Page 54 of Colton
“You’re going to have to do better than that, little hellcat,” I taunt, circling her like a predator.
She mirrors my movements, her eyes never leaving mine, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She’s exhausted, but so am I.
This is a battle of wills, and I’ll be damned if I lose.
Every movement feels like fire spreading through my chest. She’s fast, and I can barely keep up. My lungs scream for air, but I push through it. I can’t let her see me weak—not now.
She feints left, then darts right, catching me off guard. Her fist connects with my jaw, sending a burst of pain through my skull. I see stars, but I laugh. I can’t help it. This fucking girl, this tiny, blonde bombshell, is giving me a run for my money.
“Is that all you’ve got?” I spit out, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. Her eyes narrow, and she charges again. This time, I’m ready. I catch her wrists, spin her around, and pin her against the wall. Her body trembles with rage and exertion, but she’s trapped.
“Let me go, you fucking bastard!” she screams, thrashing against my hold.
I lean in, my voice a low growl in her ear. “Not a chance, sweetheart. You’re mine now.”
“I won’t let you take me again, Colton,” she hisses, her voice like venom. “You’ll have to kill me first.”
The voices in my head cackle, their laughter echoing through my skull like a nightmare.You hear that, Colton?They won’t stop, their chorus a relentless tide of cruelty.She’s got more fight in her than you ever had. She’s not afraid of you, not like they were.
“You think I won’t?” I growl, my vision still swimming from the pain. I take a step forward, my body swaying slightly. I’m a fucking mess, but I can’t back down. Not now. Not with her. “You think I fucking care if I have to drag your corpse back to that bunker?”
My father would’ve already broken her by now. He wouldn’t have hesitated.
I told you you’re the same as him.The voices are relentless today.
Luella’s lips curl into a snarl, her body tense and ready. She’s not backing down either. She’s fucking fearless, and it’s driving me insane. I can feel the darkness inside me clawing at my insides, begging to be let out. It wants to consume her, to break her, to prove that I’m not the weak fucking failure the voices claim I am.
But there’s another part of me, a part that’s drawn to her strength, her defiance. It’s the part that sees in her a reflection of my own struggle, my own desperate fight against the darkness that threatens to engulf me. It’s the part that whispered promises of redemption in her ears, that begged her to save me from myself.
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts, trying to silence the warring voices inside me. I need to focus, to decide. Do I give in to the darkness, let it consume me, let it consume her? Or do I fight it, cling to the shred of humanity she’s ignited within me?
Luella takes advantage of my momentary hesitation. She slams her head back, connecting with my nose. Pain explodes across my face, blinding me momentarily. She slips from my grasp, ducks under my arm, and makes a run for it.
I stagger back, cursing under my breath as I try to regain my bearings. Blood pours from my nose, dripping onto the ground. I reach up, touch my face, and stare at the crimson stain on my fingers. The sight of it sends a jolt of adrenaline through me. It’s a wake-up call, a brutal reminder of the reality I’m facing.
The voices scream in my head, their fury deafening. They demand retribution, demand that I chase her down, that I make her pay.
A quiet rage takes over me as I tear after her, my hand curling into a fist at the ends of her hair when I reach her.
There’s no time for conversation now. She’s mine, and I’m taking her back to the safety of the bunker.
God, if my father knew her spirit, he’d be determined to break it...
“Get off me!” Luella screams as I drag her back to the bunker, one hand in her hair, the other around her throat. I tighten my grip as we make it past the front door, and I throw her as far as I can inside. She lands hard on the cold concrete floor, her breath knocked out of her. She looks up at me, eyes filled with a mix of fear, hatred, and defiance. I stand in the doorway, chest heaving, blocking her only exit. The metallic taste of blood still lingers in my mouth, a reminder of the battle we just fought.
The voices in my head are quieter now, subdued by the adrenaline coursing through my veins. But they’re still there, whispering their cruel taunts, urging me to break her, to prove myself. I push them away, lock them in a corner of my mind. I need to think. I need to decide what to do with this wildcat I’ve caught.
Luella glares at me, rubbing her throat where my hand had been. “You’re a fucking monster,” she rasps, her voice hoarse from screaming and fighting.
I smirk, leaning against the doorframe. “You have no idea, sweetheart.”
She watches me warily, like a cornered animal ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness. But I can see the exhaustion in her eyes, the slight tremble in her limbs. She’s reached her limit, and she knows it. For now, she’s trapped.
I step inside the bunker, closing the heavy door behind me. The sound of it shutting echoes through the small space, final and ominous. Luella flinches slightly but holds my gaze, her chin lifted in defiance.
“What now, Colton?” she asks, her voice laced with bitterness. “You going to lock me up again? Beat me into submission?”
I run a hand through my hair, considering her question. I could do that. I could break her, make her submit. It’s what the voices want, what my father would do.
