Page 10 of Bed of Thorns

Goddamn it. The asshole was coming closer.

I swung around, keeping my hand wrapped around the can.

He stood in all his glory, a glint of the waning sun reflected in his dark sunglasses.

“If I know what’s good for me? Why do I need to leave?”

He took his time answering, glancing from one side to the other. Then he took several steps closer. “Because bad things happen to good little girls who don’t play by the rules.”

Now I was pissed. “Get off my property. Now. If you don’t, I’m going to call the police.”

He laughed, the deep booming sound of his voice floating off into the wind. “I don’t think you want to do that. I own the police.”

What. The. Fuck? What had he been planning if I’d agreed to have a drink with him? What were his reasons for threatening me? Because I continued to search for answers? I glared at him, rage and hatred forming a tight bond.

“Go. Away. Now!” I might seem like an innocent flower, but there was a fighter inside of me. Hell, I’d managed to leave everything I thought meant something to me on a moment’s notice, coming back to the one place I’d sworn to myself and to Edmond that I’d never return to.

I’d been lying to myself, trying to convince the other half of me that I’d left because I couldn’t make it in New York. What a fucking lie. I was stronger than that. What I’d done was take the cowardly way out. No more.

I had the worst taste in men, abusive assholes gravitating to me like flies to honey. Fucking no more.

After taking a deep breath, I managed to plaster on a sweet smile. “You don’t scare me, William. I’ve been through hell. You’re nothing but a worthless poor excuse for a human being. As I told you before, scuttle away, crawl back into the hole in the ground you came from. That’s where rats and cockroaches live, underneath the bright beautiful world.”

I’d hoped it would be enough to goad him.

“You don’t understand, Mercedes. What’s happening is beyond your control. No one can fix this, least of all an innocent girl. Call this a warning. They will hunt you down.”

“They? Who are you talking about, William?” There was a sickness in his tone, his behavior odd even for him. Gone was the cocky man from only a half an hour before. He was sweating profusely, the stench sickening. “This sounds like another one of your idle, ridiculous threats. Like I said. Get. Off. My. Property.”

His laugh continued, his face bright red. “There’s nowhere to hide.”

His words were chilling, but not nearly as much as the way he was acting. I’d never felt so unsafe, my skin crawling. “Fuck you.”

He slowly removed his sunglasses, allowing me to see the evil in his eyes.

That’s all I needed. Without hesitation, I jerked the can toward him, spraying directly in his face and eyes.

William didn’t react at first. Then he slapped his hands across his face, screaming in agony, his body jerking as if he was having an epileptic fit. I wasn’t going to wait around to see the aftereffects. I bolted toward the front door, jamming my key into the lock and racing inside, slamming and locking the door within seconds. Gasping, I leaned against the wooden surface, continuing to hear his cries of anguish for at least thirty seconds.

Then there was silence. All the fight drained from me. I slid to the floor, folding my knees and holding my head. What in the hell was going on? What secrets were lurking in the darkest sections of town? And why in God’s name had I returned?

I wasn’t certain how long I’d remained in the same position, too terrified to do anything. I’d thought about calling the police, but I didn’t discount his words. He was too powerful, just like Fernando seemed to be. I’d been right. Edmond had been shoved into the middle of something.

Shadows crawled into the room, more ominous than usual. I refused to be a prisoner in my own house. Damn him for making me feel afraid.

Another deep breath. Another few seconds of pep talk.

Get up. Get the hell up.

The voice inside my head refused to leave me alone. I crawled to my feet, flicking on the outside light then moving slowly toward the window and peering out. There was no one lurking in the darkness that I could see, no movement at all, but I pulled the blinds further away, something catching my eye. The bastard had placed something on the front porch. I couldn’t live this way. Not again. Not ever again.

After giving myself another pep talk, I unlocked the door, opening it just a crack. Oh, my God. I was stunned, my breath stolen.

A single sterling silver rose had been placed on my doormat. I was immediately lightheaded, trying to understand why anyone would leave my favorite flower on the doorstep. Not William. He’d leave a dead rat, not a rose.

Very gingerly I eased it into my fingers, expecting to find thorns covering the stem, which was something I wouldn’t put past William under any circumstances, but the stem was smooth. I was immediately hit with the incredible fragrance, the sweet scent filling my system. I held it under my nose, trying to remember who knew it was the only flower I adored.

After returning inside, I headed into the kitchen, staring at the velvety petals, expecting it had a boobytrap of some kind. No, the rose was just a beautiful flower, a romantic gesture a lover would leave, not an enemy.

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