Page 141 of Monster

I paused at his tone, wondering why he sounded so off after observing me being happy. I took a step back, and Dominic tracked the movement intently.

A bad feeling came over me, along with a hefty dose of wariness. How had I missed the mood in the air?

Because right now, it was so heavy, I almost felt suffocated by it.

“Yes,” I answered slowly. “Why?”

He smiled. I had never distrusted a smile more in my life.

I took another step back, nearly tripping over the sheets.

“Just hate that I’m probably going to ruin it in a moment.”

I eyed him, trying to gauge his expression. He gave nothing away.

“Why?” I asked again.

“Do you not remember what I said last night?”

“You said a lot of things last night,” I said slowly. I was feeling a little disoriented now, yet in some sick, twisted part of me, there was also arousal.

Perhaps I didn’t believe he would physically harm me. Not like that.

“I told you that you’re mine,” he said darkly.

I nodded. “Yes, that’s been established.”

He shook his head. “No, not yet.” He paused, and I had never felt a pause quite so full of meaning. The silence of that pause roared in my ear, and my brain screamed at me to get out of there. His eyes roamed up and down my body, and he finished, “But it will be.”

I didn’t wait.

I ran.

Oh, crap, crap, crap, crap!I thought over and over when I heard him give chase.

Something crashed behind me—the chair, perhaps—then hurried footsteps along the floor had my heart rhythm pounding in a disjointed beat.

“Leave me alone, you crazy, crazy man!” I screamed without looking back.

He answered me with a laugh. The asshole was having a time of it.

Fuck, how could I have let my guard down with the monster?

I climbed up the stairs, nearly tripping in my haste.

Dominic reached out and grabbed my foot. I screamed and kicked him away, and kept it up until he finally let me go with a grunt.

Fuck, if I could do more to hurt him, I fucking would.

I really fucking would.

I didn’t think of myself as a violent person, but I found Dominic had the ability to bring out all different sides of me.

He grabbed the corner of the sheets and pulled them away from my body.

I only put up a small fight before I realized all that did was slow me down, and I let go of the sheets. Cold air touched my naked skin, but I didn’t have time to worry about that.

The monster was chasing me.

---