Page 52 of Beloved
No way. Hours had passed. He wouldn’t miss his chance to get away.
Would he?
I peered out the window again, this time seeing nothing, but between my skin crawling and my nerves on edge, I wasn’t going to allow another horrible incident like the one from three years ago to happen again.
What if Marco was making good on his promise made only days before? Spinning around, I glanced around my room before crouching down to Golden, who’d already sensed I was on edge.
“Stay here, baby. Mommy will be right back.”
I was finished with playing the victim, so if anyone thought they were going to capitalize on the fact a party had been held and an ugly storm would hide sound, they were dead wrong.
Golden didn’t fight me as I left my room, tiptoeing toward the stairs. There were no strange sounds, no ghostly footsteps.
Just the rumble of thunder beneath my feet.
The darkness was invasive, so much so I had to stop a couple of times to take deep breaths.
I hurried downstairs, hugging the wall as I made my way to the kitchen. With the light on over the stove, my eyes focused immediately, highlighting the butcher block holding knives.
Another bolt of lightning was followed by another band of heavier rain, the rapid drops pinging against the glass. The entire setting was ominous and surreal, enough I could easily be paralyzed to the point of being unable to move.
Hell, no. Not this time.
No one was going to dare turn me into a victim ever again.
Maybe if I continued making that promise to myself, I’d finally believe it.
With the knife held with my tense arm, I moved toward the living room, standing just inside the doorway.
Listening.
Waiting.
Maybe hoping.
A single sound caught my attention and I moved silently toward it. A figure stood in the hallway leading to my father’s office, a gun in his hand. I moved behind him before he realized what I was doing, driving the tip of the blade against the back of his neck.
“I wouldn’t move if I were you. I’m an expert with the knife and have no problem ending your life right here and right now if you so choose to continue with your actions.”
The intruder stiffened, lowering his weapon. But not completely. I could sense he was a true monster, a man capable of doing anything he set his mind to. There was something enticing about his courage. A man who’d found a way inside the home of a brutal bastard capable of heinous acts, the location as secure as any presidential building was truly a courageous man.
Either that or he had a death wish.
My body responded to the danger as well as the fantasy all women had about bad boys. My heart was thumping, my mouth and throat dry, yet my mind was processing the event as excitement drove me to thinking unimaginable thoughts.
And insane desires about surrendering without question.
“I suggest you hand over your gun. I’ll add that to my collection.” When he acted as if he was going to do as I said but held it out to the side where my arm was already in use, I sighed. “Nice try. Or if you’d prefer,Ya ne mogu pozvolit’ tebe ubit’ moyego ottsa.”
I can’t allow you to kill my father.
“Printsessa, ya delayu to, chto khochu, kogda khochu.”
Princess, I do what I want when I want.
Every word dripping from his lush lips further excited me, leaving my core throbbing in a way that couldn’t be normal or decent. But I no longer cared about any act of decency. I wasn’t that sad, suffering little girl any longer. At least I think that’s what he said in his gruff, unyielding voice.
“Then I will need to kill you.” I pressed the tip of the blade into his neck. No light was needed for me to know I’d pricked his skin. How interesting he was completely relaxed as if this tiny girl would never dare hurt him.
