Redesigning Fate (Revive #1) - A. M. Wilson Page 0,106

am one hundred percent certain I just humiliated the shit out of him.

Getting to his feet, he pauses. Wiping the slow trickle of blood from beneath his nose as he looks at me, his head cocks to the left.

What the fuck did I just do?

He takes another step forward.

“Wait! Please, Travis, wait! I’m sorry, please!” My hands wave frantically in front of me. I realized my mistake too late. Fighting him was stupid when I’m still stuck to these damn chains.

“Oh no, bitch. You need to fucking pay.” He knocks me backward with the back of his hand across my cheek. Before I can recover, he’s crawling on top of me, pinning me down by the sheer weight of himself. His hand holds my bound ones tight against my chest. Black spots start morphing on the outside of my vision. His other hand grips my dirty hair. Wrapping it tightly around his wrist, he pulls hard, tilting my head forcefully off to one side. He leans down, his teeth digging painfully into my neck.

I scream in pain and absolute terror. “Travis, please, stop! I’ll do anything. It hurts, please!” I beg hoarsely, thrashing wildly to escape.

Surprising me, pulls back. “How can I believe that? Look at what you just fucking did to me?”

He’s given me a moment. It’s just a moment, but it’s enough for me to try to barter my way out of here.

“Please. I’m scared. How can you not expect me to fight back when I’m terrified? Tell me what you want. I’ll do anything. Please don’t hurt me.”

“It’s funny how you sing a different tune now that you’re back under my control. Not so big and brave without that stupid prick around now are you? I should have never let you leave, Lena.”

“Is that what all this is for? You’re doing this all because you broke up with me, and now you want me back?” Even though I was ready for things to be done with him after he’d beat me up, he ultimately sealed his fate by cheating on me with his neighbor. How can he go to such lengths just to get me back?

“You have it wrong. I want you back. I will have you back, but that’s not what this is about. I told you, I’m protecting you. I need to keep you safe.”

“From what?” My voice rises along with my anxiety. Is he deranged? What could I possibly need protecting from, besides him?

“From that scumbag you call a boyfriend, that’s who!”

Elias?

“I don’t understand.”

Abruptly, he shoves me back to the mattress and stands up, thrusting both hands into his disheveled hair. Grabbing fistfuls on both sides of his head, he pulls; his green eyes almost bugging out of his head. I scurry back into the corner, trying not to frighten him but trying to get away. Something is wrong with him.

“You…” he starts, working his jaw back and forth once, twice. He seems to be struggling with the words he wants to say. “Damnit, Lena! I won’t hurt you. Not anymore,” he shouts before turning and leaving the room. He’s left the door open and without thinking, I jump up, shuffling for the obvious escape. The yanking of the metal chain around my foot brings me back to reality as I slam to my knees on the hard floorboards.

I bite my tongue to keep from crying out. I crawl back to the mattress, hoping he didn’t hear me.

Travis returns carrying a sandwich and a bottle of water. He thrusts the items into my lap seemingly unaware of my ridiculously foolish attempt at an escape. I’ll never get out of here by myself. He’s coming around. Maybe if I try to please him, he will let me go.

“Eat. You must be hungry.”

“Thank you,” I reply quietly. I take a tentative bite of the sandwich, trying not to devour it in my ravenous state. The last thing I want right now is to get sick from eating too quickly. I need to get some answers.

“Tell me more about why you have me here…please.”

“You have no idea the danger you were in being with that guy.” He’s pacing the floor in front of me, starting to look a little more like the old Travis and less of this deranged kidnapper Travis.

“The only danger I was aware of was you. You were stalking me; you tried to run me over!” A sudden thought strikes me like a blow to the gut. “What happened to Katie, Travis,” I whisper,