Page 42 of Love Under Siege

But let’s get one thing straight, Anya—you have no one to blame but yourself. I tried to be patient. I tried to give you time, to let you see that we were meant to be together. But no, you kept resisting, kept running to everyone else but me. You forced my hand, Anya. You pushed me to this. I warned you, didn’t I? I told you that you were mine, that nothing and no one could stand between us. But you didn’t listen. You never listened.

And now, look at the consequences of your stubbornness. Your Nana, always meddling, always in the way—she’s gone. And Jacob’s mother, always filling your head with lies, always telling you that you’re safe—she’s gone too. All because of you. Every time you talked about Jacob, every time you clung to his letters, it drove me mad. You left me no choice but to take matters into my own hands. And now, you’ve ruined everything. Jacob will hate you for this, for destroying his life.

You see, Anya, I had to seek help. You made me do it. You forced me to show you what I’m capable of, to prove to you that I always get what I want. And what I want is you. You belong to me, and no one else. Not Jacob, not your Nana, not anyone. They were obstacles, and now they’re gone. You saw what I did, you witnessed what happens to those who get in my way. Do you understand now? Do you finally see how futile your resistance is?

Our time is drawing near, Anya. You can feel it, can’t you? That creeping sense of dread, that certainty that you can’t escape me. You’re right to be afraid. I’m always watching, always waiting. I know where you are, what you’re doing, who you’re with. And I won’t stop until you’re mine, completely and utterly mine. You can try to hide, you can try to fight, but it won’t make any difference. You belong to me, and I always get what I want. One way or another.

So go ahead, run, hide, try to escape. But remember, every step you take, every breath you draw, I’m right behind you. You’ll never be free of me. I’ll be in your thoughts, in your dreams, in every shadow you see. And when the time is right, I’ll come for you. And there will be no one left to save you.

Just you wait Anya, soon you’ll be where you were always meant to be—with me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Jacob

My heart races with fear and dread as I frantically try to reach Anya. Why isn't she answering? What if something terrible has happened to her? I have to find out, I have to see for myself. My hands shake as I rent a car and speed towards my home, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios.Just try not to get a speeding ticket Jacob,I remind myself.

As I arrive at the farm, my panic only increases upon seeing hay bales strewn about and bullet holes in the barn. Police tape surrounds the area, and the sounds of animals in distress fill the air. I rush into the house, narrowly avoiding a cast iron pan thrown at me by Marissa in a moment of panic.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry, I thought they came back!" she cries out, clinging to me and sobbing uncontrollably. Despite being my older sister, I still tower over her. As I guide her to the living room, Tom brings her a cup of hot tea before embracing me in a tight hug.

"What happened?" I demand once Marissa has calmed down enough to speak. Between sobs, she explains the terrifying events of the past few days.

A change in me happens and anger boils within me at the thought of someone hurting Anya. Worse, they murdered my Mom just to get to her. "Who are these motherfuckers?" I seethe.

"We don't know," Marissa cries, "All we know is that they were here for Anya! Which is insane because she had just arrived that morning!"

I pace back and forth in the living room, trying to process everything. Fear and rage consume me, but I force myself to sit down. "So where is Anya now?" I ask through clenched teeth.

Marissa breaks down again, "I...I don't know Jacob. When we came back from the hospital, she was gone and her car was missing! I'm sorry we couldn't protect her...I couldn't even protect Mom!" Her sobs intensify as Tom holds her tightly.

"There was nothing you could have done," I say, my mind racing with possibilities. "But how did these guys even get onto the farm in the first place?"

"They cut the security lines," Tom interjects solemnly.

"Okay, but wouldn't that have set off an alarm?" I question.

"It did," Marissa confirms, wiping away her tears. "That's when Mom grabbed the shotgun and Anya's grandmother saw someone running outside your window. She went after them, and then Mom followed."

"I wanted to go too, but Tom held me back and made me hide," Marissa adds, looking at him with a mix of gratitude and frustration.

Tom meets my eye with a heavy expression. "Marissa is pregnant. I had to protect her and the baby." Guilt hangs heavily on his face as he admits this, and I can only imagine the weight of their fears for both Anya and their unborn child.

I inhale deeply and meet the gazes of Tom and Marissa. "I understand, but I still wish I could have been here," I say, feeling guilty for not being there when our mother needed us most.

Marissa places her hand on mine and reassures me, "You were where you needed to be. Mom would have said the same."

Although I know she's right, it doesn't make the guilt any less painful.

"Why did she come back here?" Tom's frustration is evident in his tone. Both Marissa and I look at him in confusion. He sighs and clarifies, "Anya, why did she have to-"

"Because she needed us!" Marissa interrupts before I can respond.

I start to approach Tom, but Marissa stops me. "God, Tom! What kind of question is that?!" She continues with anger in her eyes. "You think we should have abandoned her when she needed us most?!"

Tom stands up and walks toward Marissa, but she backs away. He sighs and turns to me, saying, "All I'm saying is that ever since Anya came here, all this trouble started –“

Before he can finish his sentence, I rush forward and slam him against the wall. "Don’t. You. Dare. Blame. Her. For. This!" I grit through my teeth.

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