She let out a cry, in part because her plan was foiled and in part because his grip was very tight.
“Let me go!” she cried out, realizing how stupid of a thing it was to say even as the words were coming out.
He tightened his grip further and pulled her toward him. She slammed hard against his bare chest. She shrieked.
“Do you…” he started, then seemed like he was trying to gain control of himself through deep breathing, “want” he leaned in, an inch from her face, “your throat ripped out?”
Kyla had never seen anyone so frightening, so menacing, in her life. The monster was back.
“Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with?” he snarled at her. His mouth contorted into a snarl; his nostrils were flaring. He raised a hand across his body, stopping at his shoulder, looking like he was about to backhand her. She was afraid to speak, to breathe. She braced herself, expecting the back of his hand to fly at her.
“I told you that you weren’t going anywhere. Do you have a death wish? And after everything…” He eyed her up and down with betrayal and disgust marring his face. His raised hand dropped to his side. She felt guilt wash over her. Guilt? What the heck?
In a quick and fluid motion she found herself hoisted her over his shoulder and had the sensation of being on a subway train. He was running back toward the house. She tried to struggle but two or three strides in and it’d been like they hit some sort of supersonic warp speed so she just tensed and gripped his waist. She felt them zing; wind whirred in her ears and all she could see was the ground blurring under her.
She heard his voice in her mind, remembered what he’d said before,
more like being an enhanced human who has more strength and speed
This is how he got ahead of me.
Seconds later they were at the front door and he set her down. Before he opened the door he leaned in to her ear and said, stone serious, “Eyes down; look at the floor. Do not look at or speak to either of them. Straight upstairs to my bed.” His grip around her wrist was excruciating, his eyes icy cold, “Understand?”
She looked at him and opened her mouth, about to snap a snarky retort at him but the sight of him, of his fierce expression, she thought better of it. He meant business. His glacial facial expression dared her to argue with him. She said nothing. He glared at her for another beat and then loosened his grip on her wrist. He pushed the door open and roughly ushered her forward.
The two guys were both in the foyer; she could feel their eyes on her. She didn’t look at them, just stared straight ahead. She walked past and climbed the stairs. Tristan stayed at the bottom of the stairs. As she approached the half opened gate at the top, feeling all sets of eyes on her back, she heard one of them say, “Is that a cruiser?”
The police! She felt a glimmer of hope for a split second and turned to look back but suddenly Tristan was beside her at the top of the stairs, holding her elbow roughly and walking her forward. As they passed the half-opened gate, he slammed it out of the way. It slammed so hard into the pocket it flew back out again, making him hit it again and making her jump.
She had to jog to keep up with his pace. He opened the door to his bedroom and gave her a shove. Kyla tripped and fell. He towered over her and slammed the door.
“Always pick the hard way, don’t you? For fuck sakes!”
She curled into a ball and hid her face. He dropped to his knees, forcing her chin up so he could stare coldly into her eyes.
She decided to let out a blood curdling scream to get the police’s attention. As she inhaled deep, about to let it go, he seemed to catch on and covered her mouth with his hand before she could make a sound. With his other hand he pointed his index finger at her and warned in a sinister whisper, “Make one sound, one fucking sound and whoever is outside that front door will be decapitated. You wanna be responsible for that?” Her eyes were wide. She shook her head.
“Do you know how serious I am?” he spoke to her like she was a child.
She blinked at him.
“Let’s make sure you do,” he said and bit into the crook of her arm and started to suck, hand clamped tight over her mouth. She felt that now familiar humming in her veins and then it changed. It was like anger was drip feeding into her, moving in fast like a shadow. It was fierce and hateful and petrifying. She wanted it out.