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Confusion swims in my head as I take off running toward the huge ornate doors and spill into the quiet hall. Sucking in a ragged breath, I don’t wait, grabbing the skirt of my dress and hurrying away from the room.
“Run, little mouse,” a voice cackles, echoing off the walls.
His voice.
Cade.
No.
Not again.
The icy fingers of fear wrap around my throat, squeezing the air from my lungs as I run and run and keep running down the never-ending hall. This isn’t right.
Something isn’t—
I slam into a dead end, staggering back from the force.
“You can run, but you can’t hide.” His voice electrifies the hairs along my neck.
“W-what do you want?” I turn slowly, pressing my back against the wall.
“Oh, I think you know.” He bursts from the shadows, his red and black devil’s mask terrifying to look at.
“You… you’re not here. This isn’t real.” I squeeze my eyes shut, repeating the words over and over in my head.
It’s a trick.
A cruel effect of the stress and trauma and copious amounts of alcohol running through my veins.
“Isn’t it?” He leans in, his lips right against my cheek. “Are you sure, Mia? Because it sure as hell feels real to me.” His hand squeezes my thigh through my dress, hard enough that I yelp.
“You’re not real,” I cry. “You’re not real.”
It will all be over in a second. Somebody will find me and snap me out of it. Security will come.
Somebody will come.
“Look at me, little mouse. Open those pretty eyes and… Look. At. Me.” His hand slips to my throat, squeezing gently.
My eyes fly open, and I find myself lost in two soulless black orbs.
“You’re not real.” I’m sobbing now, ugly, big sobs that wrack my body.
“You’re so fucking pretty when you cry.” He drags his tongue up my cheek, licking my tears.
It feels real.
Too real.
“Where’s your boyfriend now, Mia? Where’s Sasha and Channing? We’re in a room full of people all hell bent on protecting you, and I don’t see a single one of them coming to your rescue. Do you?” His hand flexes around my throat.
“I watched you out there, dancing. Putting on quite the show. I bet every man in the room wanted a taste of you. But they don’t know how I ruined you, do they? They don’t know that you’re used goods now.”
Bile washes in my stomach as I fight for every breath. “Please,” I sob. “Please just leave me alone.”
“Tsk, tsk, don’t you know I can’t, baby? We’re bound. Our lives will be forever entwined so long as you wear my brand over your heart.”
“So kill me.” The words tear from my lungs in an urgent plea. “Kill me and end this. Just fucking end it.”
