Page 38 of Shadows of the Past
And yet, there’s a bitter taste in my mouth.
Come on, Julia. It’s natural to feel attached to him. It’s normal to be physically drawn. I mean…he’s an attractive man.
But every rationalization feels like a sponge on the tip of my tongue. I can’t fall for this man when two little souls are waiting for me back home.
I decide to check on the girls and find a recording of them at school. They look well—healthy even. My fingers brush against the screen as tears well up in my eyes. I don’t know how long it will take for me to get out of here, but seeing their rosy cheeks and braided hair reassures me they’re okay. For now, it’s better that they don’t know about me. I can’t risk pulling them into this world by accident. I’d never forgive myself.
A knock at the door snaps me out of my thoughts, and my back straightens instantly.
Who could it possibly be?
The sound of rain tapping against the window and the pounding of my own heartbeat are all I hear.
Another knock. I move closer to the door, silent as a shadow.
No way am I opening it.
Maksim wouldn’t knock. Akim would’ve told me if it were him.
“Open this damn door!” a voice barks from the other side, sending my heartbeat into overdrive.
I rush to my laptop and shoot Akim a message.
It’s fine. Akim will come.He’s always close to the house.
But before I can even process my own reassurance, the door shakes violently. Three seconds—that’s all it takes for me to realize I don’t have minutes to spare. Whoever’s on the other side is about to break it down.
I don’t even have time to grab the gun hidden under the bed before the door splinters apart and a hulking figure storms into the room, his gaze locking onto me like I’m his next meal.
“They told me you were pretty,” he sneers, his voice dripping with something that makes my skin crawl, “but damn, I’ve never had anyone as exotic as you, little dove.”
“Maksim won’t be happy when he finds out you busted his door,” I say, surprised at how steady and firm my voice sounds despite the panic clawing at my chest.
His eyes roam over me, slow and deliberate, and I cross my arms over my chest, holding my ground.
“Leave now,” I repeat, “and I won’t mention this to him.”
He laughs—a deep, unsettling sound that echoes in the room like a bad omen.
Is everyone in this house completely unhinged?That gun is going in my bra from now on, I swear to God.
“I didn’t break anything,” he says with a smirk that makes every alarm in my head go off at once. “When Maksim gets back, he’ll hear you had some kind of meltdown and started screaming your head off. I just came to check on you…and poof, you’re gone.”
The way he says it sends chills down my spine because I know exactly what he means: if I don’t get out of this room now, there won’t be a “me” here when Maksim returns.
My only advantage is speed because I know I’m faster than him, but here’s the problem: he’s blocking the entire doorway, cutting off any chance of escape unless I can make him move.
Screaming won’t help; no one’s coming to save me. Something tells me this guy was sent here deliberately—too convenient that Maksim is gone and someone decides to kick down the door and come after me.
I take a few steps toward the bathroom, keeping my movements measured and calm. Just as I hoped, he shifts slightly to follow me, leaving enough space for me to slip past him if I time it right.
“If you don’t fight back,” he says with a sick grin, his eyes flicking down to my legs, “this will go easier for you.”
“Wrong girl,” I snap back without hesitation. “I like to scratch.”
Because if it comes down to it, I’d rather throw myself out that fucking window than let him lay a hand on me without putting up a fight.
I’ve lost once before, but not this time.
