Page 23 of Stalked

Rolling my eyes, I snatch my shirt up and get to my feet. I’m not sure if I’m more embarrassed that I just had a teeny, tiny, very small,microscopicfreak-out. Or if I’m upset that he didn’t stop me right away. He let me just believe he was hurt.

“Fuck you.” I decide I’m madder at him. Turning towards the house. I take a much-needed breath. Flashbacks of Izel coming into my room barely holding herself together. Bleeding everywhere. My heart hurts, everything hurts, remembering what Dan put us through.

“Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” Tobias grunts, the sound of him moving around behind me. “Please don’t be mad, Gabriel.” He sighs, stepping into my view.

“I’m not mad.” I’m not. I’m confused about what I’m feeling towards the man who kidnapped me. But also, for the fact that I’m not running for the hills. I was kidnapped and held against my will before.Barely survived it. And now I’m willing to let Tobias do whatever he wants. I want to be his. But this is all too fast.

Brushing my hair behind my ear, out of my face he frowns. “I don’t like seeing you hurt,” he mumbles.Well, me too, buddy. I don’t like being hurt either. But I don’t say anything because what is there to say?

“What are you scared of?” Tobas steps closer, barely leaving any room between our bodies. I can feel the heat radiating off his body. “What scares you more, Little Rabbit, the fact I’m still here or the fact that you’re starting to fall for me?”

Dragging in a breath, I slam my eyes closed. He’s right, I am falling for him. But I don’t enjoy the fact he knows or that he’s pointing it out.

“Gabriel…” he says, bringing my attention back to him. “What’s got you thinking so hard over there?”

Opening my eyes, I finally look at him. His smile takes me back. What the hell am I even doing? What am I doing here? All the questions swarm around my head, demanding to be heard and answered. I have no idea who Tobias is, and yet here I am playing house with my stalker and kidnapper.

So, I say the only thing I can think of is, “You need to let me go.”

Stepping away from Tobias' grasp, I don’t blink. If I do, I’ll cry. Heading towards the house, I don’t stop for Amy who’s looking at me with concern, I don’t even look at the man with black hair, who's even looking a little worried himself. The moment my door comes into view, I practically run for it, slamming and locking it behind me. I’m sure he has a key for it, but at least he’ll hopefully take the hint and leave me alone.

With my hands being covered in blood, I know I need a shower. But the moment the water hits my skin, everything breaks free. The tears stream down my face, and my body crumbles to the ground.

Why did I have to fall for the most unavailable man in the world?

“I’m going to murder your sister.” Reaper chuckles. I know he’s telling the truth, even as a nine-year-old. I may be young, but growing up with Dan and his stupid men, you learn things. You see things. It’s not just women being fucked late in the evening. Its women being raped, and forced to take drugs so they don’t remember who or what happened.

“I hate you,” I grit out. I hate them all. I hate this fucking place. Everything about it.

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little mind about that. She loves what we do to her.” Reaper’s smile turns sour when I chuck the empty bottle of liquor from the bar at his face. I know it’s a mistake the moment I pick the bottled up, but that doesn’t stop me from throwing it. Nor does it stop me from picking up another one and chucking.

“Oh, you’ve done it now, boy.” He laughs, getting to his feet. I know what’s about to come, yet my feet are planted, ready to fight a grown-ass man. What can a nine-year-old even do against someone four times his size?

Nothing. They can’t do anything.

Because the moment he rips his belt from his pants, I scream at the top of my lungs. My feet are finally getting the hint I need to run and run right now. I don’t get two feet, before the first hit to my back, my skin burningas my knees give out. I face plant onto the cold sticky ground, his boots pressing against my hand, as his belt comes down once more on my back, the shirt ripping open.

“STOP!” I scream. “STOP!”

“You’d think you and your whore sister would learn that it’s not a good idea to mess with us!” he growls, the belt hitting my back. I can feel my blood dripping down my back, and the burning becomes numb. Everything is fading and there's nothing I can do but accept my fate.

I’m going to die.

Tobias

“Find them. I want to know who Billy was involved with. I want to know what this has to do with Rafael, I want to know!” I yell at Kyler, Derek, and Ronan.

Ronan and Derek bow their heads leaving Kyler standing there watching me fume.

“Is the kid alright?” he asks.

“You know I took his license and found out he’s thirty.” I don’t know why I tell him that, but hearing him call Gabriel a kid, it’s weird.

“Is he okay?”

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