Page 21 of Reclaimed

God fucking dammit.

The world tilts, fear garbling my thoughts as I rush through an unfinished doorway and nearly bust my ass when my toe snags on a pile of bricks. Mack's directions jumble together in my brain as I wind past scaffolding and stacks of lumber before darting towards the first door I see. I fling it open, but it catches halfway, brutal strength slamming it shut.

In one jarring motion, he twists me around to face him. I choke on a gasp as my spine rams against the metal door.

Riggs erases every inch of space between us. My blood runs cold with dread as he cages me in, bracing a thick, corded forearm above my head. Shadows cling to his features, stripping away any illusion of humanity and leaving me caught in the predator’s grasp. My eyes trace the tattoos snaking down his neck, disappearing under the collar of the black hoodie stretched across his broad fame.

I don't know what's heavier– the weight of his icy glare or his body pressing against mine.

The corner of his mouth twitches as he drawls, "Now what?"

Now or never.

With a stilted breath, I hook the letter opener from my back pocket, driving it in his side.

Something dangerous glints in his blue eyes as his hand flies out and clamps around my wrist, my bones grinding together beneath the pressure of his grip. I grit my teeth with a wince, struggling against his hold, and there's barely a snag in the material of his hoodie as the blade clatters against the cement.

"That's it," he chuckles, the sound cold and callous as it scrapes from his throat. "Keep fighting, little stray."

Lowering his head, Riggs' warm breath ghosts across my skin as he drags my hand between us and presses it against the hard bulge in the front of his pants. "It only makes my dick hard."

I choke on a gasp and try to wrench my hand back, but the more I fight his grip, the harder he pushes his erection into my palm. My traitorous pulse ratchets higher as every sharp contour of his body crushes against mine.

"Borrowed courage," he murmurs, smoke and whiskey coating his words. "That's all adrenaline is. But when it bleeds away and you hesitate..."

His other hand shoots up and wraps tightly around my throat. A broken whimper parts my lips as he flexes his fingers, crushing my windpipe.

"That's when I'll ruin you."

My eyes go wide, panic surging through me as I buck and claw, trying to break his hold.

Oh god... he could kill me.

The sick realization settles in. This isn't just what he does, it's who he is. A man built for violence. Forged by it. Thriving in it. He's a monster… but that doesn't stop the knot in my stomach from tightening.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

A sheen of sweat coats my skin, hot tears pricking at the back of my eyes. Then his grip loosens, drifting to my chin. My chest heaves as fresh oxygen rushes into my lungs. I cough and sputter on every greedy gulp of air I swallow.

The rough pad of Riggs' thumb traces along my bottom lip as he watches with quiet satisfaction while my vision swims and I blink chaotically trying to focus.

I need to get out. I need… fuck. I don't even know what I need.

My jaw snaps, teeth sinking deep into the flesh of his thumb. He doesn't react, doesn't even flinch as the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. Instead, he pushes his thumb in deeper, his knuckle raking between my teeth as he forces it to the back of my throat until I gag.

And then… he laughs.

He. Fucking. Laughs.

Riggs pulls back, admiring the marks I left on his skin, and I seize the half-second of distraction. My fists bang against him as I twist and shove, managing the tiniest of sidesteps. But before I can slip around his hulking form, his foot juts out and catches mine, pitching me forward.

I slam face first into the concrete with a strangled scream, pain rippling through my body and stars bursting behind my eyes. My palms splay beneath me, and with every last bit of energy I can muster, I push myself up.

His boot rams down onto my spine before I even make it an inch, and with a bone-rattling thud, I drop. Air whooshes from my lungs as he sinks more of his weight onto me, pinning me against the cement.

"Stay."

I don't move.