Page 41 of Heart of a Hero

“You can’t hide from me, Nora,” he taunted, his voice echoing off the brick walls. “You know I’ll always find you.”

I pushed myself harder, my lungs burning with the effort. I had to find a way out, had to escape this nightmare. But as I rounded a corner, I found myself facing a dead end. A high chain-link fence blocked my path, and there was no way to climb it.

I turned around, my back pressed against the cold metal, as Rex emerged from the shadows. His eyes were wild, his face contorted with rage.

“You thought you could leave me?” he snarled, taking a step closer. “You thought you could start a new life with that damn firefighter?”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “Please, Rex. Just let me go. I don’t want any trouble.”

He laughed, a cold, harsh sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Trouble? Oh, Nora, you don’t know the meaning of trouble. Not yet.”

He lunged forward, grabbing me by the throat and slamming me against the fence. I gasped for air, my vision blurring as his fingers tightened around my neck.

“You’re mine, Nora,” he hissed, his face inches from mine. “You’ll always be mine. And no one, not even your precious Dawson, can change that.”

I clawed at his hands, desperate to break free, but he was too strong. As the world began to fade away, I could only think of Dawson, of the love we shared, and the future we dreamed of together. A future that now seemed so far out of reach.

The last thing I remembered was the sickening crack of my head against a fence post before everything went black.

* * *

I awoke to a throbbing pain in my skull and the taste of blood in my mouth. My eyes fluttered open, struggling to focus in the dim light. Where was I? How long had I been unconscious?

Panic seized my chest as the memories came flooding back… Rex’s fury, his hands around my throat, the helplessness that consumed me. I tried to move, but my hands and feet were bound tightly with rough rope that chafed against my skin.

“Look who’s finally awake.” Rex’s voice cut through the silence, sending a fresh wave of terror through my veins.

He emerged from the shadows, a cruel smile playing on his lips. In his hand, he held a gleaming knife, its blade catching the faint light and reflecting it back like a warning.

“Rex, please,” I croaked, my voice hoarse from screaming. “You don’t have to do this. Just let me go.”

He crouched down beside me, trailing the knife along my throat with a gentleness that belied the malice in his eyes. “Oh, Nora, I’m afraid I do. You see, you belong to me. And if I can’t have you, well…”

He pressed the blade against my throat, just hard enough to draw a line of blood. I could feel it trickling down my neck. I held my breath, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

“No one else can, either.”

I closed my eyes, hot tears streaming down my face as I silently prayed for a miracle. For Dawson to burst through the door and save me from this nightmare. But deep down, I knew that this time, there might be no escape.

The metal of the knife felt like ice against my skin, a stark contrast to the heat of Rex’s breath on my face. My mind raced, desperately searching for a way out, but I was trapped, helpless, at the mercy of a man who had none.

“Why are you doing this?” I whispered, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. “I never did anything to you. I just wanted to be free.”

Rex’s eyes flashed with anger. “You think you can just leave me? After everything I’ve done for you? You’re mine, Nora. You’ll always be mine.”

His words sent a chill down my spine, and I realized with sickening clarity that he truly believed what he was saying. In his twisted mind, I was nothing more than a possession, a toy to be played with and discarded at his whim.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens pierced the air, growing louder and louder until they were almost deafening. Rex’s head snapped up, his eyes widening with surprise and rage.

“What the hell?” he growled, standing up and moving toward the window.

I held my breath, hardly daring to hope. Could it be? Had someone heard my screams, called for help? But then Rex grunted and came back toward me, his steps unhurried. It was enough to tell me the police weren’t here to save me.

“What do you want, Rex?” I asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? You can either move back home with me, or you can die.” He leaned in close. “I don’t give a shit about the kid. The firefighter can keep her for all I care.”

The fact Taylor was safe was enough to remind me there were still small blessings to be found even in this nightmare. I needed to stall for time. Would Rex believe me if I agreed to go home with him? I didn’t recognize the space we were in, which meant he’d brought me somewhere we hadn’t been before. Judging the state of the room, it might very well be a condemned building.

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