“Prove you want me,” he said, brushing his lips across mine again.
Feeling I had no other choice, I opened my mouth and let his tongue swirl around mine in a sloppy, wet dance that I didn’t reciprocate.
“I want you,” he said, running his hand through my hair, “and I can tell your lips are begging to be kissed.”
I didn’t bother to mention that the only thing my mouth wanted from him was to bite him. “I-I want you,” I lied, in the fakest nice voice I could muster. I was absolutely terrified, so much so that I was afraid my heart would beat right out of my chest. I was sure he was going to try to rape me, and if he didn’t untie me, there wouldn’t be anything I could do to stop it.
“I’ll wait for you,” he said. “Let’s sneak this time together now, but I promise our wedding day won’t be rushed like this. It will be so…glorious! I can’t wait until you turn eighteen, Sky, so we can officially become husband and wife.”
Husband and wife? I thought. This guy’s delusional! Who, in her right mind, would want to marry a man who tied her up to a pipe, blindfolded her, and raped her?
He plunged his tongue deeper in my mouth, and it took everything I had to keep from puking in his mouth.
When he started to unbutton my shirt, I gasped. “Not like this,” I breathed out. “Don’t let our first time be like this, with me tied up and blindfolded.”
He moved lower, down my chest, then trailed his tongue over my stomach. He unbuttoned my shorts and began to kiss my naval. I hated that this stranger was ravaging my body, but there was nothing I could do to stop him.
“Please don’t tease me,” I begged. “I-I wanna kiss your body too. It isn’t fair.”
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, running his fingers over my stomach.
My face twisted at the uninvited touch, but I knew I had to play along because I desperately needed him to untie me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, as if I wanted him. “I can make you feel so good,” I coaxed.
He moaned. “Mmm. I’ve been dreaming of this moment for so long.”
A cold chill ran through me as I imagined him fantasizing about me. The thought made me nauseous, but I had to continue with the charade if I wanted to get out of there alive. “What’s your name?” I asked sweetly, hoping he’d let down his defenses and reveal his identity to me.
He completely ignored me and ran his hands down my sides. My attacker then kissed his way back up my body, to my mouth. He placed several soft but unwanted pecks on my lips, then fumbled with the back of my black bra.
“Untie me,” I begged. “I want to play too.”
He stopped for a moment, and everything was still and quiet. “I’m cutting you loose,” he said, falling for my ploy.
I knew that was just the break I needed, and I breathed a sigh of relief when he cut my bindings. I was half-tempted to rip the mask off his head, but I was still pinned down by his weight. He shifted just a bit, freeing my arms, so I quickly wiped the sweat from my brow. He was still on top of me, and I needed to relocate my attacker’s center of gravity and use leverage to maneuver him off of me so I could get out from under him. It wasn’t easy, but I wasn’t about to just lie there and take whatever he intended to do to me. He had been a fool to untie me, and I intended to show him just how much of a fool he was.
Chapter 20
I surveyed the situation quickly, knowing that every move I made had to be carefully calculated. I made sure my hands were inside of his arms so I could block any strikes he’d make when I attempted my escape. Anger flooded through me, and I cursed at him, and he pulled his arms back to strike me. When he did, I suddenly lifted my hips in the air to throw him off balance. He still got a good smack in, but it was not as powerful a blow as the others had been, and I was still conscious enough to buck my hips again. This time, he fell forward and had to reach for the ground to brace himself. I put my right arm over his left shoulder and my left arm under his arm. I locked my fingers together tightly, squeezing around him with all my might. Before I could finish the move, he punched me, sending a bolt of pain exploding across my face. Even though I was seeing stars, I had enough sense to lift my hips high and enough strength to turn to flip him off of me. I struck him hard in the stomach, then the groin. I pushed him away as he moaned, and then I stood to my feet on shaky legs, trying to regain my composure.
“I trusted you!” he shouted.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the glimpse of the blade shimmering in the dim light. I knew I’d never get to it in time, but I also noticed a wrench lying by my feet. I reached down and picked up the heavy tool and held it out toward him. He lunged at me, and I smacked him right in the head with it, dropping him like a bag of potting soil.
Gasping, I took a few steps back. I knew I should run, in case he came to, but I couldn’t go on living in fear, wondering who the psychopath was, so I had to take off his mask. I kicked his body with my foot and was happy when he didn’t move. Just as I went to pull off his mask, I felt an electric shot shoot through my body. Tasered, I slumped to the ground in a trembling heap.
A short time later, I opened my eyes. I was in a bit of a daze, but I noticed that he’d passed out again, and there was blood coming through his mask. Run, before he wakes up.
I knew there would be no second chances, but I still had to see who he was. I spotted the taser lying a few feet from his hand, so I kicked it away, then leaned down to unmask him.
“Jeremy?” I whispered with a gasp as I stared down at Carla’s brother.
As shocked and exhausted as I was, I had no desire to stick around for Round 2. I just ran out of there like a bat out of hell, found Mr. Tams, and explained my whole story. I was bloodied and bruised, so he sent me to the infirmary.
I lay in bed as the nurse gently took my blood pressure. When my aunt walked in, I’d never been so happy to see her.
She took one look at me and began to weep, then pulled me into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said. “Ted should’ve taken that secret admirer thing more seriously. I told him it was more than an innocent crush, and now look at you. You could have been killed!”
“Not me, Aunt Sarah,” I said, grinning painfully. “I’m a survivor.”
She wiped her tears with her sleeve. “Yes, you are. But at least we know who the culprit is now. You can breathe easier. He’ll never hurt you again.”
“Jeremy seemed so nice. I’d been alone with him before, and he’d never tried to hurt me. He even helped me at the greenhouse the other day, and there was nobody around then.”
“We searched his room and found more pictures of you sleeping,” she said. “There were also some of you spear-fighting and lounging around in the lobby. They were taped all over his room, like some kind of disturbing shrine. We also found evidence that he hoped to pin the crimes on Daryl, if he ever got caught. Those two got in a huge fight a few months back, and we figure he just wanted to get revenge, even if it meant killing you just to get Daryl in trouble.”
I gasped. “So he never really liked me? He just played this sick game so he could make Daryl look like a crazy stalker?”
“Yes.”
“That’s sick!”
“I know, but like I said, it’s over now, baby.”
“Do you think he’s also the strangler?” I asked.
“Well, Ted thought about that, too, but Jeremy has a solid alibi.”
“An alibi?”
“When the murders happened, he was at work, with dozens of witnesses to corroborate it. He’s not our serial killer. He’s just a disturbed young man who tried to plot a homicide and blame it on his enemy. Several witnesses heard Jeremy swear revenge on Daryl. He said he’d do whatever it took to bring him down.”
She held me, and we talked for a long time. It broke my heart to know that I could be deceived so easily, that Jeremy would do something so heinous to me.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe now,” she said.
“Well, maybe from my stalker, but
the strangler is still on the loose.”
The nurse peeked her head in. “Brett and Rachel are here to see you.”
My aunt squeezed my hand. “Are you up to it, dear? Are you sure you’re okay seeing Brett?”
“Yeah. We broke up, but I know he still cares about me. I’m sure he was worried, and I want him to know I’m okay.”
She kissed my head. “I’ll give you guys some time alone.”
I heard Brett’s dad outside, assuring Brett that I was fine, since he’d personally talked to the nurses and the doctor. A fight broke out in the hallway, because he refused to let Brett see me, and a few minutes later, I could hear security hauling Brett away.
Just as I eased my way out of bed to see if I could help, Rachel stepped into the room. “Don’t,” she said. “Just let it go, or they’ll know.”
“I hate this.”
“I know, but how are you doing?”
“They caught my stalker.”
“I know. I heard. Who woulda thought Jeremy was such a whacko? Did you figure out what he was gonna save you from?” Rachel asked.
“I have no idea, but he thinks the three of us are going to die. Funny that he only mentioned us three.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think it’s because we broke the rules and went to the surface? Maybe since Brett covered for us, we’re all three in trouble.”
“If that’s the case, why haven’t they done anything? Dante never woulda kept quiet about it for so long.”
“Maybe because Brett’s dad is covering it up.”
“Well, if he is, then who wants to kill the three of us? And how was Jeremy going to save you? And when is this assassination supposed to take place anyway? Also, why kill me just because I took a peek outside?”
“None of it makes much sense.”
“Jeremy’s in lockup now. Maybe I can get him to talk.”
“Don’t mess with him, Rachel,” I cautioned. “He’s crazy. I never wanna see him again, not after what he tried to do to me.”
She gripped my hand. “I’m so sorry. Really. If you ever wanna talk about it, I’m here.”
“I just don’t feel like talking right now. I’m really tired, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to sleep for a while.”
“Okay. When are they releasing you?”
“They want me to stay overnight for observation. They think I might have a concussion, since I blacked out.”
“All right. I’ll check on you first thing in the morning,” she said.
“Have a good night.”
A few minutes after she left, Carla briskly walked in. She shot me a glare; if looks could have killed, she would have been more homicidal than her psychotic brother. “Jeremy would never do this!” she shouted in anger.
“They found pictures in his room.”
“You put them in there. You hate me, and you’re just trying to get back at me by getting him in trouble.”
“What!? I’d never do that!”
“The hell you wouldn’t,” she retorted.
“You’re more nuts than he is, if that’s what you think,” I said.
She pushed her black hair back. “You’re gonna pay for this,” she said, seething. “If I don’t get payback before I leave this city, I’ll be waiting for you up there. You’d better watch your back, you garden geek, because I’m gonna destroy you, one way or another.” And with that, she stormed off.
Chapter 21
A few weeks passed, and the cuts and bruises healed up. I tried to move on and put the ordeal behind me. I was just glad I’d come out of it alive, without only a few bumps and bruises for souvenirs; he easily could have raped or killed me. I’d never forget the terror, but I refused to let it consume my life.
My aunt and cousins left for the day, so I took some time to write in my journal. When someone knocked on the door, I hurried to answer it. “Who is it?” I asked.
“It’s me, Walter.”
I opened the door. “Hey. Come in.”
His lips pressed into a grim line. “I heard about your ordeal. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. The important thing is that I’m alive.”
“You’re definitely a survivor. I knew you had a stalker, but Mr. Tams assured everyone that he was harmless. I had no idea you were in this kind of danger. I feel bad that I wasn’t there for you, to protect you.”
“It’s okay.”
“I talked Dante into adding extra security, until this killer is caught.”
“And how’d you convince him to do that? Dante doesn’t take advice or orders from anybody.”
He shrugged. “I guess he doesn’t wanna see anybody else hurt down here.”
Right, I thought, but I just said, “Thank you.”
“Not a problem.”
I closed my journal and met his gaze. “So…what brings you here? Any news about Brett and I going to the surface?”
“I do have news, but I’m afraid it’s not good.”
“Let me guess. Dante?”
“Yeah. He won’t sign off on it.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I’ve tried everything to convince him, but like you said, he likes to control the show.”
“Great. So I guess I’ll just have to be stuck down here till I turn eighteen,” I said softly.
“I’m afraid so.”
“Does Dante Marcellus control everything up there, like some kind of commanding officer?”
“It’s not so bad. He just wants order so we can have a functioning society.”
“Hmm. Well, what’s it like on the surface?”
“You’ll love it. It’s absolutely beautiful. I’ve walked barefoot on the beach, watched sunsets, and stared up at the twinkling sky at night.”
“I’ve seen pictures and movies of the night sky.”
“The stars stretch as far as the eye can see.”
“Do you have a house?” I asked.
“Yes, a ranch-style home. You should see the flowers I planted out front! I also have a huge garden, with tons of tomatoes and all kinds of vegetables.”
“Who did the house belong to before?”
“I don’t know. Dante had it cleared of all the personal belongings before I got there, but I made it my own, and now it’s my home sweet home. My brothers live on the same block, along with a bunch of the others.”
“Where does Dante live?” I asked.
“He has a huge house a few blocks away. We’ve restored about ten blocks. Vita has a city hall, a hospital, a store, and all kinds of other places. Everyone is working hard to create a new world, the perfect place to live. As long as you work hard and follow the laws, there’s a place for you.”
I blinked. “What kind of laws?”
“They aren’t so bad. It’s not like we have a curfew or something. Dante just put them in place to make sure everyone is doing his or her part. Like…well, nobody can get away with lounging on the couch all day. Laziness is not tolerated. It’s all about teamwork, and everyone pulls their weight.”
“Hmm. Well, maybe I’ve been wrong about him. I’ve always pictured him as some kind of dictator, with a horde of goons at his beck and call, doing his bidding.”
“He’s a great leader, and we all support him. He goes to amazing lengths to support us.”
“If he’s so amazing, why is he making us wait down here? Why can’t we all just come on up?”
“There isn’t room yet. He’s preparing another block now. Every month, we prepare more homes, but it’s a whole lot easier if only a few come up at a time. He wants to make sure there is a place for everyone. When you get there, there will be a beautiful home waiting for you. As a matter of fact, I’ve already seen yours.”
“Is it near my dad’s?”
“No, but you’ll love it. The landscaping is amazing. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with it, with that green thumb of yours.”
“Is it near yours?”
“Yep. We’ll practically be neighbors! You’
re gonna love our new world, all that freedom after being cooped up in Asha for so long. Up there, you can gaze at the sky whenever you want, and it isn’t made of water and fish!”
“I can only imagine,” I said, dreamily remembering when I’d had a sneak peek.
“I promise that you won’t be disappointed.”
“I’m sure I won’t,” I said, and we both smiled.
Chapter 22
After a make-out session, Brett looked me deeply in my eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you,” I echoed back, but I could tell something was bothering him. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t stand this, all this secrecy. I don’t wanna spend another minute hiding our relationship. These lies end now.”
“But your dad—”
“I don’t care. I’ll take the gamble. Our love is worth fighting for. C’mon.” Gripping my hand, he pulled me down the hall.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To do something I shoulda done a long time ago.”
“What?”
“Stand up to my parents.”
I abruptly stopped. “Stirring up trouble with your dad is a bad idea, Brett. He’ll blame me, since I’m usually the troublemaker. It will only prove his case that I’m not good for you, that I’m a bad influence.”
“They’re not good for me if they are keeping me away from the girl I love. I want to be with you, Sky, and they need to know that.”
“Are you sure you wanna do this? You have to be sure, because once you spill it to them, there’ll be no turning back.”
He gently kissed my lips. “The only thing I’ve ever been more sure of is how much I love you.”
“All right. Then let’s go confront them together,” I said, my heart melting at the risk he was willing to take for me.
We walked to his apartment and went inside. I swallowed hard as his parents rose to their feet. It was an awkward confrontation, and I could tell by the look on his dad’s face that he would have rather kicked me in the stomach than to let his son date me.
Rebel Princess - Book 2 (The Hope Saga) Page 10