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The very idea of scaring her has my fist connecting with a tree, leaving it tilted sideways, roots sticking out of the earth. I don’t want to be the beast that steals her away from her normal life, but being without her is making me more insane by the second.Need to touch her.Need to know what’s behind her secret smiles. She’s not like anyone else I’ve ever seen through the trees…or in that long-ago life. No, there’s something broken in her, and my chest is fracturing with the need to mend herwounds.
Taking her as my captive is the only way. She will be terrified at first, but soon she will realize I mean only toguardandfeedher. My body’s need for Lainey will not wait, unfortunately. I’ve gone a decade without touching another human being, but the lack of contact never registered until I saw her that first day, diving off the diving board in her red bikini. Now I’m hard and dripping and raw. No amount of self-pleasure satisfies me. I might not even make it back to my home before prying apart her legs and thrusting until the pain goesaway.
I begin to trudge through the woods, toward the ring of light, but my step falters when I think of Lainey screaming. When I think of her horror upon seeing me up close, especially after being told such horrible stories about me for the last three days. Of course, most of those legends are bullshit, but she won’t know that. I’m simply a man who never fit into polite society. My inability to blend in only got worse after returning from overseas with my injuries. Mymemories.
A squeeze of discomfort in my throat propels me forward. Slowly, my determination settles back down on my shoulders. Her presence is the first thing to ever soothe my demons. What will happen when I’m finally touchingher?
I’m closer now and I watch through the trees as the campers begin to look around, scooting closer to one another. It’s no wonder, since the ground trembles with every step I take. Lainey takes a protective step toward them, then turns…and looks directly at me. She doesn’t scream, she justwaits.
She waits. Forme?
No. But I canpretend.
With heaven in sight, my breath seizes in my lungs. My hands begin to shake with the force of my hunger. Nothing will stop me now. She’s within reach. I push through the tree line to a chorus of deafening screams, children scattering in every direction. I notice absently that ponytail man runs, too, which I count as a good thing, because I don’t think committing murder is the best way to introduce myself to mybride.
I stop in front of Lainey and groan down at her. Way down. She’s so much shorter than me, her head tipped back, eyes full of shock.Christ almighty.She’s even more incredible up close than I could have imagined, so fresh and clean andsupple. From my vantage point, I can see down her white tank top to her sweet, braless tits, and stop just short of coming in my pants. “You will…” I have to stop to catch my breath, the need to fuck her is so overwhelming. “You will come with menow.”
When she faints, I catch her body, lifting her off the ground so I can smell her hair, the curve of her neck. Ignoring the pinch in my chest—a product of scaring her into unconsciousness—I carefully place her over my shoulder and return to thewoods.
Chapter Three
Lainey
Okay.He thinks I passed out, so I’ve bought myself sometime.
First of all, what the fuckingfuck?
Is he human? No. Noway.They don’t make people this huge. Judging from my proximity to the ground right now, he’s safely in the eight-foot range, and that phenomenon doesn’t even account for his build. Somewhere, there is a professional football team that doesn’t know what they’re missing, because my abductor could take on an entire offensive line with his arm span and otherworldly size. He’s a living, breathing giant, top tobottom.
I saw him coming through the trees. Why didn’t Irun?
Because I knew. I saw the intensity in the eyes peeking through his unruly hair and I knew I was his target. There was no escaping. On the far-off chance I was wrong, I wanted to distract him from the girls, so I stayed put. Surely, this is the Butcher of Braxton Lake, right? There can’t be more than one hulking barbarian living in these woods. Unless he has abrother.
With that thought, I begin to wonder if I’m going into shock. Although in my panic, I didn’t imagine that he’s indeed scarred. The white, puckered lengths of them crisscross on his cheeks, his neck. Another one bisects his lip. With so much dark, unkempt hair hanging in his face, I couldn’t take in the full effect of him, but what I saw told me the stupid campfire stories are true. Except the part about his hook hands. No, the hand creeping up the back of my bare thigh is most certainly not made of metal. It’s hot andcallused…
…andneedy.
He’s taking me somewhere forsex.
This literal giant wants to use me forpleasure.
I’ve been on the run since I turned sixteen two years ago. I’ve stayed as far as possible from the people who terrify me most, so it has been a while since I felt an immediate sense of fear. It creeps into my chest now and makes itself at home. I’m no expert in physics, but I’m pretty sure sex with someone this size will hurt.Bad. Maybe even enough to kill me. At least I won’t die avirgin?
Comforting.
Forcing my breathing to remain even, I take stock of my options. I’m not going to win in hand-to-hand combat—that’s for certain. I might throw a decent punch, but it’ll feel like a brush of butterfly wings to this guy. My only hope is the knife in my boot, but even if I hit an artery, how long will it take for blood loss to weaken this giant mofo? Amonth?
It seems like an hour passes before we reach a small clearing. He’s breathing heavily, his mammoth shoulder rippling beneath my stomach, but his rapid-fire inhales and exhales don’t seem to be a product of fatigue. No, the hand on my thigh has crept progressively higher, and his fingers are now inside my shorts, tracing the crack of my backside. Every few steps, he releases a heavy growl…the same growl I heard while Manny was asking me on that walk, Irealize.
Did the giant…dislike Manny speaking to me? Jealousy seems to be a pretty human reaction. Maybe he wasn’t spat out from the depths of hell, as I originally thought. I sure as shit won’t be sticking around to find out,though.
In my periphery, I spy a small cabin. It’s tidier than his appearance and kind of homey-looking for someone referred to as the Butcher. Still, I can’t let him take me inside there. Can’t get stuck in a locked structure or my chances of freedom will be reduced. If I’m going to make a move, I have to make it outside.Now.
With a soothing, almost pained sound that surprises and confuses me, he eases me off his shoulder, settling me on the ground, up against his huge body. My cheek only reaches his stomach, but I can’t take the time to marvel over his rock-solid form—or his sort of pleasing masculine musk. Knowing my window of escape narrows by the second, I drop fast as I can and retrieve my knife, flipping it open. Taking advantage of his momentary shock—and recalling my anatomy lessons—I punch the blade toward his innerthigh—
His hand catches my wrist before the blade can sink in. “You were not sleeping, wereyou?”
“What tipped you off?” I pant, trying to pry my hand free. “Let mego.”
