Page 26 of Love Under Siege

I show my gratitude to the officers and Det. Collins before parting ways and heading back inside where Nana and Lana are waiting for me. I can see the worry and fear etched on Lana's face, her cheeks turning bright red as they often do when she's upset. "I know you're scared, but there's nothing we can do right now. Let's get some rest and figure things out tomorrow," I suggest to her. She agrees and follows me to my room, surprising me by saying, "I'm not letting you sleep alone after that." We both laugh at the joke before settling down for the night. "But really, I don't want to be alone after what just happened," she admits with a slight tremble in her voice. I hold her close and reassure her that everything will be okay.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

???

My dear Anya, I have tried to restrain myself and show you kindness, but your stubbornness has pushed me over the edge. I allowed you one final goodbye with your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend, but he is nothing compared to the love and happiness I can provide for you. He is just another obstacle in my path, one that I will easily remove if it comes to that. That insignificant cat was merely a tool, a means to an end. But it fills me with twisted pleasure to see the fear in your eyes as you realize the depths of my capabilities. You will learn to love me, Anya, or suffer the consequences. For tonight, I will let you rest peacefully, but know that this is only the beginning. I will bide my time and wait for the perfect moment to claim you completely as mine. And when that day comes, we will not only share a bed but an entire lifetime together. I will plant my seed inside of you, making you the mother of my children and cementing our bond forever. Standing over your slumbering form now, you look so peaceful and strong. It only fuels my desire to possess you completely. As I gently caress your lips with my fingers, they feel soft and warm against my touch. Oh how I long for the day when those lips will willingly kiss me back. Anya, you are mine and no one will stand in the way of what rightfully belongs to me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Anya

I wake up in a cold sweat, even though the sun hasn't risen yet. I can't shake this feeling that my stalker is still watching me. Carefully, I navigate through my dark bedroom, being careful not to trip over Lana who is sleeping on the floor. Suddenly, I turn on the lights without warning.

“What's going on?" Lana grumbles as she rubs her eyes and tries to adjust to the sudden brightness.

I scan the room, but there is nothing out of the ordinary. I walk over to my window and look outside, but it's just darkness. "Sorry for waking you up, Lana. I had a feeling something was wrong," I explain.

"Again," she says with a smirk.

Confused, I furrow my brow and ask, "What do you mean?"

Lana giggles and crawls back under her blanket. "You didn't mean to wake me up, again? Remember when you called me earlier?"

I smile sheepishly and raise my hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry for waking you up once more." Playfully, I throw a pillow at her.

"Hey!" she laughs and throws it back at me. We continue to playfully throw things at each other until we hear a knock at the door. Suddenly realizing how loud we were being, we both freeze and Lana hurries to fix her hair.

Nana opens the door wearing her favorite fluffy pink robe. "Girls, while I understand sleepovers are fun, I also value my sleep," she says with a gentle smile.

"Sorry Nana," we apologize in unison.

"Why are you both awake at this hour anyway?" she asks curiously.

"Oh, Anya –

“I needed to use the bathroom and accidentally woke Lana up," I explain before Lana can finish her sentence.

Nana nods understandingly. "Alright dear, just try to keep it down please," she says before closing the door.

"What was that all about?" Lana asks, looking confused.

"I just didn't want to worry her even more," I reply with a sigh.

Lana nods in understanding and we sit in silence for a moment. Finally, she breaks the silence. "Are you okay, though?"

I let out a deep breath. "Not really," I admit, slouching back onto my bed.

"Okay, let's go," Lana pulls on my arm and guides me to stand up. "We're going out for breakfast and most importantly, coffee."

I laugh but appreciate her attempt to ease my nerves.

As we pull up to the 24-hour diner, a tangy scent of fried food and warm pancakes fills our noses. I take a deep breath as we enter, the early morning light casting long shadows on the nearly empty dining room. We are led to a quiet booth in the corner by a window, and we place our orders with the server before she brings out a coffee pitcher and two cups. Lana and I sit quietly, sipping our coffee.

“Anya, I'm really worried about you,” Lana finally breaks the silence, refilling her cup with shaky hands.

“I know, I'm worried about me too,” I reply solemnly. “I can't get that image of the cat out of my head.”

Lana blows out a breath and nods in agreement. “Yeah, that was disturbing. No animal deserves that kind of treatment.”

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