Page 119 of Stalker

“You’re a beautiful, caring woman and I’m the only man who can protect you and do you want to know why? Because I think like my father.”

“Jesus Christ. There’s no getting through that thick skull of yours, no ability to reason with you. I’m leaving. Where is my goddamn phone?” She held out her hand.

“You’ll get it back, just not right now. At this point, you’re going to need to trust me. I hope that you can. You’re going to stay right here.”

“Trust you? You are out of your mind. You damn asshole. What will you do if I defy you?”

Even though she’d denied our game continuing, it seemed she was still intent on playing. “As I said, if you do then I’ll be forced to punish you.”

Her response was a devious smile as she took several steps away. “Do you know what’s worse than wanting to hate you, Wilder? Craving you as much as I do. Caring about you to the point that… That I might be falling in love with you. Now, that’s crazy.”

Falling in love? I took a deep breath. Maybe the best thing was to let her go.

The ache for her was immediate, the intensity of emotions that I’d buried deeply inside pushing me to an entirely different level of madness.

With tears in her eyes, she hesitated, waiting for me to say something. Anything.

But I wasn’t that kind of man. That had been beaten out of me years before.

My sweet butterfly continued to move backward, shaking her head the entire time. She truly thought she could free herself from my presence and the yearning that she could no longer resist.

I allowed her to get a running head start, appeasing the side of her she’d yet to fully embrace.

However, the danger lurking in the shadows would strike soon enough.

But for a few precious moments, I’d enjoy the chase, the hunt.

The capture.

And the punishment.

Just before she walked out of the room, she spun around to face me. “You tipped your hand when you messaged me on Sugar Babies. That’s when I knew I could no longer trust you.”

CHAPTER28

Cassandra

Get out. Leave now.

Words in my mind that made sense yet remained difficult. Why? Because a part of me trusted him.

Him.

An admitted career criminal.

A heinous killer.

A fucking prick.

Okay, maybe no longer someone I’d consider a prick.

But trust him?

After what he’d done? He was nuts in every way, shape, and form. Did he think I was stupid and couldn’t figure out who he was?

And what he was doing?

He was trying to keep me as his possession and nothing more. I could easily read though the lines.

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