Chapter 9 No Way Out
“Fix your fuckin’ face before I give you a reason to cry.
” Donovan glared at me as he made his way back into my living room.
Taking his place beside me on the sofa, he grabbed me by the arm, pulling me into him.
Kissing my temple, he pulled back before gawking at me.
“What the fuck is wrong with you today? Let me guess?” He chuckled humorlessly as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “You want to break up with a nigga.”
Remaining silent, my body stiffened as he draped his arm over my shoulder. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he flipped through the television channels without a care in the world, as if he wasn’t making my life a living hell.
For the past week, we’ve been cooped up in my cabin with no connection to the outside world.
When I asked him about his job, he told me to mind my business.
He made it a point to remind me that he was the boss, and he could come and go as he pleased.
I knew the truth, though. He didn’t trust me alone.
He knew I’d try another spell to rid myself of him.
To his shock, he’d be surprised to know I didn’t know if I had it in me.
“Would you like me to go and make dinner?” I spoke softly as I turned to face him. “I took steaks out earlier.”
He raised his brow at me. “You think you can do that without trying to conjure up a spell to separate us?”
I nodded, having no desire to actually answer his question.
He chuckled again, patting the back of the couch. “Before you try that, just remember what happened the last time…”
Nodding again, I stood from my seat to walk away, only for him to grab my wrist and stop me. He stared at me for a moment before yanking me toward him.
“I love you, ’Brena.” His eyes flickered a bright yellow before dimming. “You know that, right?”
“Yes…” I winced as his nails dug into my wrist. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain he’s inflicted on me over the last few weeks. “I love you, too, Donovan.”
Dropping a kiss on his lips, I recoiled when he pulled his bottom one between his teeth before he swatted my ass, signaling toward the kitchen.
I exhaled deeply and tried my hardest to keep my tears at bay.
Pulling the spices from the cabinet, I took a chance and peeked back toward the living room where he was seated.
Like I knew they would be, his eyes were on me.
As I began to prep the dinner, I couldn’t help but think about how disastrous this week has been. The night I tried to perform the reversal spell was the worst night of my life. I had never seen Donovan so angry before. I really thought he was going to kill me.
“Donovan! Please stop!” I cried and screamed into the night as he dragged me by my hair through the woods. The jagged rocks and tree limbs pierced my skin, likely leaving permanent marks. “You don’t have to do this! You’re hurting me!”
“Hurting you?!” he roared so loudly that it echoed into the night.
Bending over, he yanked my head back further so we were eye level.
The air stirred around him, and it made me wonder if it was in tune with his anger.
“You don’t think you hurt me by the shit you did?
” He pushed me backward, causing my head to hit a tree stump.
“Were you hurt when you tried to unbind yourself from me?” He kicked me so hard in my side, I heard my rib crack from the blow.
“You and I are forever, Sabrena! You. Are. Mine!”
Hitting and kicking me repeatedly, the only thing I could do was lie in the fetal position and take the beating to my slim frame.
There was no use in trying to summon a spirit for protection because it was obvious nothing would work on him.
As I lay on the ground, I knew this was it for me.
I just knew he was going to beat me to death.
“Don’t you see, baby? You’re it for me.” He crouched down over my bloodied and beaten body.
I winced in pain as he swept stray hairs from my battered face.
“I love you, Sabrena, and this shit with us is for life. When I say death do us part, I mean that in the literal sense.” Still writhing in pain, I did nothing but cry when he scooped me in his arms. “Come on, baby girl. Let me take you home.”
There was once a time when I thought being here in my cabin with him would bring me peace.
I wanted this man in my space since the day he’d appeared in the mirror.
Being in my home with him now felt like a prison sentence.
I felt as if I was in jail and he was the warden.
He was taunting me in a sense because I knew he didn’t want to be here.
This cabin was my personal haven with all of my potions, herbs, and relics, and nothing could be done to remove me from my new personal hell.
“Donovan, I was thinking I could go see my mother soon,” I spoke as I peeled and cut the sweet potatoes. “It’s been a while since I’ve called her, and I don’t want her to worry.”
Waiting for him to respond, my heart beat louder than a drum.
He’s told me that isolation was key in order for us to have a successful relationship.
He told me there were too many people around us that didn’t want to see us together, and we couldn’t let them in to break us apart.
I don’t even know the fallout from what had happened at the steakhouse because he had taken my phone and cut off all of my access to the outside world.
He snarled as he stood from the couch. “Your mother? What the fuck do you have to say to her that you haven’t said in three weeks?
” My eyes went wide in disbelief at his words.
“Don’t look surprised, ’Brena. I went through your phone and saw you haven’t spoken to her since we’ve been together.
But tell me…” His eyes were trained on me as he walked my way.
“Who the fuck is Ralph, and why has he been calling your phone? Why has he been texting you to see how you’re doing? Are you fucking that nigga?”
“W-What?” I stammered, gripping the knife as I took a few steps back. He’d made his way into the kitchen, and the look in his eyes told me he was getting angry. “I-I’m not cheating on you with anyone. I’m literally with you all the time. You don’t even let me pee without—Ahh!”
Wham! Crash!
With tremendous force, he backhanded me into the spice rack located on the other side of the kitchen. I groaned as I grabbed the back of my head, winching at the pain and its wetness. My vision blurred as I brought my hand to my eyes, seeing the bright red blood clear as day.
“You must think I’m a muthafuckin’ fool.” He chortled as his eyes began to glow. Like always, the shadows were a whirlwind in his orbs. “You think you can just play a nigga like me, and not have consequences? I love you, Sabrena! I gave up everything to be with you!”
“No!” I screamed as I scrambled to my feet, knife still in hand. Holding it unsteadily in front of me, I was prepared to fight him off if needed. “Don’t take another step near me, Donovan! I’m not cheating on you! Ralph is my old boss!”
Angling his head to the side, he dragged his eyes from the small knife in my hand.
A slow grin formed across his face as he flexed the muscles in his bare chest before taking another step toward me.
Waving my hand repeatedly, I conjured up enough strength to hurl a few dishes his way.
To my surprise, he dodged and swatted them away with no problems.
“You think a few plates are going to keep me off of you?” He stalked me like I was prey as he followed me around the kitchen table. “You know me better than that, witch. How can you sit up here and act as if you no longer love me? As if you no longer want this?”
“I don’t!” I screamed in horror as he flipped the kitchen table. I’d barely moved out of his way when he launched forward. “Please! Just leave me alone.”
Taking a chance, I juked to the left of him and was able to miss his grasp as I hauled it out of the kitchen. I ran as fast as I could down the hallway, locking myself in my Spell Nook. Placing my back against the door, I couldn’t help but slide down to the floor and cry in despair.
“There… there, little witch. Is this the way you treat the man of your dreams?” The rawness in his voice as he spoke from the other side indicated he was getting heated.
“You know if I have to break this door down, it’s going to be hell to pay.
Is this not what you wanted? Me to love and cherish you forever?
To desire only you? Have I not done that? ”
“Donovan, please!” I hiccupped, looking around the narrow room for an exit plan. “If you let me, I can free you of this. You can go back to Janelle and restart your life with her. I don’t want this anymore!”
“Well, that’s just too damn bad!” he shouted, slamming his fist into the door. I covered my mouth, trying my hardest not to weep any louder. “There’s not a candle you can burn or a nursery rhyme you can recite to send me away from you. You’re bound to me forever!”
Leaning against the door as he tried to beat it off the hinges, all I could do was cover my mouth and cry like Eboni did when Diamond wanted to beat her ass on The Player’s Club. Donovan was losing his mind, and I didn’t know what to do about it.
“Please, just give me a way out of this.” I closed my eyes and whispered to the universe as he continued to beat down the door. “I swear, I will make this right.”
The banging on the door stopped, prompting me to open my eyes. My chest heaved up and down as I slowly stood and pressed my ear to the door. After not hearing anything, I unlocked the door. There was no time to pull it open before it slammed into my face, breaking my nose in the process.
“You thought this shit was a game, huh?” Donovan spoke calmly, but he was anything but. He no longer had the yellow glow; his eyes had gone pitch black. “I’m going to show your ass that it’s one you will never win.”
Lunging toward me, we both fell to the floor with him landing on top of me. With my head bouncing on my tiled floor, I was in a daze. I lay there helplessly as he kicked my legs apart, pulled my gown up, and settled between my legs.
“Please, don’t do this, Donnie!” I croaked as tears streamed down my cheeks. My vision was faint, and I was slowly losing consciousness. “This isn’t love.”
“Nah, this is the love you wanted, so this is the love you’re going to get.” He leaned down, kissing my neck as I felt him line himself at my entrance. “I thought this was my pussy—”
Boom!
Not able to move, I listened for whoever had kicked my front door open to show themselves.
I watched helplessly as Donovan hopped to his feet, shoving his hardened dick back into his sweats.
I groaned as I turned onto my side, trying my hardest to get up from the floor now that Donovan wasn’t holding me down, but it was a struggle.
My face was aching terribly from the broken nose, and my head was killing me from the multiple blunt-force hits.
As I stood to my feet, I heard the voice that made me wish I could crawl into a hole and hide.
“Sabrena!” Janelle yelled from up the hall. The rage in her tone couldn’t be missed, almost identical to Donovan’s. “Bring your ass out here and get your ass beat, bitch!”