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“This isn’t the way to my apartment,” I say. “Where are you taking me?”
“Home.”
“Yourhome?” I clarify.
He nods, eyes locked on the road ahead. This time, when I turn to stare out of the window, it’s with my head pounding. He’s taking me to his residence, the place he lets his guard down, even if it’s only in sleep. After getting a glimpse of this vulnerability in his office when he spoke of his childhood, I want to see that part of him again. It makes him feel human to me, instead of this gigantic imposing force that could destroy me at any moment.
The threat of destruction that constantly surrounds Hayden is the very reason I need to stay away from him.
“I appreciate the fact that you want to look out for me,” I say, still staring out of the window. “But you can’t interfere in my life anymore.”
He scoffs. “You have no idea what type of danger you’re in.”
I swing my gaze to him, giving him a pointed look. “I think I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Then tell me.”
Tell me the reasons why I should run from you, the reasons I should hide my heart.
“I want to possess more than your secrets, Callie. I want to possessyou.”
My lips part on a gasp while my heart ricochets within my ribcage, making my chest ache. “What does that even mean? You can’t just own someone.”
“I beg to differ.”
I stiffen in the seat as my brain floods my body with adrenaline and the need to escape. Hayden may not hurt me physically, but he’s more than capable of shredding my sanity. I haven’t survived everything in my life only to fall apart now.
My pulse thrums underneath my skin so loudly I worry he’ll hear it.
Run.
Run.
RUN.
I bite down on the inside of my cheek until blood spills across my tongue. The coppery tang invigorates me, reminds me that I’m alive and more than ready to preserve that life. I’m not ready to embrace my stalker, but at least whoever that is hasn’t expressed their desire to own me.
Unlike the man beside me.
The minute the streetlight turns red and the vehicle comes to a stop, I unbuckle my seat belt and throw open the door. My fear catapults me out of the car, and I race down the busy sidewalk with Hayden’s voice ringing in my ears. The sound of him calling my name dissipates, but my fear intensifies with every step I take.
My feet slap against the pavement, instantly covered in grime and filth. I don’t let myself think about that or what Hayden will do if he catches me. Maybe it’s a matter ofwhenhe catches me, but that only makes me run faster.
“I willalwayschase you.”
His words from before are an unsettling cadence in my mind, pounding like a drum. I can’t hear anything except his voice in my head and everywhere I turn I see his face covering those of random people. I shake my head and the visions of him clear, giving me a brief moment of lucidity. With my lungs burning, I turn down an empty street and conceal myself in the shadows.
The brick wall claws at the skin of my back and the soles of my feet throb as I suck in oxygen, willing my heart rate to slow down. It’s futile when thoughts of Hayden envelop me. His insane declaration echoes in my mind.
Why does he want to possess me?
A chill wracks my body, and I tremble, causing the abrasive wall to dig into my back. Is his idea of ownership completely centered around sex? Does he think to own my body and use it for his pleasure?
My body quakes again, but this time it’s with arousal. The memory of Hayden’s kisses sweeps through me, and I wrap my arms around my middle as if to fend off the effects of it. I can’t let him kiss me, let alone touch me. It would only take one time, one moment of being completely under his control, and I’d never be free of him.
The sound of squealing tires nearby has me glancing over my shoulder in panic. My breath gets caught in my throat as I catch a glimpse of a black sports vehicle that could be Hayden’s.
