Page 81 of Soaring Free
Except for the pounding headache, I can’t fight this nagging feeling that I’m missing something, but my brain is fuzzy and my thoughts almost feel clunky.
Kyle shakes his head slowly. “No, I don’t think so.”
“I know you were just doing what you were told, but seriously, Kyle, I want to leave.”
He rears his head back and raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Why would I want you to leave? I just got you here last night.”
He … he what? Oh no. No, no, no. A wave of ice-cold fear slithers down my spine as my clunky brain is finally putting two and two together.
“And where is here exactly?” My voice doesn’t come out as brave and strong as I hoped it would.
“To our home, Angel. I built this for us, and I can’t wait to show you everything. You’re going to love it.” I’m still standing by the sliding door I couldn’t open before, but I’ve never been called a quitter, so I whip around and tug hard on the handle. It doesn’t even budge an inch. Kyle takes a step toward me, and my brain finally gets online as I maneuver around him and go down the hallway he just came from, which apparently, leads to the front door. I run and try to open the front door, but it doesn’t open.
Why the hell do none of these doors have locks I can throw open? I bang on the door but only manage to hit it twice before Kyle grasps my arms, pulling me back away from the door. I try to get out of his hold, but he’s surprisingly strong for his lean build, and his grip on my arms tightens to the point of being painful.
“Well, that’s not a great start to things, is it, darling? Not sure I’m going to be quick to trust that you won’t run off if I give you a little leeway, but we’ll work on it. We have nothing but time.” He sounds like the Kyle I have known for years, but his eyes have changed and are dark and sinister. Has he always had creepy eyes like that? I’m sure I would have recognized them if he had, right? His clothes are neat as a pin, as they always are, and his blonde hair that’s slightly longer on top is perfectly styled, as though even a single hair would not dare step out of line. Kyle has always been rigid in appearance—Shane once told me Kyle evenirons his jeans—but I’ve never been this close to smell him, and whatever cologne or body wash he uses smells oddly like hospital antiseptic mixed with mint. I try to jerk out of his hold, but he spins and pins me against the wall. Kyle leans in and holds me in place with his entire body, running his nose along my neck.
I can’t help the tears that build up, which pisses me off to show any weakness, but I bite my lip so hard that my mouth floods with the metallic taste of blood. My jaw is clenched so tightly I might crack a molar as I hold back the fresh wave of nausea that hits as he releases one of my arms to run his knuckles along my cheek. “So damn beautiful. I knew this would be worth everything. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you, Savannah. And here you are—mine.” He places a featherlight kiss on my forehead and I flex my stomach muscles to fight the instinct to gag.
What am I even supposed to say to that? And why do I feel like I’m missing fifty percent of a book but expected to pass a test on it right now?
“You’re hurting me, Kyle,” I barely get out, but he immediately loosens his hold on my arm. I can still feel exactly where each finger was and I know there will be bruises.
“I’m sorry, Angel. I never would want to hurt you, I love you. The thought of you wanting to leave just made me a little crazy for a second, and I let my emotions get the best of me. You shouldn’t have tried to do that, Savannah. But I can appreciate that we have a lot to discuss and figure out, so I can understand how this is all a bit overwhelming right now.”
“How are the doors locked if I can’t turn a lock on the doors, Kyle?”
“Ah yes, see I knew you liked the rustic décor for cabins.” I do, but I don’t know howheknows that. “But I prefer all the tech options for multiple reasons, so I had the best built of both worlds. It took some time to do right, also to do it … hm … subtly, I think is the word that works best? Anyway, the doors are all controlled by biometrics that only I can control.”
“So … I’m a prisoner here?” I raise an eyebrow, knowing that I shouldn’t poke the bear, but what the actual fuck?! I’m trying my best not to stomp my foot and throw a proper tantrum.
“No, you’re safe here. You’re safe from people that want to keep us apart, and now we can finally be together. Isn’t that wonderful?” He strokes a few pieces of hair back off my face that have fallen loose out of my ponytail.
“That’s something. I’m sorry, I feel like I’m severely behind on what exactly is going on here, Kyle. Why am I here?”
“Well, that’s the easiest question to start with.” He grins but his smile is not comforting, it feels almost rehearsed. “You’re here because you’re mine.”
The hell I am.
“Did you see the flowers on the dresser in our room?” Our room. Nope, not going to dwell on that terrifying comment. Apparently, my body doesn’t get the full memo though as I can feel my hands starting to tremble.
I clear my throat to try and sound brave, as though I’m not being held pinned up against the wall by a psychopath. “It was dark in there. I couldn’t see them. What kind of flowers?”
“Silly, like I would ever give you anything other than your favorite long-stemmed lavender roses.”
Deep breaths, Sav. Let him think he’s in control until you can figure out how the hell to get out of this mess. “And you have given me those flowers before today too, right?”
“Of course. I’ve sent them to you for your birthday for the last four years.” My eyes close and my breath is knocked right out of me, but not in a good way.
“How did you know they were my favorite?” I ask, but not sure I actually want the answer.
He continues to stroke my face, and he is lucky my stomach is empty, because otherwise, he would be wearing whatever its contents were. “Angel, I’ve known they were your favorite since you talked about them at that barbecue Bill and his wife hosted.”
Bill? He retired years ago, so whatever barbecue he’s talking about had to be at least five years ago!
“When Shane forgot your birthday one year, I decided to send them to you. I didn’t want you to not feel loved on your birthday, so it became tradition, and I’ve sent them every year since then. I thought you would have known they were from me after all this time?”
“Right, and then the ones you sent recently too as an apology.”
