Page 53 of Psycho

I took another one back.

He soon followed, slow enough that I wasn’t running away. I knew there was nowhere to go, and Micah was blocking the front door with his huge frame.

Hell, but I didn’t think I had ever met anyone so big, and that was including Brody, who was a beast in his own league.

I swallowed when my back hit the wall, and he walked up to me. I was in a similar position I had been in with Tyler back at the trailer in what had only been a few nights before, and there was that familiar panic—fear—coursing through my system. But there was also something else.

Micah didn’t smell like Tyler.

He didn’t look like Tyler, and there might be something wrong with me because, somehow, that made it both better and worse for reasons I didn’t want to delve into.

I closed my eyes when he leaned down close to me, my heart beating so loud I wouldn’t be surprised if he heard it.

I felt him breathe on me, and then his fingers gently grazed down the skin on one side of my face before they settled delicately over the curve of my neck and stopped.

“He won’t ever fucking hurt you again,” he said quietly, menacingly.

My eyes sprang open, and though his facial expression hadn’t changed, something did in his eyes.

Something alive.

Why did he care who hurt me or not? It wasn’t like he had invitedme here for a fucking play date.

“It doesn’t matter. This isn’t your problem.”

I didn’t know why I said it like that, only that I was feeling anything but docile. I was angry, hurt, and fucking terrified, and I didn’t know which one to focus on right now.

Didn’t know if I could.

My dad sold me out, but Micah wasn’t the innocent party.

He took me for reasons only known to him, and I was just so scared and tired.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said softly. I let out a stuttering breath when he leaned further down and got closer to me. “You are now my problem.”

Anger licked at my insides from his words. He made me sound like an inconvenience he was stuck with, when he had been the one to make all the decisions.

He was the one with all the power.

I leaned back, trying to put in more space between us, because everything about the man was overwhelming, from his scent to his size to his cold, expressionless gray eyes…everything.

I just needed to get away, but my back against the wall reminded me that there was nowhere to go, not unless he allowed it.

Tears stung my eyes from the hopelessness I was now feeling. All the fear and weariness were momentarily pushed aside to make room for this crushing weight of despair on my shoulders… on my chest.

I gulped in the air, trying to breathe through the panic, but it was… I needed… fuck…

Large hands cupped my cheeks and lifted my head until I was looking into bottomless eyes.

He didn’t say anything, and his expression didn’t change, but the air between us did.

I took in a deep breath, feeling myself calming a bit as I continued to stare into his eyes.

“I’m not your problem,” I said when I felt my heart calming a bit.

I looked up at him, shaking my head.

“Yes,” he said as if it was obvious.

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