CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CODIE
I got the feeling that Stray was messing with me. Since the party a few nights ago, I’d barely seen him. Once we passed on campus and he’d simply given me this look that I couldn’t understand. Kind of a cocky smirk. If he’d been following me, he’d done a good job of staying out of sight.
The party had left me more confused than I’d already been. I had been trying to get a reaction from him by flirting with Danny. Having the two of them fight had not been my intention though. Stray didn’t believe that.
Seeing the damage done to his face had left me guilty and confused. Why would he do something like that? Getting into a fight because some guy tried to kiss me? That’s the kind of thing a boyfriend would do. Stray wasn’t my boyfriend. He was my blackmailer.
Several times I’d caught myself wanting to reach out to him. To send a text or something. I knew I could get his number through Storm from Rebel. Every time I started to message her, I deleted the text before I could send it.
Stray keeping his distance was something I should want. Maybe he’d changed his mind about me and forgotten the entire thing. Maybe it was over now.
I didn’t want that though. There was a deep sense of dissatisfaction at the thought of him quitting now. Even though it would be for the best, the dark part of me that enjoyed the danger didn’t want him to stop.
After supper I did my best to focus on some schoolwork.
Athena had gone to her bedroom to work on an important essay.
I sat with my laptop on the couch, a true crime documentary playing quietly on the TV.
Unable to sit still, I set my laptop aside and paced around the apartment.
Every now and then I would glance out the window looking for any sign of Stray or his Mustang. Nothing.
I rubbed both hands along my forehead and down my face, sighing. There was no relaxing. I couldn’t shake the growing need to do something. To make this restlessness stop.
Forgetting about my schoolwork, I tied my hair up in a ponytail and changed into some cute pink sweatpants and a white tank top.
Going for a run might help clear my head.
There were plenty of great walking and running paths around town.
The paths wound through residential neighborhoods and parks. They all connected along the way.
A year or so ago, a few women had been attacked on the paths by a man who’d never been caught. There hadn’t been an incident recently, although most women still ran in pairs. Going out alone was probably safe. I still brought my pepper spray in case.
The sun was setting earlier now. A faint glow lit up the sky. That would soon disappear. With my phone and pepper spray shoved into my pockets, I left the building, headed for the closest path a few blocks away.
No sign of Stray anywhere. Either he had gotten really good at this stalking thing or he’d given up. I hated the disappointment that crushed me at the thought of him not bothering anymore. What was wrong with me?
A lot apparently, since I headed right for the path where the women had been attacked. I probably needed some serious therapy to figure out why I was like this. At the very least, a good run should help purge some of this pent-up energy and help me sleep tonight.
I started out behind a residential area with backyards that looked onto the path.
Eventually, it would lead me into one of the parks.
A heavily treed area with picnic tables and a pond with a fountain in the middle.
Sometimes I went there to decompress and have some quiet time with myself.
It was one of my favorite places in town.
Once I got running, my blood pumping and legs moving, I began to feel better.
I didn’t need Stray or anyone else. If anything, having him around would do more harm than good for my mental state.
I would find other ways to purge the restless energy and feed my addiction.
Maybe I would take up bungee jumping or skydiving.
Those were dangerous ways to get a rush.
As I drew closer to the park, I started to get that feeling again. That sensation of being watched. A wicked thrill shot through me. Was it Stray? Out here it might be anybody. It may have been some guy watching from his backyard for all I knew.
The park was empty. On a random September weeknight there weren’t many people out and about.
I ran past the cluster of picnic tables and around the decorative gazebo toward the pond.
The path circled the pond, eventually leading back to the gazebo.
The trees surrounding the pond were thick.
My friends and I used to sneak off into the bush to smoke weed when we were teenagers.
I rounded the pond so I was on the opposite side from the gazebo when there was a noise in the trees next to me. Suddenly grabbed from behind, I started to panic until strong arms slid around me, pulling me against a hard body. I knew that embrace.
Stray pinned me tight against him, covering my mouth with one hand. Cold metal pressed against my temple. It took a moment for me to accept that he held a gun to my head. What the fuck?
“Don’t fucking scream,” he hissed in my ear. “Don’t even think about using that pepper spray.”
Pressing the gun hard into my temple, Stray dragged me off the path into the trees.
He shoved me down onto the ground, standing menacingly over me.
Adrenaline hit me so hard I struggled to breathe.
This was intense. Harboring a fantasy was one thing.
Having it come to life was another. Maybe I couldn’t handle this after all.
Stray was dressed all in black. Even in the fading daylight, I was able to make out the bruises on his face. The black eyes from the damage to his nose. I probably shouldn’t have found his injuries so hot. Knowing that he’d sustained them by fighting over me gave me a deep sense of satisfaction.
“Holy shit, Stray. What are you doing? Is that a real gun? Are you crazy?” Leaves crunched beneath me. A random twig poked me in the thigh. I started to get up and Stray shoved me back down.
“No talking. One more word and I gag you.” There was a sinister glint in his eyes I’d never seen before. Like this was an entirely different version of Stray.
He was on top of me before I could choose my next move. Pinning me down with his weight, he kept the barrel of the gun pressed against the side of my head, a finger hovering over the trigger. With his free hand, he began to tear at my clothes.
Stray’s touch was rough as he jerked my sweatpants down, taking my underwear as well. I sucked in a sharp breath. Was this really happening? Should I fight him off? Did I want to?
The man had a gun to my head. He was obviously more unhinged than I’d given him credit for. A sick sense of dread filled me. I felt almost ill. And yet, I also felt alive with anticipation.
Stray worked his belt, undoing his pants and pulling out his already hard cock. Heat engulfed me. A throb started between my legs. This was more of a turn on than it should’ve been.
Without a word, Stray held me down beneath him, aggressively shoved my legs apart, and violently thrust inside me. Even though I’d fantasized about such things, I still felt ashamed that I was soaking wet for him. His entry was almost painful. I still enjoyed it.
For just a moment, he held himself deep inside me. His eyes locked on mine. Did he see the fear that he’d instilled in me? Did he like it?
His mouth was suddenly on mine in a savage kiss. Stray licked my bottom lip before biting down hard. I yelped, shoving against his chest, as if that would make him stop. All it did was encourage him.
He moved to my neck, licking and sucking at my sensitive skin before biting down again. I was sure that he would draw blood. His cock was thick and hard inside me, stretching me wide. Once he began to move again, I thought I might truly lose my mind. Hard demanding thrusts that left me reeling.
Despite the way he moved between my legs, the gun against my temple never wavered. Maybe it wasn’t loaded. He was probably trying to scare me. And he was. There was no denying the fear that had my body breaking out in goosebumps. The shaky breaths I struggled to draw. I’d underestimated Stray.
Every stroke of him inside me was vicious and commanding. Stray knew what he wanted from me, and he was taking it. Every instinct I had for self-preservation told me to fight. To get away and run. The part of me that had sought out such an encounter was riding high on the rush.
Needing to test Stray, I pushed against him, trying to shove him off me. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
Stray was far too heavy to budge. Still, my attempt got a reaction. He grabbed me by the throat, choking off my breath.
“I’m fairly certain I said no talking. I really don’t want to repeat myself.” He thrust into me especially hard then. “I’m going to own your pussy. You’re going to love it, and you’re going to come all over my cock. Got it? Remember, strawberry, this is what you wanted.”
I stared up at him with wide eyes as I struggled to breathe. All I could do was nod. He was right. I had wanted this. Even though it left me feeling ashamed of myself, I still did want it. Every rough entry of his cock inside me shot me up with a pleasure high.
I didn’t trust Stray. He had a gun pressed to my head and was about to choke me unconscious. Neither of those things kept me from climbing quickly toward orgasm.
Just before I blacked out, he released my throat, allowing me to suck in a greedy lungful of air. Although I wanted to tell him what a freak he was, I didn’t dare say a word. Instead, I raised my hips, hungrily seeking more of his cock.
There was nothing romantic or sensual about the way he fucked me.
Stray was driven by a pure primal need to dominate.
I’d never been the submissive type. I was always ready to speak my mind and take action as needed.
Somehow, this was different. This was me indulging in my dark side and fucking loving it.
I couldn’t help the little moans and cries that slipped out. Stray didn’t seem to mind those. He began to fuck me harder and faster. Our bodies slapped together, the sound especially loud in the otherwise quiet.
“You love this don’t you, strawberry? Being owned by me. Goddamn your pussy is so wet. I want you to come for me now. Right now.” Stray stared into my eyes with an intensity that intimidated the hell out of me.
His command did something to me. My body automatically reacted. The pleasure mounted, and I came hard harder than I ever had. I think I might have blacked out for a moment. My moans stopped. My lungs froze. I hung there in the balance of sheer bliss. High as hell on him.
“That’s a good girl,” Stray murmured.
He pulled back enough to watch his cock slide in and out of me. It glistened with evidence of my arousal. He teased us both with shallow thrusts before sliding in balls deep. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.
The tree tops spun above me. With one hand, I clutched a handful of the ground beneath me, trying to steady myself.
I was still painfully aware of the gun against my head.
What if Stray lost control and accidentally pulled the trigger?
He could blow my brains out all over the trees.
I assumed it wouldn’t be the first time he’d killed.
Maybe that was his plan all along. To kill me when this was all over.
He made a sound low in his throat, almost a growl of sorts.
There was a franticness to his thrusts. A desperation.
Like he couldn’t get enough of me. I knew that he was going to come moments before he did.
The warmth of his cum filled me. So much that I felt it trickle out of me, sliding down my ass. Good thing I was on birth control.
The sound of my own heart pounded loud in my ears. It would be a miracle if I could walk after this. Instinct still told me I needed to run. To get far away from Stray. He was dangerous. Maybe more dangerous than I could handle.
He took his time getting off me. Like he wanted to savor every last second. Tucking his cock back into his pants, he stood up, finally taking the gun away from my head.
With a devilish smile, he said, “That was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.”