“Um, I’m sorry. You hurt me, Charlie. I lash out when I get hurt. Uh, it’s a character flaw. You don’t want to deal with someone like me. Trust me, this is for the best.” I smiled but it felt as forced as his tongue in my mouth when we made out.
He stepped forward again. I gripped the gun tightly in my fist, lamenting the fact that I hadn’t listened to my instincts and not answered the door at all.
Always listen to what your gut tells you, babygirl . . .The words of my mother from so long ago echoed in my ears. Yet, still I hesitated.
“Sweep the leg!” squawked Alf from his covered aviary. The distraction was enough for me to level the gun at Charlie. But I wasn’t quick enough. Or maybe he was just freakishly fast. Because he had been all the way across the room one minute and the next—
Too late.
He caught the gun in one hand and my throat in the other, lifting me from the floor. Horror filled me as he squeezed the barrel of the shot gun like it was a tube of toothpaste, squishing the metal between his fingers before tossing it to the side.
I clawed for my life, nails scratching deep into his flesh. He showed no sign of feeling it as he continued to slide me up the wall. His eyes were that strange color again. My legs scrambled for purchase.
“I did try to do this the nice way.” The easy lilt of his accent was replaced with calculating coldness. His flared nostrils were the only sign he felt anything at all.
I tried to gasp for air knowing if he wanted to, he could squeeze my neck like he did that gun, and I’d be dead in an instant.
“You’ve really got yourself mixed up in something here that you shouldn’t have. You should have never come to Stars Crossing. I thought we took care of your family when we killed your good-for-nothing grandfather.” I didn’t recognize this man and it terrified me.
“All you had to do was be a good little girl and marry me. We would have honeymooned somewhere romantic, and if I couldn’t keep you under control, you would have met with a tragic accident. I would have been so devastated.”
He released me long enough just so I could gasp in a painful breath through my raw throat.
“But no. You had to get your little panties in a twist just because you found me fucking around with that skank. All you women are the same. Don’t you get it? You’re nothing but a piece of ass.” His crude talk was shocking, like it had come from someone else.
I thrust my knee up into his groin. He curled forward, dropping me to the ground where I collapsed painfully onto my hands and knees. I tried to crawl away, but he brought a foot to my side, knocking me over. Sharp pain shot through me, watering my vision.
I lay on my side, gasping for breath. His leg was cocked back ready to swing again when Audrey came barreling around the corner. Her fur was damp like she’d been outside, though I didn’t remember her leaving the house. Her claws slid on the floor as she took the sharp turn, barreling into the wall and then correcting herself. Her teeth were sunk into his calf a moment later.
He yowled out in pain while trying to shake her off, but she wouldn’t budge. The audible anger in her ferocious growl was almost human in its depth.
“That’s enough, bitch.” His hand shot out.
Audrey yelped back as though she’d been hit. Her tail tucked in, head bowed. Her painful wails caused me to shake with rage.
“No . . . please . . .” I croaked, reaching out a weak hand to stop him from hurting her.
Audrey continued to cry as though she was being tortured, retreating back from him. Looking at me mournfully but unable to come to my aid.
I didn’t understand what he was doing to her. His hand was just hovering there in the air. That hand with that stupid fucking family heirloom ring. It was gaudy when I dated him but he refused to ever take it off and brought it up constantly, as though he were more proud of that than most men were of their own dicks.
“Run . . .” I choked.
Audrey growled, her lips pulling back to reveal black gums and sharp teeth. Doleful eyes looked at me one last time at me before she sprinted out toward the kitchen.
Charlie stood above me, looking down on me like I was mud tracked through the house. I should have more fight in me. I should be stronger than this. But I felt weak and even staying conscious required more energy than I could seem to muster.
“I see your friends thought they could help.” As if on cue, Alf squawked and flapped loudly and three sets of yowls carried down the stairs.
I shuffled back away from him. There wasn’t time to process any of the things I’d just seen. It was just another fiction in a night that must be a fever dream. But this fear was real. The pain burning through my neck and ribcage was real.
The look of pure hatred in his eyes was most definitely real.
“What do you want, Charlie?” My voice was weak and shook. On quivering limbs, I brought myself back up to eye level with him.
His hand closed around my throat again. Tears pooled in my eyes. This was how I would die. I was as sure of it in that moment as anything. My whole body convulsed as he leaned closer to me. He licked his lips. A different sort of terror made me go icy as his gaze moved to my mouth.
“I want what’s mine.” He lowered his mouth to mine.
Our lips met . . . and that’s when the world went white.
