He looked down, skimming up and down my body. “You really are beautiful, Sam. All that running has kept you toned. I can see why Garrett fell for your mother. With your eyes and how your face is framed, you’re both stunning to look at. There’s a light inside of you.”
He sat up and leaned over me, so his head was directly above mine. His eyes went dead. “And I will enjoy taking that light away from you because that’s how I’m going to destroy Mason. I don’t need a camera. I don’t need to record anything for blackmail. Just me, violating you over and over tonight. That will do enough damage. You’ll never get over it. You’ll never be whole again because that’s what rape does to a person.”
Mason…
He wouldn’t be here in time. This was going to happen now. He’d be too late.
Sebastian laughed to himself. “At least, that’s what the psychologists all say. Now, let’s get to it.”
I started to go somewhere else.
He was taking his clothes off, so I closed my eyes. It would be Sebastian’s body, but it would be Mason in my mind. Sebastian would be raping me while Mason would be holding me.
It’d be Mason.
Where was Mason?
MASON
Upload the information. Click Send to everyone in The Network—or those we knew.
That was the plan and I got inside, uploaded everything to the closest computer I could find to Sebastian’s location, but once I heard Sam’s voice coming from the vent, the plans changed. I heard what Sebastian was going to do to her.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Opening the door, I stood there for a minute. He didn’t hear me come in and he was bending over her now, stroking her face like she was his damn child. It was tender and loving.
It made me sick.
“I told myself I was going to be smarter,” I murmured. My hands were flexing into fists, then relaxing, and flexing back again.
His head jerked up. His eyes went wide. Blood drained from his face, and he stumbled away from the couch, moving back a few feet. “Mason.”
I stepped inside. His gaze went to the door, and my head tilted to the side. Fear and panic were there.
Good. I wanted him to be pissing himself. His pants should’ve been drenched already.
When he kept looking at the door, I laughed to myself. It sounded sick and twisted to my own ears, but there was rage, so much damn rage.
I mused, “The door wasn’t locked from the outside, but I know Sam. She would’ve left if she could’ve, so that means the door was locked. Let me guess.” I moved farther inside and shut the door behind me.
“No!” He surged forward, his hand reaching in the air, but he caught himself.
I smiled at him. No joy. No fun. The only part of this that was enjoyable was what I was going to do to him. My smile made him shrink backward.
I said, “And, yes,” I tried the door, but it didn’t move, “it locks from the inside.” I paused a beat. “Why would a door lock from the inside? What kinds of things might happen inside a room where the door has to be locked that way? Where the occupants couldn’t leave?”
My foot moved forward. My eyes were trained on him, and I kept my hands at my sides—for now. “Why do I get the feeling that other nightmares have happened in this room? Maybe this is the house I should’ve burned down?” I lifted an eyebrow at him.
He didn’t react. The fear was gone, instead replaced with resignation.
“What’s wrong, Sebastian? You’ve had a lot to say every time I’ve seen you. Why are you quiet now?”
“This is my grandfather’s home.” His tone was almost timid.
“Yeah?” I held up my hands. “So what?” My jaw clenched. “What does that mean? Tell me. Why should I be scared that this is your grandfather’s house?”
The fear came back. It flashed across his face. His mouth fell open, and his shoulders hunched down.
A brave front appeared. His shoulders lifted back up. His mouth closed again, and his eyes narrowed. “Do you know who you’re messing with? Do you really have any idea who I am, what I can do to you?”
“Why haven’t you?” I shot back.
I moved forward, stopping by Sam’s head, where she seemed to be sleeping on the couch. She looked peaceful, but her fingers were tucked into her palms. Even in her sleep, they were curled inward. I knew that if I unraveled them, blood would come from the palm of her hands. Her nails were digging into them. I skimmed over her, making sure the rest of her looked fine, and it did.
I saw a little droplet of blood. It pooled on the underside of her palm.
He made her bleed. He would’ve done worse. I’d been keeping the rage contained, but a little bit slipped out there.
“She’s unharmed.” His voice shook, and he coughed, clearing his throat. He tried to sound strong as he added, “As you can see, I was checking on her.”
“Really?”
“She had too much to drink. That’s all.”
“You’re lying out of your fucking teeth.” My eyes narrowed. “I heard everything, Sebastian.”