Page 114 of His to Save

“Oh, shit.” Scarlet turns to me with wide eyes. “I think I left my phone on the table.”

I glance from her toward the door and back again. “Okay...”

“Let me run and grab it and then we can head home. Will you?—”

I already know what she's asking.Will I be okay?The honest answer is I don't know, but I want to be. No, I need to be.I have to be.

“Yeah.” I lick my lips and then force a smile. “Go grab it. I'll be fine.”

I want so badly to be normal, and normal girls can wait alone in a car.

“Okay, be right back.” She spares me a long glance before hopping out and dashing back into the restaurant.

It probably makes me pathetic, but I keep my back ramrod straight and my eyes laser-focused on Scarlet as she dashes toward the building, not blinking, barely even moving besides the slight trembling of my hands, until she's out of sight.

It's okay. I'm okay. Everything’s okay.

I repeat the words over and over again, my fingers idly fidgeting with the compass charm of my necklace, all the whilerefusing to take my eyes off the door. I want to know the second she’s on her way back to me.

It's deathly quiet in the car. So quiet, it amplifies the sound of my accelerated breathing—or maybe it’s the sound of my thundering heart.

A car door slams somewhere in the parking lot, and I flinch.

“Get a grip,” I mutter, curling both of my hands into white-knuckle fists. It feels like she’s been gone for hours, when in reality, it’s only been minutes. But it’s fine. I’m fine. “Everything is f?—”

Before I can finish the word, the passenger door flies open, bringing me face-to-face with my worst nightmare.

I try to scream for help, but he slaps his meaty hand over my mouth, digging his fingers in hard on either side of my jaw.

“I've got you now, you little bitch,” he snarls, and then everything goes black.

CHAPTER 37

RAND

Little bitch.

Stupid little bitch.

Predictable stupid little bitch.

She thought she was safe. That she was free of me. How could she be when she’s mine?Myproperty.Mystupid little bitch, carryingmybaby. But the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, and she fell for the illusion of security, just like her mother.

Weak-minded women with soft hearts are only good for one thing, and since Nora’s forgotten, I’ll gladly remind her exactly what that is. And I'm going to make it hurt.

How dare she defy me...leave me?After I took her and her mother in, gave them a roof over their heads and food in their bellies, and this is the thanks I get? I think the fuck not. I’m practically a saint for putting up with her—especially after Grace kicked it. The whining and the crying and the pleading, when all she had to do was submit…

So, I let her escape, and I watched. I waited. I plotted and I planned.

I'll admit, her running to Atlas, my own flesh and blood, was a bit of a surprise. But in a way, it helped me find her. He made her feel safe, undoubtedly with promises of love and protection,but she’s mine. Thankfully, Atlas has always been too trusting for his own good, and thanks to his own stupidity, she'll soon be back where she belongs—with me.

If she wants to play house, fine—but we’ll do itmyway. I won’t be as lenient with this kid like I was with Atlas. He’s useless. Weak. But I’ll make sure this one’s strong, make sure this one takes after me. Teach ‘em everything I know. This one will be my protégé, if you will.

I keep my eyes on the back of their car, waiting for the brunette driving to put it into gear. I’ve waited far too long for this moment to let anything fuck it up.

The brunette she's with is a pretty little bitch. It's a shame she's the one standing between me and my prize, otherwise, she'd potentially be worth adding to my collection. At the very least, I’ll take a moment to savor the way she bleeds when I put a bullet through her skull.

But then, she flings open the driver's side door and exits the vehicle, leaving Nora all alone and at my mercy—something I’m all out of where she’s concerned.

---