Page 62 of Monster

He took a step toward me.

I took one back, holding the knife in front of me. He paused.

“Put that away before you hurt yourself,” he said.

I shook my head. Did he really think I was stupid? Now that he’d caught me with a weapon, did he think I would just put it away and surrender to him?

“Let me go, Dominic.”

He shook his head. “Can’t do that.”

I hated how calm he sounded right then, especially because of how not calm my heart was.

I felt light-headed, and I didn’t know how much more of this I could take.

“Why not?” I asked. “I won’t tell anyone. Who would I tell? Who would believe me? We both know the King’s Men MC rules the state, and I am just an insignificant woman.”

“I wouldn’t call you insignificant,” he said quietly. I couldn’t tell what the tone of his voice meant or what he was thinking or feeling.

It was one thing for the monster to be angry; it was another for him to be so… emotionless.

“P-please,” I begged, and I hated myself just a little bit more. “I just—fuck. I just want to leave. You don’t have any right to keep me here. Just let me fucking go!”

And that anger came back, overshadowing the fear.

Anger and desperation only led to one thing.

Bad and impulsive decisions.

I didn’t think before I threw the knife at Dominic. I regretted my decision almost instantly, as the knife flew out of my hand. But it was too late. I was watching this in slow motion, and I wanted to yell at him to get out of the way.

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t.

Dominic ducked in time, and it hit the wall with a loud bang before falling to the carpet by his feet.

His eyes were incredulous.

Mine were wide and fearful.

We didn’t say anything for one… two… three long seconds.

I didn’t know who had moved first, and I didn’t care.

I turned and ran out of there, and he gave chase.

I dashed up the stairs, my heart plummeting to my stomach as I heard his heavy footsteps behind me. I didn’t know where I was going, and I didn’t care, just as long as I got away from him.

I hesitated at the top, looking to my left at Dominic’s room, and to my right, at the room I had spent a part of my night in before he’d carried me out.

I tried to head right.

But that small hesitation was all it took for him to catch up to me.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me, my back plastered up against his front.

I struggled in his hold, my arms and legs flailing to get him to release me.

“No! Let me go, you sick, terrible, creepy monster! Let me go! Let me go!”

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