Page 82 of Always Watching

I’m on my own. I have to figure out a way to get out of this basement. From there, I can wait until he’s asleep and run away.

Shoring up all the courage I have, I say, “If you had told me how you felt, we could have been together. We wasted so much time dancing around each other.”

Olly’s eyes light up and another wide smile stretches his face. “I know. I was thinking the same thing. I just… you’re so gorgeous and sweet, Ranen. I didn’t think you’d be interested in me.”

“Of course I was. But you kept me in the friend zone, at arm’s length.” My voice shakes with nerves, but I push them down. “You should have told me. Imagine all we could have had. That’s why I accepted your offer to be on cam. Remember how eager I was? Remember how excited I was to see you naked and for us to play together?”

Olly surges up again and kisses me. This time, I allow it. I don’t turn away, but I don’t kiss him back or allow him access inside. Olly doesn’t seem to mind. He presses his lips hard to mine, groaning softly as he tangles his hands in my hair.

When he’s had his fill of my mouth, he moves away with a small sigh and a soft grin. “Ranen, I’m going to make you so happy.” He stands and walks over to a table against the wall. My heart thumps when I think he’s going to find something to get me out of these ropes, but my hopes deflate when he comes back with a cloth.

With a gentle touch, he dabs at the lump on the side of my head. When he pulls the cloth away, I see fresh blood. “Fuck, I’m so sorry about this. I wish I hadn’t hit you so hard. But I needed to subdue you.”

“It’s okay,” I say hurriedly, smiling at him. The motion feels foreign on my face, but Olly doesn’t seem to notice. “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Just a bump.”

Something catches my attention behind Olly and I try to focus on it, but it’s hard with him pressing into the knot on my head.It’s so painful that it blurs my vision and makes me want to throw up again.

Olly doesn’t seem to realize I saw something. “It’ll be a few days down here. It’s not ideal, but I want to make sure you won’t leave me.”

“I won’t, Olly. I’m yours. You’re right about North. He hasn’t called, has he?” Olly shakes his head slowly. “You’re the only person who’s ever been there for me. I know that now.”

He looks like a kid who got exactly what he wanted for Christmas. “Yeah, I knew you would see. He’s not right for you. I am.” He gets to his feet, wiping my head again.

Nodding hurts, but I try anyway. When I lift my head to look at Olly, I see North’s face peering through the window I’m facing. A faint gasp leaves my mouth, but I cover it quickly by clearing my throat.

North found me? How? How did he know where we were? Olly told me this cabin was isolated, surrounded by woods, so how…

A quick smile tugs at my lips. That tracking device he made me download. I thought he was being extra, but I guess it’s paid off.

Luckily, Olly thinks the smile is for him and doesn’t turn around to see what I’m looking at. “See there?” he says, still wiping my face. “I knew you’d be happy with me. I knew it.”

When I glance back to the window, I don’t see North.

Fuck, how is he going to get down here? The steps creak like a bitch. I heard Olly from the first step. Is he going to be secretive or…?

I shouldn’t have worried. North is more adept at this than Olly. He knows what he’s doing. I hear the creak of the door as it opens, but only because I’m listening for it. Olly starts talking, so he misses it completely.

“If you continue to act like this, we may be able to go upstairs tonight. I should have known you wanted to be with me too. I should have just told you. But this is more romantic, right? HowI fight for you to make you mine?Northwouldn’t have done that.” He sneers his name as if he’s disgusted.

“Think again, asshole,” North snarls, startling both of us. I heard the door, but didn’t hear him descend the stairs.

Olly whips around, reaching for the knife he had on him, but he comes up empty.

North grabs Olly by the throat and lifts him bodily, throwing him against the wall where all the boxes are stacked. Olly tumbles into them roughly, falling to the ground in a heap. The look on North’s face is scary, contorted in a mask of rage.

“I’m going to fucking tear youapartfor hurting him,” North snarls, going over to where Olly is struggling to his feet.

Somewhere along the way, Olly found a weapon, a large wrench he raises over his head. “I don’t wanna hurt you,” he yells, his hands and voice shaking as he looks at North. “Ranen belongs to me. You can’t have him.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, motherfucker,” North says, rushing over to Olly. Olly swings the wrench, but North ducks. He reaches up and takes the tool from Olly’s hands, leaving him weaponless.

Olly tries to find a way out, his wide eyes frantic as he looks around, but North is in the way of his exit by the stairs and the windows are too high for him to climb out.

When he sees it’s hopeless, Olly tries to run over to me—for what, I’m not sure—but North grabs him by the hair and tugs him back.

“Ranen,” Olly says in a pleading tone. “Call him off. I didn’t mean it. You know I didn’t. Call him off.”

North puts his arm around his neck, cutting off Olly’s words. “You don’t get to speak to him anymore. You kidnapped him. You put your hands on him. You don’t getanything, Olly.”

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