33. The Gift
Chapter 33
The Gift
I t’s been hours since I last saw Nic, and my anger has turned from a small blaze to an inferno of rage. Has the fucker forgotten about me and left me here to die? This psychopath kidnapped me from my life, and then left me here to rot? Well, I’ll show him. The minute I figure out how to get this collar off of me, it’s game over for him, and I’m going to make him wish he never laid eyes on me.
I’m just about to wrap my fist in a towel and break the bathroom mirror, when I hear the electronic lock being disarmed. I race back out of the bathroom, the annoying metal chain rustling behind me like a damn leash. If there is nothing else about this situation that conveys how unhinged Nic really is, the damn chain and collar around my neck speak volumes. I could almost look past all the rest of the shit he’s done, but not that. I’m not his fucking pet to keep chained, shit, I would never allow an animal to endure this type of callous treatment.
I’m ready and waiting to give him a tongue lashing, and throw hands at him, when he stomps into the room, his fists at his sides and a scowl across his handsome and fearsome face. Then my jaw hits the floor as Daisy appears in the doorway right behind him, wearing a bright red, ugly Christmas sweater and reindeer ears, and holding a gun to the back of his head. “Hey, babe! I missed you!” She grins and winks at me.
Have I entered the twilight zone? Maybe I hit my head somewhere, because this can’t really be happening. I can’t actually be seeing my bubbly spaz of a best friend holding my stalker hostage. “How? Where? Shit, how the hell is this possible?”
My eyes soar between Daisy’s and Nic’s, and that’s when I realize that there is a third person, this one hiding in the shadows, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s got a gun pointed at Daisy. “Hey ya, gorgeous. Long time no see,” he calls out, and forces both Daisy and Nic to move further into the room. Micah . What the hell is he doing here, and why is he pointing a weapon at my best friend? This is getting stranger and more bizarre by the moment.
“I can explain,” Nic growls, as he side-eyes Daisy and his brother with menace. Daisy’s smile just gets broader and more devious at his remark, and even Micah looks ridiculously happy with whatever fuckery is happening here. “Girl, why are you chained up? Ah, he’s a kinky fucker , isn’t he?“ Daisy wags her eyebrows at me as I stare at her with disbelief.
Oh my God, hole in the ground, please open up and swallow me whole. Of course, she would think this was fun, and part of some sexual escapade. I feel my body flush with heat and embarrassment, as Micah’s eyes slide over me, from my bare feet to the top of my head, and everywhere in between, that the thin t-shirt I’m wearing doesn’t hide. I can tell exactly what he’s thinking, based on his lascivious grin. “Stop fucking looking at her, Micah, or I’ll rip your eyes out!” Nic growls and steps towards his brother, his fist raised, and an unhinged look in his eye.
“Hey, I’m in charge here!” Daisy yells and attempts to grab Nic’s arm to restrain him, and all the while, she’s pointing a gun that I hope is not loaded, and perched on her stupid skyscraper heels. Nic releases a fearsome snarl, that has the hairs on my arms standing on end. “Don’t touch me. I’ve humored you so far, but nobody gets to do that except her.” He nods in my direction, and my eyebrows shoot up at his admission. Me? Why the hell do I get to touch him? Not that I don’t want to, well, at this precise moment, I’d like to touch him with a tire iron.
“Why is that exactly, huh , Nic? What makes Little Red Riding Hood over there special?“ Micah inquires, his gun held precariously in his hand, as if he doesn’t care if he shoots someone or not. All three of these idiots are going to get themselves killed in an accidental shoot-out with each other. I would like to point out that I take offense to him describing me as a fictional character who lacked common sense, and got herself almost eaten by a wolf, but I’m too tired to argue with all the crazies in the room. My head ping pongs back and forth between them, and I’m starting to get dizzy from all the insanity.
“BECAUSE I FUCKING LOVE HER, AND SHE’S MINE, CUNT!” Nic howls, all the veins in his neck protruding, and he swings his fist toward his brother, regardless of whether one of their weapons could be discharged at any moment. His fist lands with a crack against Micah’s cheek, who in turn releases his hold on his gun, and it goes bouncing across the carpet toward me. Daisy gets pushed out of the way, and falls against the dresser with a scream, and the two male gorillas start throwing punches at each other, and breaking what’s left of the furniture. Sweet baby Jesus, what the fuck!
I dive for the gun, grasping it tightly and rising unsteadily to my feet, and pointing it at both of them, but there is no way to get a clear shot as they grapple, and honestly, I don’t know which one of them to shoot. “STOP, FUCKERS!” I fire into the air, hoping to get their attention, and both of them freeze in place, as pieces of the ceiling plaster land on my head. Two sets of large gray eyes turn to stare at me, and for a moment, I forget what the hell I’m doing, as I get overwhelmed by their attractiveness. “You show ’em, babe!” Daisy cackles, and moves closer to me and away from the two psychos, who are giving off nothing but toxic masculinity.
I’m about to start questioning all of them, but a loud barking gets my attention, and I turn my gaze towards Daisy with horror. “Toothless?” She nods her head, as if it’s no big deal that my massive cane corso has also found his way to my stalker’s house. “Yeah, I made that asshole carry him inside. It was too cold in the car to leave him.” Yup, ’cause that makes perfect sense right now.
“One of you start explaining, or I swear to fuck, I’m going to start shooting at all of you.” I release a huge sigh, knowing whatever is about to be spoken is going to blow me away, while confusing me further. I keep running Nic’s words through my mind, and I don’t have a way to make sense of them. He’s in love with me? How is that possible? A warm feeling radiates through my chest at the thought that maybe he did all of this because he feels that strongly for me. It still doesn’t excuse drugging and kidnapping me, or murdering all those people, but at least it’s a start. Do I feel more than just attraction for him, well, besides anger at the whole ‘keeping me captive’ scenario? On the surface, I want to answer immediately that it’s all hormones and physical attraction, but in my heart, I know that’s a lie. I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and it’s always been more than just attraction.
Something about him has always drawn me in, even when I didn’t know it was him behind the mask. Does that make me as insane as he is? Maybe.
“Sweet temptation, please put the gun down; I don’t want you to risk getting hurt,” Nic utters in a soothing and placating voice, as if he is speaking to a wild animal, and not the woman he has chained to one of his bedroom walls.
“Oh my goodness, he calls you that, girl? Swoon! “ Daisy giggles, and I’m forced to roll my eyes.”I can’t wait to hear your explanation for all this shit, and how you think you’re getting out of it,” Micah groans as he swipes at his bleeding lip, and pushes Nic away from him.
“Go on, explain, and make it good, or you can go explain to the devil why I shot you,” I hiss.