“Just let me leave. I won’t say anything.”
Kohen chuckles again and trails one hand down to my chest. Roughly he grabs ahold of my breast and grinds his thick erection into my ass. I close my eyes, willing myself to find that empty void I used to live in. If I can find that place, I can get past this. I can get past Kohen and his disgusting hands.
“I told you that I’m not letting you go, Em. You’re mine.”
Who the fuck is Em? I want to ask but I remain silent. He’s stolen my ability to speak. I’m that terrified.
Releasing the death grip on my breast, he licks my neck again. “And I plan on taking what’s mine tonight.” He shoves me away from him and spanks my ass before striding into the house.
I don’t even think about it. I run.
Before my feet even reach the sand, I’m yanked back. I cry out in pain, frustration, and angery. Of course it wouldn’t have been that easy. Kohen isn’t going to let me go. Okay, I need to be smart. I can’t go for the obvious moves or he’ll stop me.
I’m crying while Kohen drags me back into the house. None of my tears are for the pain I’m feeling. No, they’re all for my stupidity. I should have seen this coming. God, how could I be so stupid? He’s shown me his true colors before, I just chose to ignore everything. I wanted him to be better, I wanted to move on from Jax. I desperately wanted to be loved by someone.
Because of that, I’m stuck in a house that could be in the middle of nowhere. Kohen said we were going to the Hamptons, but we could be anywhere. I slept the entire way here. That false security I was feeling seconds ago has vanished. If he does have neighbors, I doubt I’ll be able to reach them before Kohen finds me. He knows the area, I don’t.
It dawns on me that this was his plan the entire time. That’s why the fridge and pantry are stocked, and not just for the weekend, but a few weeks. I thought him buying all my favorite things was a sweet gesture; it was anything but sweet.
“You never texted Harper or my brother.” I don’t ask him. I know the answer. I’ve known the answer the entire time. I just ignored it. I hoped for the best.
“No, but you knew that. That’s why you’ve been wanting to call Logan, isn’t it?”
I spit in his face. He backhands me again. At least this time he hit my other cheek. Generous. I grin as I watch him wipe my spit off of him. The searing pain in my cheek was worth it.
Seizing my forearm, Kohen ushers me along with him. I try in vain to grab anything within reach as he forces me from the kitchen and into the hallway. I can’t take anything without him seeing. Be smart. I can get through this, I’ve survived worse. I’ll survive whatever Kohen has in store for me.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“We’re not going anywhere.” Kohen opens a door to the right of the hallway, the door directly across from the living room. It’s the same room I didn’t bother to look at last night. I skipped the “tour” saying that I was tired and wanted to go to bed.
Throwing me into the dark room, Kohen gives me a sad smile. “I didn’t want to do this, but you gave me no choice, Em.”
“My name is Adalynn!” I shout.
He doesn’t say anything as he turns to leave. Oh my God. He’s going to lock me in here. “You don’t have to do this Kohen. You can still walk away.” You psycho.
Kohen ignores me. “If you’d just let me love you, we wouldn’t be here. You forced me to do this, Ads. But you’ll see I’m right. You’ll thank me. We belong together.”
“Don’t call me that.” For some reason I don’t care that he’s going to lock me in here anymore. I never want to hear him use Hadley’s and Jax’s nickname for me. I can handle anything he throws my way, but not that.
“Oh, right. Only your precious Jax can call you that. Don’t worry, you’ll realize he doesn't love you like I do.”
“You’re right,” I say, surprising him. “Jax loves me. You’re incapable of loving anyone . . . especially me.”
His dark expression returns. “We’ll see.” Kohen closes the door and locks it.
There’s no light. Putting my hands out in front of me, I stumble around, trying to find a way out even though I know it’s pointless. I take three steps before I hit a wall. I trace every inch of the wall I can reach, but nothing. I do the same thing to the other two before slamming my hands against the door. There’s no hope. The only escape is through the locked door. Leaning my ear against the door, I strain to listen, but that’s pointless too. I can’t hear anything. The tears finally come.
I’m locked in a room smaller than my closet, in pitch darkness. My only way out is the door. A door that can only be opened from the outside. Ignoring the pain in my hands, I punch the wood over and over again, begging for help at the top of my lungs. In the back of my mind I know that Kohen’s probably soundproofed this room, but I don’t give up. I scream for Logan, for Connor, and lastly for Jax. I scream for them to rescue me.
Nobody hears my cries. Nobody is coming to save me.
I’m still screaming as I remember my dad telling me bedtime stories when I was younger. The princess always found her way out. She would realize that she was strong, strong enough to take on anything that came her way. After that, I always hated fairytales that ended with the prince saving the day. I almost forgot that I don’t need anyone to save me. I’ll save myself, just like the princesses in the stories.
I sit down across from the door. I wipe my tears. I’m not going to cry. I’m going to be the princess my Dad believed I was. I won’t let Kohen break me. Eventually he’ll open this door and let me out. I know that. I need a plan. Because the first chance I get I’m running and I won’t look back. I’ll either get away, or I’ll die trying.
The light stings my eyes. I squeeze them and cover my face to block the sudden blinding light. They snap open when his hands brush my cheeks. He cradles my face so gently that if I wasn’t locked into a dark hole, I would think he feels guilty. I’m not falling for that again.
“I’m so sorry, Em. You just made me mental. I’m so sorry. Forgive me please. You just have to listen and I’ll never hurt you again.” Kohen kisses my sore cheek.
Reaching up, I cup his face. “I know. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. You were right.” I’m positive that I’m about to throw up that I cover my mouth. I pass it off as a sob and lean my head against his forehead.
Play nice. You need to escape. Fake it.
“I can’t believe I hit you. You make me so mad. Promise me you won’t anger me anymore. It kills me to hurt you, Em.”
There’s that name again. I don’t bother asking who she is. I’ve seen the movies. She’s a girl that I resemble. A girl that he’s killed. How many Ems have there been before me?
“I promise . . . Can . . . I . . .” I pretend to stumble over my words.
Caressing my face, Kohen places a chaste kiss on my lips. Somehow, I’m able to stop from grimacing.
“What? All you have to do is ask, Adalynn.”
So now I’m Adalynn again. I shake my head.
“I’ll give you whatever you need.”
“No, I don’t deserve it. I shouldn’t have said anything,” I whisper.
Another kiss. “Please talk to me, baby. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“I wanted to ask if I can come out . . . to spend the night with you . . .” I force myself to draw a calming breath before I say the biggest lie in the world. “I can’t sleep without your ams around me.”
Kohen stills. I scoot closer until our lips touch.
“I just want you to love me,” I say against his lips.
Do not throw up.
“I love you so much,” Kohen says against my lips.
Not being able to say the words back, I kiss him. I drown everything out. I drown out that I’m stuck in a hole with a lunatic, that I’m probably going to die soon like the other Ems, and focus on the only thing that makes me able to hold on. I think of Jax. I picture his face, his lips. My imagination is running wild that I can actually smell him. I pretend that Kohen is Jax and kiss him like I would be kissing Jax right now.