“All the men. You’ve fucked dozens since I’ve been in prison. I know you have.”
Fear tightened around her throat. “I don’t…there aren’t any men. I haven’t been with anyone since you.”
As it was, she’d never been with him, either. Whenever he’d tried to get intimate, she’d backed off. Truth be told, his kiss had felt lukewarm, lacking real feeling. Filled only with a ravenous animal taste that turned her stomach. God, why hadn’t she recognized that as a good reason to kick him the curb earlier?
Because you hoped he’d replace the heat you experience with only one man. Ian.
Such a revelation at such a time stunned her and made her slow.
“You’re a lying cunt,” he said without a hint of malice, as if he was talking about lovely weather.
His epithet didn’t surprise her. Frank had turned to name calling before. She went to her default mode of negotiation and away from the fear that wanted to slice her to ribbons. Better to redirect him. She kept still, wanting him to think she couldn’t escape or wouldn’t consider it.
She kept her voice calm. “Frank, why are you here?”
“That’s a rich question. You know why.” The gun pressed harder into her chest. “Because you belong to me. Not to whatever asswipe you’re sleeping with at the moment.”
“If I’m yours, then let me up. You didn’t mean to hurt me, right?”
He grunted and lifted off of her. She didn’t have time to feel relief as he reached down and yanked her to her feet. Pain throbbed in her temple as she clasped her head between both her palms and swayed. Dizziness threatened.
He grabbed her by the elbow and yanked her toward the staircase to the second floor. “I saw you looking out the window for your lover.”
She stumbled. “What are you doing?”
His eyes glittered. Anger and determination to make her pay carved hate into his face. She didn’t see a chink in his armor. No, this guy knew her bag of tricks. At least he thought he did.
He yanked again, his clasp on her upper arm tight enough to send a bite of pain through her flesh. “Upstairs to talk. You’re going to explain to me why you did what you did and how you’ll make it up to me.”
New apprehension struck a blow, and her mind raced. Make it up to him? God only knew what he had in mind. “I’ve got money in a safe. It’s yours if you let me go.”
“Money?” He laughed as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “What a load of bullshit.”
“It’s not. I swear. I’ve got three thousand in emergency money and a gun and ammo stashed in my bedroom. The safe is in the closet.”
He snorted. “Come on. Prove it.”
He dragged her upstairs, shoving her in front of him. When they reached her bedroom she strode to the walk-in closet. She went to the shelf where a small safe was located. Fear spilled hot through her blood and threatened to choke her. If something bad had happened to Ian, she had to rely on herself. Tears spilled over her eyelids at the thought.
“Hurry up.” Frank snapped behind her.
She rushed to accommodate him. As she fumbled with the dial on the safe, it took her longer than she wanted it to take. She removed the folder with the cash, the weapon, and ammo clip.
He snatched them from her hands and gestured with his weapon. “Get out.”
She walked ahead of him out of the closet. “You’ve got the money. Just leave. That money will take you a long way.”
He grunted. “You have to be kidding me. You think that’s what I care about?”
She faced him. He still held the gun on her. “I don’t know. What do you want?”
“I told you. We’re going to discuss what you did.”
Nausea rose in her stomach, but she didn’t know if it was the blow to the head or fear. Whatever it was, she had to keep her wits. “All right. Let’s talk.”
“Sit down on the bed.”
Grateful for that, she did as told. The glittering in his eyes, the edge in his voice said he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger if she tried anything remotely brave. Or stupid, in this case.
“Lie down,” he said with a smile.
“What?” Penny asked.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to rape you.”
Frank might be lying, but she didn’t have a way of knowing that. “I’d rather stay sitting.”
He raised the weapon and pointed it directly at her. Her heart rose into her throat.
He smiled. “Whatever you think of me, Penny, I’m not a rapist. Do it.”
Swallowing around the tension choking her airway, she did as he said.
He sat on the edge of the bed and kept his weapon in hand. “Very good. Maybe you could be trained to follow my orders.”
Everything inside her rebelled against the idea, but she resolved she could do it to appease the bastard short term.
“Tell me what you think happened in our relationship,” he said.
“Where do you want me to start?”
“The beginning.”
Her mouth was paper dry, and she licked her lips. Come on. Time to lie your ass off. “I thought you were funny and smart.”
“You thought?”
“You are. Smart at least.”
He laughed. “You’re lucky I have a sense of humor.”
Lucky? She didn’t feel like it.
He shifted on the bed. “What else?”
“I think I misunderstood you.”
A small smile touched his mouth. “How is that?”
“You were very kind to me at first.”
His expression turned cold, and she knew she’d made a mistake.
“At first?” His frown deepened as he leaned forward. “I was always good to you.”
Right. Play this up, Penny. Play him. “You always were. I think we just didn’t know how to argue. How to discuss things.”
“There was no we in it. You were obstructive. Always acting as if you knew better than I did.”
Had she? For a moment she second guessed what she’d said and done in their relationship and it silenced her. He touched her shoulder with the weapon and slid it down her arm slowly. She shivered.
“What else did you do wrong?” The weapon glided back up her arm.
She thought fast. “I ignored you. I didn’t talk to you as much as I should have.”
He shrugged. “I don’t remember you ignoring me.”
Okay.
He laid the weapon in the middle of her chest and drew it down to her belly button. “Think harder.”
Another hard shiver wracked her body. She wished he’d stop that. “I’m sorry for whatever I did wrong.”
He snorted softly. “You aren’t getting off that easily.” He leaned down again and gazed into her eyes. “I traveled days and days to get here. I’m not leaving you alone after all that. We’ll stay here as long as it takes for me to get the right answers.”
What could she say? The man lived in crazy-land and always had. She’d play along until she could think of a way out of the situation.
“Now…” He drew the gun up and placed it in the middle of her forehead. The metal was cold, hard, and made her head ache under its weight. “Why did you lie to me?”
“When?”
“When we were together in California. Why did you pretend to like me when you didn’t?”
“I did like you at first.”
“Then what changed in you? Why did you become crazy and stupid and fat?”
Fat? Yeah, he’d said that before. She was now actually a little underweight. Living under the shadow of apocalypse, she’d eaten less and lost ten pounds in three months. Prior to that she was well within normal weight for her height and build. For a second, just a second, old tapes played in her head. She was inadequate. Faulty. Anger at herself returned. Don’t give into his pathological manipulation. Don’t give in.
Before she could reply he said, “If you’d just go on a diet, you’d look so much better. You know why I liked to stare at other women, righ
t?”
She remembered all too well when he’d drooled over other women. Even right from the beginning of their relationship he’d done that. She shouldn’t have been so stupid; she should’ve dropped his ass right away when his interest started drifting away from her.
“No,” she said.
“Because you didn’t take care of your body. You shouldn’t have overeaten in the first place. And you shouldn’t have gained weight.” He left the gun lying on her belly and leaned over to whisper in her ear. “If I take you back…and that’s a big if…you’ll have to lose the weight. Understand? We can start today. No more food for tonight or all tomorrow morning. Maybe not even tomorrow. We’ll get that fat off you.”
His hot breath on her neck sent another wild shiver of revulsion arching over her skin. “All right.” Immediately she went for a bargaining chip. “Okay. I’ll need water, though. You wouldn’t want me to get sick, right? If I’m your girlfriend you’ll want me to look good.”
He sat up straight. “Water it is. I think we can get the excess weight off of you quickly.” He curled his lips as he looked at her flat belly. He palmed her rounded hip, and her muscles twitched at the intimate touch. “What the hell have you been eating anyway? Hot dogs? Hamburgers? I told you not to eat meat. I told you to go even farther. Being a vegan is the only right way to eat.”
She remembered the lecture he’d given her not long before she told him she didn’t want to see him anymore. He’d obsessed about weight then, and apparently his one-track mind hadn’t shifted, even in the midst of calamity. He’d lectured her endlessly on how meat would kill her and that every ache and pain she’d ever had, no matter how minor, was because she’d consumed meat or anything else he deemed unhealthy. Playing along now was the only way to survive this situation.
“I’ll become a vegan for you, Frank.”
She didn’t mention that she’d changed back to a carnivore as soon as she got away from him. Hamburger had never tasted so good.
He laughed, but there wasn’t a speck of humor in the sound. “Good. But that wasn’t half as bad as something else you wouldn’t do.”
The never-ending list. “Oh?”
“You wouldn’t have sex with me. Why was that?”
She wondered if her nose was growing from all the lies, but what was one more? “My loss.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I was afraid. You’re big and intimidating.”
He lifted the gun and placed it right over her private area. She winced in reaction. “Think so? Well, I am big, but you’ll have to wait to see it.”
He licked his lips, and the idea of Frank’s mouth anywhere on her sent revulsion curling through her stomach.
“Tell me what you’re going to do to make it up to me,” he said.
He moved the gun beside her hip, within inches of her left elbow. Not that she could shoot worth a damn with her left hand even if she could reach it in time. He lifted off the bed and with a smooth movement straddled her waist. She stiffened. He’d never raped her, but the thought that he might made her throat tighten with disgust and fear. She sucked in a breath.
“What are you doing?” she asked automatically.
He slapped her across the face, and sharp pain rocketed through her already addled head. “You didn’t say what you’re going to do for me.”
“I’ll be a wife to you. I’ll cook, clean, not talk back. Lose weight and stay home at your beck and call.” Every word of the lie almost burned. “Anything you desire.”
“Yeah, you will.” He grinned widely. “And more than that. You’ll bed me when and if I want it. Where I want it.”
A shadow fell over the doorway, and she started as a figure stepped into the room.
“Get the fuck off of her,” came Ian’s deadly voice as he pointed his weapon at Frank.
Chapter 6
Thank God. How long had Ian been there? Listening and waiting for the right time to enter? Ian looked no different than he had when he’d left her, and the relief was staggering. Penny wanted to cry again. Wanted to rage at him for being gone so long. Surprise registered on Frank’s face a half second, and she saw him glance at the gun near her hand.
She didn’t know if Ian could see it, so she took a chance. “He’s got a gun, Ian. It’s by my left hand.”
“Thanks, babe.” Ian’s voice was ragged with accent and anger. “But we won’t need weapons, will we Frank?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Frank’s smile echoed the sarcasm in his voice.
“I think we should approach this like reasonable men, don’t you, Frank?” Ian asked.
Frank glanced down at her. “Who is he?”
“A friend,” she said.
Frank threw a glance at Ian. “Just a friend?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Should I kill him?” Frank asked her.
“No.” The word shot out of her. “No. There doesn’t need to be any killing.”
“Get off her,” Ian said again. “Now. We’ll take this downstairs. Better yet, we’ll take it out to the back yard. Fight like real men. The guy who wins gets the spoils. Deal?”
Her heartbeat quickened at the idea of them fighting it out—she didn’t like this idea at all. Every muscle in her body felt drawn tight, ready to pop. Her breathing quickened, her heartbeat banging in her chest. “Ian, no.”
“Trust me.” Ian’s voice quieted, but it still held a fine edge of anger. “Trust me.”
Frank won’t go for this. Not when he has a gun right here. She could reach for it. Snatch it before Frank—
“Okay,” Frank said as he shifted off of her and stood by the side of the bed with his back to her for a few seconds. “But she’s mine.”
Ian moved into the room and kept his weapon pointed at Frank, but he didn’t take his gaze off the man. “Then you won’t mind hand-to-hand combat to see who owns her, will you?”
Owns her. Such a statement should have pissed her off, but she knew why Ian said it. He needed to play this game with Frank. Keep Frank thinking that’s what it was really about. Ownership of the spoils.
Frank brightened at the idea. “Most definitely. Sounds like fun.”
Without looking at her Ian said, “Stay here, Penny.”
She grabbed the gun Frank left on the bed and stood up. “Ian, don’t.”
“Trust me,” Ian said again.
Ian’s face held no emotion, not even anger as he herded Frank in front of him. She didn’t know where they were going, and she ignored Ian’s warning. She ran to the window, Frank’s pistol heavy in her hand. She looked down and saw Ian standing in the middle of the back yard with Frank. They began to circle each other. This is crap. I’m not standing here while they fight it out. She checked the gun and discovered, to her utter shock and blooming rage, that it was empty. Frank had threatened her with an empty fucking weapon?
She dashed out of the room and down the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her. She hurried across the foyer and at first glance didn’t see her own gun. What the hell had Frank done with it? Had he done anything with it? She doubted it, given how unhinged he was. Brute force and heavy-handed manipulation had always been his weapons, not brains. Seconds later she discovered the weapon halfway under a chair near the doorway. She grabbed it and headed for the back door. The door was wide open, and she stood just inside so that neither man could see her.
Frank and Ian continued to circle each other. As she watched, every muscle in her body felt as if it might shake apart. Oh shit. Oh shit.
“Come on. Let’s rock.” Ian’s voice held a thick, no-nonsense sarcasm. “Or are you too dickless?”
Frank stopped moving and his lip curled. “You think you’re a badass or something?”
“Something.”
Frank said, “Well then, I’ll just kill you and take the bitch.”
Her blood ran cold. She knew Ian had training, and she knew Frank couldn’t match Ian for fighting skills. Trust me. Ian�
�s reassurance didn’t stave off the fear. Anything was possible. Her fingers tightened on the gun in her right hand.
Frank moved quickly. In counter, Ian’s quicksilver movements were frightening. This wasn’t fisticuffs, but speed, thrust, balance and power. She held back a cry as Frank tried for a jab. Ian blocked it and with one movement Ian’s fist came up. Frank flew backwards and landed on his back with a solid thunk. He lay unmoving. Ian stared down at him, chest heaving. He leaned down and checked Frank’s pulse.
“Ian.” She barely whispered the word, still half afraid Frank would rise and attack.
Ian looked up and saw her, but his cold face didn’t change. He stalked in her direction, but she kept her gaze on Frank. Ian stooped to recover his weapon from the ground. He tucked it in his holster.
When Ian arrived by her side, she finally met his gaze. “Is he dead?”
“No. But he’s going to have one hell of a headache and maybe a concussion. Do you have anything I can tie him up with?”
She thought quickly. “There’s some rope in the utility room. From an old clothesline.”
“Get it.”
She thumbed the safety on her piece and jammed it into her waistband. She ran back in the house and dashed to the utility room. After she found the rope, she returned to the yard. Ian took the rope and hogtied Frank so his hands were linked behind his back to his feet. Before they could say another word, they heard sirens.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the side of the house and the gate leading to the front of the condo. “Sounds like the cops. Maybe someone heard our fight.”
“I didn’t think anyone law-abiding was even left in the neighborhood.”
When they reached the front of the house, two city police cars cruised down the street with lights on but sirens off. Ian and Penny ran out to flag them down. Both cars stopped and the pair of cops in each car exited their cruisers with caution written all over them. Ian and Penny kept their hands away from their weapons, but all four officers kept their own hands near their service revolvers. In a rush Ian explained what had happened, and immediately gave them his Sentry Security ID. The officers made Ian and Penny turn over their weapons and searched them both. Penny didn’t blame the police for it—they already had a mess on their hands in Bangor and it was unlikely to get better. All four men wore suspicious expressions, and she couldn’t blame them for that, either.
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