Chapter 43
“It took you long enough to get here, Presley. Where’ve you been?”
Sebastian raises a brow in challenge when I eye the door. Adrenaline is coursing through my veins, telling me to run, but how far would I really get? I dropped my keys the moment I realized I wasn’t alone. If I took the time to retrieve them, Sebastian would tackle me in a heartbeat. I decide playing it cool is the best route to take. Maybe, if I can get him to let his guard down, I’ll have a chance to escape.
“When did you get into town?”
Whiskey permeates the air of my small house. When I get a good look at him, it’s clear he’s been drinking for a while.
His lips curve into a cruel smirk. “I’ll answer your question after you answer mine. Where’ve you been, Presley? I’ve been waiting for hours.”
“Clayton asked me to stay late.”
“Liar!” Sebastian roars, shooting off the couch. “Don’t fucking lie to me, you whore! You were with him, weren’t you?”
I casually hang my purse on the hook by the door, trying not to visibly shake as he gets closer. “Who, Sebastian?”
Sebastian’s arm swings out so fast, I don’t even realize his fist is coming at me until it makes contact with my face. I cry out as I’m knocked back into the wall from the force.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this,” Sebastian promises, rolling up his shirt sleeves.
It takes a moment before my head stops spinning. When it does, rage fires up within me. This man has taken so much from me over the years: my body, my dignity, my happiness. I refuse to give him any more. My eyes dart around the room, looking for anything I could use as a weapon. When Sebastian sees me eyeballing the lamp, he gets a sinister smile as he pushes it off the table. The moment it hits the ground, we’re plunged into darkness again. I decide to run for it before his eyes have a chance to adjust, but luck’s not on my side because he easily predicts the move.
Sebastian grabs a fistful of my hair and shoves me to the ground. “Get on your knees where you belong, bitch.”
My ears start ringing when he punches me a second time. Blood fills my mouth as the back of my head hits the floor. I groan, blinking through the haze. I refuse to let this man win. I would rather die fighting him off than ever tolerate his abuse again. I focus on breathing, rolling onto my side so I can push myself up.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” he yells. “I’m not done with you.”
“Too bad.” I spit a mouthful of blood on the floor. “Because I’m so fucking done with you, Sebastian.”
“Who knew you were such a kinky slut? I mean, why else would you antagonize me like this? Do you want me to hurt you while I’m fucking you?” He releases a sinister laugh. “Because that can easily be arranged.”
When Sebastian’s fist flies forward again, I actually manage to dodge it this time. Not only that, but I kick his legs out from under him, causing his body to fall to the floor with a satisfying thud. I can’t see very well in the dark, but I’m pretty sure I just shocked the hell out of him.
I run for my purse and grab my phone from the outside pocket. As I’m hitting the call button, Sebastian pushes me from behind, and my cell goes flying across the floor, into the attached kitchen.
“Nice try, Presley. Now, get the fuck on your knees and accept your punishment!”
“Fuck you!” I whirl around on him, slamming my knee into his balls as hard as I can. “You get on your fucking knees, you sick bastard!”
He goes down fast, moaning in pain. My eyes have adjusted in the dark, so as I spot my keys on the living room floor, I scoop them up and run for the door. I freeze when I hear the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Presley.” Sebastian’s hot breath washes over me a second before I feel the cool barrel pressing against my temple. “Unless you want me to paint the walls with your blood.” He grinds his erection into my back and moans. “Fuck, why does the thought of that make me so hard?”
“Because you’re psychotic?” I’m sure the question was rhetorical, but I can’t seem to help myself.
He presses the muzzle into me even further. “Watch your mouth.”
I stare at the door no more than five feet in front of me, rolling my odds of escape around in my head. Sadly, in my current predicament, I don’t think they’re all that favorable. So close, yet so far.
I blow out a breath. “What do you want, Sebastian? It doesn’t have to be like this. Why can’t you just let me go?”
He bands his free arm around my torso, grabbing my breast. I clamp my teeth down on my tongue to avoid crying out.
“I already told you what I want, Presley. You’re going to come back to New York with me, rescind the divorce, and we’re going to pretend like this whole thing never happened.”
“Just like that?”
I have no intention of going anywhere with this man, but I’m trying to buy myself some time to think.
“No, not just like that.” Sebastian’s head lowers until his face is nuzzling my neck. His grip on my breast tightens. “Why the fuck do you smell like another man, Presley?” He releases his hold on me, only to spin me around and slam me against the wall. “Strip.”
I blink away the spots in my vision. “Excuse me?”
“Fucking strip!” he screams. “You’re going to strip, then you’re going to get in the shower and wash his scent off you. Then, I’m going to fuck every one of your holes to ensure no trace of him is left behind. If you take it like a good girl, then we’ll discuss going home. But if you fight me...” Sebastian takes the gun he was pointing at me and forces it past my lips. “Then, I’m going to blow your fucking brains out, right before I drive to your parents’ ranch and do the same to your boyfriend. Hell, I might take out my dear in-laws, too, just for the hell of it. They did help keep you away from me, after all.”
Bile rises up in my throat when I hear the truth in his statement. Sebastian has every intention of delivering on those promises. My eyes water, and I gag when he shoves the gun farther into my mouth.
“Are you going to be a good girl, Presley?”
I nod as much as I can with this thing in my mouth.
I gasp for air when Sebastian pulls the gun out. His arms straighten, aiming the weapon directly at my heart. “Now, fucking strip.”
I know I only have one chance. I have to get it just right, or I won’t make it out of this alive. I don’t bother trying to hold back my tears. I want him to think I’m still the weak little lamb he tortured for so long. It’s the only chance I have of pulling this off. My hands go to the hem of my shirt. I can see the whites of Sebastian’s eyes as he watches while each new inch of skin is revealed.
Right before I lift the cotton over my breasts, I throw my arm out, flattening my hand and slamming the knife-edge of it through his elbows. Sebastian’s gun slides across the floor as he loses his hold on it. We both lunge for it at the same time. Just as my fingers grip the cool metal, Sebastian sweeps his arm out, pushing it farther out of my reach.
“No!” I scream.
“You’re going to pay for that, you fucking bitch! You’ll be begging for death by the time I’m done with you.”
My limbs are flailing wildly; anything I can do to prevent Sebastian from getting there first, I do it. He grunts and curses each time I make contact, but it doesn’t stop him. When my fingers finally reach the gun again, I act on pure instinct.
I flip the safety off, loop my finger around the trigger, and twist my body to aim the barrel right at my husband’s head. “Don’t fucking move, Sebastian.”
He sits back on his knees, laughing. The man is legitimately cackling, like having a gun pointed at him is the funniest thing in the world.
“Shut up!” I stand up, carefully keeping the gun trained on him.
“Presley, don’t be stupid. You don’t know how to handle that thing. Now, put the dangerous weapon down before you hurt yourself.”
I chuckle, flipping the overhead light on, so he can see my face when I inform him how very wrong he is. “You think I don’t know how to handle a gun?”
One thing my dear husband doesn’t know about me is that I am well-trained in shooting a gun. It’s been a while, but any country girl worth her salt knows how. I can see the moment the doubt registers on Sebastian’s face.
“Uh-uh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” I tsk as Sebastian starts to lunge for me. “You will have a bullet between your eyes before you can even blink.”
Sebastian shakes his head. “I don’t believe you.”
“No?” I move the gun lower and shoot it right between his spread legs.
“What the fuck?” Sebastian screams, shielding his crotch with his hands. “You could’ve shot my dick off!”
I smirk. “Don’t tempt me. You and I both know you’d deserve it.”
He pales. “Presley, put the gun down, and we can talk about this.”
“Really?” I quirk my head to the side. “Did you want to talk when you punched me in the face earlier? When you were beating the shit out of me time and time again back in New York? How about when you were raping me? The time for talking is over, Sebastian. Look who has the power in this relationship now. I bet this is pretty emasculating, isn’t it?”
I think I might be a little punch drunk because I could swear I just heard a noise from my bedroom.
His icy blue eyes narrow. “You fucking bitch. You’ll regret this.”
I scoff. “Doubtful.”
“It’s over, asshole,” a deep voice growls behind me.
Huh. I guess I did hear something.
I see Beckett coming up beside me, with his own gun pointed at Sebastian.
“You okay, Pres?” Beck gives me a brief once-over.
“Peachy.”
He smirks. “Smartass.”
A feral noise erupts from Sebastian. I look up just in time to see him lunging for Beck like a man with nothing to lose. “You bastard! She’s fucking mine!”
Everything happens so fast. Sebastian and Beckett wrestle for control of the gun in a whirl of grunts and punches. I step back, keeping my Glock aimed at them, but I have no intention of firing unless I have a clear shot. I scream when Beck’s gun goes off, having no idea if anyone was hit. In the next moment, Sebastian leaps on top of me, taking me to the ground. He looks crazed as he attempts to get the gun from me. Stars dance across my vision when the bastard headbutts me. We fight and fumble, both of our hands on the trigger at one point. I refuse to let go; I refuse to give in. One way or the other, this ends now. I will not allow this man to torment me any longer.
Sebastian headbutts me again, and this time, red streams across my vision as blood drips down my face. Whether it’s mine or his, I couldn’t tell you. I cry out as he twists my wrist, trying to turn the barrel toward me. I don’t know if it’s through sheer force of will or pure luck, but I manage to turn it back toward him. He must realize he won’t win because he stops fighting me for it, and instead, wraps his large hands around my throat. My gun is trapped between our bodies as my eyelids flutter. I know I don’t have much longer. When this evil man throws all his strength into choking the life out of me, I know I’ve officially run out of options. I do the only thing I can to survive.
I pull the trigger.