Page 47 of Vengeance of the Gods

She’d not even been with him for two days, and Vega was already ready to cave… to give in to the feeling she’d felt the last time they’d kissed.

Just one more time.

One more time would lead to nothing but complications…

Vega groaned, resting her head on the cool shower tile. “This is fucking ridiculous.”

And so is talking to yourself in the shower.

Using the cheap soap in the dispenser on the wall, Vega washed her hair and body and spent a few minutes letting the conditioner sit.

The sound of the motel door slamming made Vega jump. She’d been too inside her own head to hear its creaky hinges open, and she was too hungry to yell at Bridger for rattling the entire room.

Vega quickly rinsed the conditioner out and turned the water off, the rusty handle squeaking. Vega grabbed the towel off the rack, dried herself off, and stepped out of the tub.

Slipping back into her bra and a fresh pair of the least ugly panties from a pack she’d bought with stolen money at a rest stop, Vega realized she hadn’t heard anything from Bridger since the door shut. Her eyebrows knitted together as she focused harder.

Bridger would have made noise, and she should smell some kind of food. Right?

A creak in the floorboard had her stepping back. “Bridger?” she called, checking the bathroom for anything she could use as a weapon.

She had no idea where they’d stopped for the night or if it was safe.

When Bridger didn’t answer, the hairs on the back of Vega’s neck rose. Someone else is in this room with me.

She’d barely had time to get the thought out before the door flew open and the wooden doorframe splintered into pieces.

Her assailant’s head hung low, rushing at her like a battering ram.

Vega’s skull slammed against the shower tile, and the weight of a grown man landed on top of her.

Spots in her vision made it hard to see, and so did the pain in her head from the impact.

Pushing as hard as she could, Vega fought to shove him off while also bringing her knees up. “Get the fuck off me!” She was able to brace a foot against his chest and use her leg strength to kick him off.

He slammed into the pedestal sink, the force knocking the hood from his head.

Vega leapt to her feet and froze, staring into the eyes of her attacker.

Time felt like it stopped. How?

Chase’s face broke into a smile made for a horror film, jagged at its edges, and pulling too hard at his skin. He stared through his brows, the bathroom’s bad lighting casting shadows on every angle of his face.

Stunned, Vega froze in place as her brain tried to compute exactly what she was seeing.

Run! Her own voice busted through the haze.

She was able to get one foot out of the bathroom before Chase’s hand tangled in her wet hair and jerked her to the floor.

The air left her lungs in a whoosh. She fought to get it back as Chase straddled her waist, putting all his weight into the arm holding her down across her collarbone.

“Chase!” Vega flailed, still gasping for a full breath while trying to rotate her hips and get out from underneath him. He was too strong, pinning her with unnatural strength.

The more she fought, the harder Chase pressed into her.

“Chase, what are you doing? Let me go!” Vega screamed, hoping someone would hear her.

“One of us has to die… It’s not going to be me.” Chase leaned out of the shadows, and that was when Vega noticed his eyes.