Page 47 of Ours

Perking from the sound of her alter’s voice, she swallowed hard. She would be lying ifshe said she didn’t feel the same trepidation, but there was no way she was going to allow Nikki to step in. That bridge had burnt to the ground.

“I can handle myself,” she whispered, quietly moving back down the foreboding corridor.

You’re going to get us killed! Quit being so damn stubborn!Nikki hissed.

“I’m done with you, Nikki. Goodbye,” Lexi replied.

Blocking the bitch behind a mental door, she reached into the pocket of her cardigan. Finding her switchblade exactly where she left it, she yanked the weapon from its confines. Her alter could fuck right off. If something was truly wrong, she could easily protect both her baby and herself. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind.

Tiptoeing towards the kitchen, she held the hilt of her Stiletto tightly in her hand. Hovering her thumb over the silver button,she tried to calm her breathing. Her blood pressure was rising, filling her ears with a rhythmic whooshing sound that only heightened her anxiety. She had seen too many horror movies with this exact same setup, it almost made her want to laugh.

Making her way into the gourmet kitchen, she looked around the dark room for anything out of the ordinary. Stilling her body, she noticed the sound of heavy footsteps walking up the corridor towards her. The strides seemed confident and fluid, she was sure they belonged to Kade. His gait was unmistakable.

Lifting her lips into a full smile, she placed her blade back into the pocket of her oversized sweater. Relief flooded her muscles, causing her to visibly relax as she stepped back towards the hallway. She knew she wasn’t crazy; he was a man of his word. He would always come back for her.

Stopping at the threshold of the kitchen, she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “You’re in so much trouble, Kade! I’m going to make you pay for scaring me!”

Entering the corridor, she took a handful of steps before her brain registered the human shaped shadow standing only a yard away. Freezing like a captured animal, her green eyes focused on the stocky man standing before her. The sudden sight of him made her stomach lurch.

Giving her an evil grin, Maddox tightened his right fist to secure the grip on his brass knuckles. He loved the look of shock on her pretty little face. His Boss told him to make things quick for her, and to not let her suffer too much. He didn’t think he could follow orders this time, though. He wanted to have some fun with her, first.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Miss Curtis, but Kade couldn’t make it,” he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Hissing a sharp curse, Lexi took a step backwards to create distance from the threatening man. In the darkness, she noticed something flash. There was no mistaking the silver metal covering his knuckles. She had been on the receiving end of that particular weapon during her rape as a teenager. Realizing his intentions, she shoved her hand into her pocket for her knife.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Maddox warned.

Ripping her blade from her cardigan, she gasped as he lunged towards her. Trying to move her pregnant body from his reach, she screamed as he caught her before she had a chance to ready her Stiletto.

Roughly grabbing the brunette, Maddox tossed her against the wall. Not giving her a moment to react, he wrapped his right hand around her neck and held her tightly in place. Using the inside edge of his brass knuckles, he pressed the metal dangerously tight against her carotid artery. Reaching for her right wrist, he repeatedly slammed her arm against the wall to loosen her grip on the switchblade.

“Drop it, bitch!”he growled, squeezing his meaty fingers against her throat.

Struggling to take in air, Lexi tried with all her might to push the Skull off her. Moving her thumb to press her blade’s release button, she whimpered as she felt her hand open, dropping her only source of protection onto the wooden floor.

Chuckling under his breath, he loosened his hold to allow her to breathe just enough so she wouldn’t pass out. He didn’t want her to die quite yet, not when the fun had only just begun. He was alittle shocked that he was able to subdue her so easily, she wasn’t anything like Kade had touted.

“Look at you, giving up without a fight. It’s almost like youwantthis to happen,” he said, leaning his body against hers and meeting her terrified gaze. “I knew you liked me, I could tell from the way you looked at me at the Wilde. The way that you stared into the camera while Kade was finger fucking you...you knew I was watching. That little show was for me, wasn’t it?”

Registering his words, a look of disgust passed over her face. How delusional could one person be? “You’re...fuckinginsane!”she spat.

Shrugging his shoulders, Maddox let out a low laugh. “Yeah, you got me there. But Kade isn’t here, there’s no need for you to lie. I know you want me. If you wanted to stop me, you’d be fighting me right now. Yet here you are...just waiting for me to push you on all fours andfuckyour brains out.”

Gritting her teeth, Lexi prepared herself for the beating that was sure to come. Like hell she would let the disgusting mongrel touch her. She would kill him with her bare hands if need be. He hadnoclue who he was dealing with.

Growing excited by her defiance, he dipped into his mind’s filthy fantasies. He couldn’t wait to hear Kade’s whore squeal his name. “They say that pregnant pussies are the best. That they’re always wet and aching for a good cock. I’ve always wanted to try one out. Lucky for you, I haven’t had a warm cunt in a few days,” he said huskily. “I hope you’re ready for the fuck of your life.”

Wincing from the pain wracking her bruised throat, she shook her head as much as his grip would allow. Twisting her body, she tried to gauge the proximity of his crotch to her knee. It would bedifficult to defend herself with her belly in the way, but she had to try. There was no doubt in her mind that he meant to kill her after raping her. She had to protect her daughter at all costs.

“I wouldn’t let you fuck me if your cock was the last cock on Earth,” she squeaked.

Scrunching her face in anger, she yanked her left knee upwards with as much force as she could. In the span of a single heartbeat, her sharp kneecap made contact with her attacker’s sensitive scrotum. Using his sudden shock to her advantage, she jerked her torso, breaking her wrist and throat free from his vicious grasp. Letting out an animalistic scream, she brought her balled fists to his chest and pushed his hunched body from hers.

Doubling over in pain, Maddox coughed as the wind was knocked from his lungs. Stumbling to regain his composure, he yelled an obscenity before trying to grab the squirming brunette.How dare she.He had planned on giving her a little bit of pleasure, but not anymore. Now, the bitch was going to suffer.

“FF...FUCKING...WHORE!”he sputtered.

Rolling away from his reach, she dropped to her knees and scrambled for her switchblade. Slapping her hand over the floor, she frantically searched for her discarded weapon. Although her eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, her nerves were making it hard for her to see. If only she could find her fucking knife.

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