Lost & Found (Possessed 3)

Fear travelled down her spine at the realization of how helpless she was. She had been so stupid going away with him after only a few dates. Stupid Tami. Stupid Ray. Stupid her.

When he finally towered over her body, she had no defense left. Her brain was short circuiting on the violation he was surely about to cause her.

Beaten.

Bruised.

Raped.

Stupid.

She was going to become a fucking statistic, all because she wanted to feel loved. To not be alone anymore.

“Please don’t do this,” she begged one more time as tears streamed down her face in a heavy flow.

Her dress was torn, blood ran down a crack at the corner of her mouth, and she knew she must reek of fear. It didn’t make sense that he could still want to be intimate with her.

Oh, call it what it is Pepper, he wants to fuck you, plain and simple, she chastised herself.

As he reached down to grab for her, a knock sounded on the door. Her body slumped in relief as he paused, turning to answer it.

When Alex was out of sight, she scrambled to her feet and ran for the bathroom door. Slamming it shut behind her, she flipped the lock and shoved the vanity chair under the knob. Male voices could be heard as she sat in the tub crying about what her life had become. She couldn’t believe she was in this position. What was happening to her? If only she’d remembered to bring her phone with her, she could have called James. He would have gotten the sheriff over here as soon as possible.

Things had been strained between the two of them lately, and she had no idea why. Well, she did, she just hadn’t wanted to admit to herself. James found a woman, and she was jealous of Pepper’s role in his life. Straightforward as that. Now here she was, minutes away from certain death, and he would live happily-ever-after with the pretty blonde she’d only gotten a glimpse of.

Pepper wasn’t sure how much time had passed after she’d hidden in the bathroom when a slamming door scared her awake. Given her confusion, she had no idea what to do, where to go, or how to even proceed.

Climbing from the tub, she stood with her ear pressed to the door, listening for any kind of movement from inside the other room. Hoping Alex had left, she prayed she could call for help. After her legs had grown tired of their trembling stance, she chanced creeping out of the bathroom and into the main area.

Quietly opening the door, she peeked out to see that all was clear. Missing, however, was her purse, which held her phone. Racing for the door, she tried to open it, to no avail. Tears clogged her throat as she slumped to the floor in a heap of agony and terror.

This is the end, was all she could think.

Chapter Eight

Pain-filled moaning woke Nick from an awkward sleep. Sitting up, his neck cracked as he looked around, trying to avoid the shine from the sun bouncing off the fresh snow into the open window.

“Why the fuck is that open?” he grumbled to himself. A blast of cold air brought him to his feet before tending to whatever was ailing Pepper in her sleep.

By the time he sat back down, Ace was waking up, and Pepper was flinching as though she were being hit.

“What the…?” Ace didn’t get to finish before Roxie began whining at her feet.

Placing both hands on her shoulders, Nick gently shook her, hoping not to scare her too badly. “C’mon Pepper, wake up,” he called to her gently. Ace rubbed soothing circles on her back with his hand.

It felt like forever before she finally woke up. Panic darkened her eyes as she soaked in her surroundings, clearly looking for whatever monster had chased her into sleep.

“Where is he?” she whispered, horrified and convinced someone else was there.

“Where is who?” Ace asked from his perch behind her.

Head swivelling in his direction, Nick saw a tear roll down her cheek. “He was here. I saw him last night,” she insisted.

Cupping her chin, Nick turned her head to look him in the eyes, hers were pools of anxiety and trepidation. “There’s no one else here, baby,” he told her as tenderly as possible.

“NO!” she shouted at them. “He was here in that window.” She pointed to the one she’d been sleeping by when they’d come in the night before, the one that had been open moments ago. “I saw him. The evil in his eyes just before I fell back asleep.” Her insistence had him doubting his own security since the window had been open when he awoke. “Please, Nick, I swear he was here.”

It was hard to be convinced when he knew that if anyone had made their way inside, Roxie would have not only barked herself hoarse but attacked anything or anyone she deemed a threat.