Page 120 of Stalker

He’d embraced the heightened danger, but in doing so, he’d placed my life in the center of controversy and potential peril. He’d sworn to protect me against all odds, no matter the strength of the enemy.

Was that even the truth or some story he’d concocted so I’d cling to him?

The thought was revolting, yet I wasn’t certain the true treachery was centered on Wilder and no one else. How was it possible his father had escaped a maximum-security prison? If that had occurred, wouldn’t the entire country have been placed on alert? Was he just playing another game with me in his attempt to break all my defenses?

What if it is true?

What if a monster is determined to drag his sons into his dark, demented world?

What if the social worker had purposely abandoned them?

There were too many thoughts and one too many questions that likely wouldn’t be answered after all these years.

Tears. I was fucking crying. Did I honestly think he was going to break down and confess he loved me? That wasn’t the kind of man Wilder was and he never would be. I was enshrouded in some fairytale, pretending as if I could change him. That was nuttier than everything he’d said.

I rushed toward the front door, shocked he wasn’t on my heels. I took a single look behind me, unable to catch sight of him. The entrance was locked, but the mechanism was easy to maneuver and I managed to make it outside without so much as hearing his voice. Was he testing me?

I’d seen the flash of sadness in his eyes when I’d mentioned Patty. I could tell how much her death continued to hurt him. What I’d said had been cruel. I’d never been that way in my life. Why had I taken all my frustrations out on him? He didn’t deserve it.

There were so many emotions buried deeply inside the man, but other than anger, there was no way of prying them free.

Damn the man. He was right about me. I felt more than a twinge of excitement at the thought of him disciplining me. That was as nuts as everything else.

Even more, I craved him wrapping his arms around me, holding me close.

Yet as I scanned the perimeter, I continued to be pulled into a strange sense of destiny. I swallowed a lump as I raced away from the house.

As I rushed down the path, I thought about his promise to punish me. As with everything occurring with the man, I was titillated, far too much so. The thought of toying with him was also as enticing as racing away as if I truly was his prisoner.

However, wasn’t that the truth? He’d taken me from my home, putting a ridiculous hood over my head. As if I didn’t know where this house was. All under the guise of fucking with me. Dragging me into the darkness he’d accepted as a child.

While I was different.

I refused to surrender to the same needs that had overtaken him and at some point, would take his life.

Heavy footsteps. I was certain they were echoing in my mind.

The moment I heard his dark growl far too close behind me, I bolted in a different direction. It was dark, the moon blanketed by a wall of clouds. Wind whipped all around me, creating eerie sounds as I found myself heading toward the beach. If I could stay along the shore, I’d eventually make it to another house.

A residence had to be close by. I’d seen several when he’d driven me here hours before. The air was heavy with moisture. It must have rained earlier when I’d been asleep. Asleep. When I’d been drugged. My head was still slightly foggy, my mind reeling from everything I’d learned, the horror in acknowledging David’s murder.

But there was also glee in my emotions, as sick and depraved as that was.

I was glad the man was dead. He’d gotten what he deserved. I was thankful he’d never be able to threaten me again.

My foot slipped and I tumbled toward the sand, barely catching myself with my palm before falling on my face. Gasping, I threw another look over my shoulder before barreling forward.

A small building was attached to a dock. I needed to get my bearings. As soon as I reached it, I shifted around the side, stopping and catching my breath as I listened for any sounds. There was a rumble of thunder in the distance, the whipping wind creating a powerful rustling within the trees. Oh, God. What was I doing? I darted my head around the side, trying to catch sight of him.

He wasn’t there.

Or so it appeared. But he was the master of the chase. I was merely his latest prey. I took another deep breath and sprinted toward the water, bypassing the dock and heading toward some lights in the distance. While in bare feet, I was making good time, pumping my arms and legs and refusing to look back.

Even as I ran, longing to escape his clutches, a part of me longed to feel the captivating exhilaration that only he’d managed to provide. All I could hear was the lapping water and wind through the trees mixed with the hard thudding of my heart.

There was no other noise, no indication that he was anywhere close, but I could swear I felt his presence all around me.

The electricity crackling against my skin was overwhelming.

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