Page 41 of After Our Kiss

I yanked, trying to break away, but he grabbed my other wrist instead. We were sitting on the bed facing each other. “And what, you're my only friend here, is that it?”

“I can be.” His muscles flexed; he pushed my palms down between us, his nose coming close to mine. “Oh, sweet peach, I can beso niceto you. Wouldn't you like that? I'd treat you like a queen, all you have to do is get on your knees for me.”

“Queens don't kneel, slaves do. I'm not your fucking slave.”

His polite act slipped. “Not yet. Let's fix that.” Shoving me backwards, he braced his knees on either side of me on the bed. My head came down hard enough that my brain sloshed in my skull.

Lonnie squinted at me, his grip shifting; he held my left hand on the bed, and with his other, he wrapped my hair up. He leveraged his hold until I was face down in the mattress, my upper body struggling as he twisted me like a pretzel.

Inhaling, I tried to scream. The mattress muffled most of it.

“Shh,” he said. His chest crushed into mine, his heart picking up speed. “Stop fighting me. There's no point.”

This was what he'd longed to do to me years ago. Back then, he'd been young, but his mind was sick. He hadn't known the core of his black desires but here, he could finally exercise them.

I was hyperventilating—straining. But not to fight him off, I needed my strength for something more reliable. “Dumb bitch,” he breathed on the side of my throat. He couldn't strip me; his hands were busy holding me still. “Why do you always resist when complying would make your life so much easier?”

Flashes of color moved through my vision. I'd wondered what his plan was—and it hit me. He was going to knock me out by keeping me from breathing. It's amazing how your body can keep acting when you're so detached from it. I was floating above, seeing myself bending, contorting, pushing my right shoulder to the point of dislocation.

“I knew he wasn't strong enough to break you,” he whispered in my ear.

My fingers brushed something by the bedpost—pain bloomed. I'd cut myself.

“But I am, little peach. I am.”

“No,” I gasped. “You aren't.” Spinning around with the force of a slingshot, I slashed blindly. He released me and I faced the man who was pinning me to the bed. I got to witness the uncertainty in his face as it morphed into shocked pain. Did he see the shard of mirror before it sliced through his cheek, or did he just feel it?

“What thefuck?!”Flying off of me, Lonnie grasped at the blood leaking from the gash in his face. I would have loved to cut out his tongue to shut him up forever, but being free was more important than a lust for revenge.

Scrambling to stand opposite him, I brandished the makeshift blade. “Give me your keys.”

“You cut me! You cut my face you stupid fucking whore!”

The room was small, I cornered him with a few quick air slashes; he bumped into the far wall, his hands going up. “I'll cut off more if you don't give me the keys!”

Red droplets hung from his chin, then fell, staining his shirt. It bothered me that he didn't look afraid. His robin's egg eyes were shining with humor. “Which keys do you want?”

I faltered, my hand dropping an inch.He's scared - he has to be. I just cut his damn face!“All of them. I need the one for this door, and the one for the fence blocking the boats.”

He tilted his head slightly. “How do you know I even have a key for that fence?”

“As if you'd let yourself be stranded here while Conway was gone. You both have keys, there's two damn boats.”

“Alright. Fair.” Watching me carefully, he reached a hand into his back pocket. “You ever wish you had a gun for moments like these?”

My heart exploded with adrenaline. Taking a stance, I prepared to dodge the inevitable bullets.

Grinning, Lonnie offered me a small ring dangling with keys. I couldn't count them all—more than two, less than ten. “Lucky girl. No gun on me, this time.”

Snatching the keys and trying not to touch his skin, I backed up. “Stay there.”

“Aren't you worried about what you're doing?”

I was quick to find the right key and undo the latch. I shot look after wary look at Lonnie as I did so. “If you mean letting you live...”

His smile cracked, then recovered. “I'm talking about what happens to Conway if you escape.”

My spine went straight.Conway...No. I couldn't wonder. He'd made it clear that staying here was my path to a grim future with Facile. There was no reason to care about Conway after learning that.

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