, someone shoulder checks me as they move around me and hurry across the street. I grit my teeth in irritation before I break free from the crowd.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the smell of freshly roasted coffee surrounds me. I look to my right to see a coffee shop that is brimming with people inside the small space. Maybe I could apply there? They look like they could definitely use the help.

Keeping my eyes on the front counter through the window, I take a few steps to reach for the front door when a large body walks through the door and crashes into me as well as his scalding hot coffee. I screech as the black liquid soaks through my white shirt and singes my skin.

“Shit!” The man curses roughly before he tosses the now empty cup to the ground and holds my arms to stabilize me as I flail wildly from the scorching liquid that is currently burning my chest. “Are you okay?”

My eyes move from my now ruined blouse up to a pair of magnetic silver eyes that tear through me like a bullet. They are full of concern with only a hint of aggravation over losing his morning coffee. All of the nasty words that rested on the tip of my tongue vanish and my mouth dries out in an instant. I’m not even confident that I’m breathing right now as the gorgeous stranger looks down at me.

“Miss?” He asks.

I blink before I take a step out of his hold. Once his fingertips slide away from me, I gain my bearings enough to be able to stand up a little straighter and force my brain to fully function.

“I’m fine. Sorry about your coffee.”

“Sorry about your shirt.”

He gestures to the fresh coffee stain with a serious expression, but I also see swirls of sympathy swimming in his metallic eyes.

“Ah, yeah. That sucks,” I say as I pull the wet material away from my skin.

“Were you going to get a coffee?” He asks as he nods towards the shop.

“Oh, I was thinking about it. They any good?”

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