Vinnie was crazy.

One hundred percent certifiably crazy.

Sometime between me leaving him, and him finding me, he’d lost it. He had this crazy cold look in his eyes that sent chills up my spine. It was almost as if losing me had pushed him over the edge—not because he loved me or anything like that…but because he’d never lost before.

Guys like Vinnie didn’t know how to lose.

We sat in a dark motel room, with no lights or TV on. To be honest, I preferred it that way, because if I could see the condition of the bed he’d tied me up on, I think I’d rather he shoot me now and get it over with. This was the type of establishment that charged by the half hour, and I had no doubt if asked, they’d be all too ready to clean up an unwanted dead body or two…

For a price, of course.

Vinnie hadn’t spoken a word to me since we’d gotten here. That wasn’t unusual. When he was angry with me, he gave me the silent treatment as a punishment. That didn’t bother me. But what came next…yeah, that hurt. After he tired of ignoring me, the real punishment would begin.

When he started talking to me, I’d be in trouble.

“I don’t care, man. Just something that isn’t the one I have.” He paced back and forth, his burner phone on his ear. “I’d think a Jaguar could get me something nicer than a Jetta, though.”

Clearly, then, he cared.

“Yeah, all right. I need it now.”

Guess they settled on a suitable trade. It was smart of him to change cars, but it would have been even smarter of him to put more distance between himself and Ben. He was counting on them assuming he’d do exactly that, but the thing is, he didn’t know Ben. Ben never assumed anything, and it was my hope that he continued that trend tonight, and found us before it was too late.

I’d like to say I could be my own hero, and save the day, but with my hands and feet tied so tight that I had long ago lost feeling in them…

There wasn’t much hope of that happening anytime soon.

And my arm—my possibly broken one—was like an anchor weighing me down. At least without circulation in it, the throbbing had ceased. I wiggled a little bit, trying to free my feet, but it was useless.

Vinnie knew how to tie a girl down.

“Yeah, okay. If you shave a half hour off that estimate, I’ll throw in some cash.”

He hung up, and I stiffened. If his attention was off his car issue, there would be nothing stopping it from swinging back toward me. He walked to the window, pulling the curtain back and peering out. As he stood there, silhouetted in the moonlight, it was hard to believe that the man I’d once loved, the one who had made me laugh so hard I’d almost peed myself once, had turned into this monster who thought nothing of beating me within an inch of my life, and laying claim on me.

How could I have thought I loved him?

What happened to make him become so cold?

He dropped the curtain, eliminating any hint of light. Though I couldn’t see him, I could feel his eyes on me. My heart picked up speed, and I wriggled my feet more. Again, the ties didn’t budge. He was going to come for me while he had me trapped like a helpless animal in a snare.

I hated this.

The feeling of absolute powerlessness that he always brought out in me. It was a feeling I’d lost when I stood up to him and reported his abuse to the police, but unfortunately that feeling hadn’t lasted long enough because they hadn’t punished him for what he’d done.

“Sarah…” he said, his tone quiet and slow, like he had all the time in the world when we both knew he didn’t. “Why did you do it?”

I swallowed, not sure what it he was speaking of.

Turning him in? Leaving him? Sleeping with Ben?

Back in the house, I’d had to be complacent to save Ben and my mother, but now that we were alone, and I was only fighting for my life, it was a lot harder to play the role he expected.

“Sarah.”

“How did you get my number?” I asked, my throat swelling with an unnamed emotion.

He laughed. “I know people.”

“And my code?” I licked my lips. “My security system?”

“I slipped in when your nurse left the door open to take the trash out.” He sighed. “She should really be more careful.”

I closed my eyes.

“Your turn to answer questions.” He advanced on me. “Why did you do it?”

“Why are you wasting time?” I asked, my voice hollow. “You promised me months ago that the next time you saw me would be the last, so what are you waiting for?”

“Stop stalling, and answer my question.”

I still didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know.”

“Not good enough.” His voice was even closer now. “Try again.”

I licked my lips. They were so dry it hurt. “Go to hell—”

He backhanded me. I hadn’t even seen it coming, which only made it hurt worse because I hadn’t had time to brace myself for the impact. Stars swam in the darkness, and I gasped for air. He didn’t usually start out with hits to the face. He saved those for last. This more volatile version of Vinnie was unknown to me. It wasn’t a good feeling. “I said, try again.”

I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. He’d like that too much. “I’m sorry.”

“Better.” He sat beside me and touched my cheek with the backs of his knuckles, tracing the point of impact as if he was proud of his work. “Keep going.”

“I’m sorry that I forgot—”

He ran his finger up my leg, sliding between my thighs. “You forgot what? That you were mine? That you belonged to me, no matter where you ran or who you fucked?” He slid his hand out of my skirt. “I can still smell him on you. I should have shot him for touching my property.”

Something inside me snapped, and all those good intentions of trying to keep him calm, to buy myself some time so the cops could find us, flew out the window. Years of suppression and pain came flooding back, and I refused to do it. Refused to cower to him like nothing had changed. It had. I had. I wasn’t the same girl he used to terrify. More than that?

I didn’t want to be.

He was either going to kill me, or he wasn’t, but I’d be damned if I died under his terms. If I was going to die, then I wanted him to know he hadn’t won. He didn’t scare me.

Not anymore.

“No, I’m sorry that I forgot how much of a scared little pussy you were,” I said, slowly and clearly.

“I’m not scared,” he said immediately. “Or a pussy.”

I shrugged as best as I could while tied up. “If you say so.”

He caught my chin, squeezing hard. “Admit it. Admit you’re mine, and we can move on from this after your punishment. I’ll even let you live.”

“I’m not yours,” I said defiantly, spitting in his face.

He laughed. Just laughed. He didn’t even bother to wipe the spit off. “Oh, Sarah…”

“Just do it. Kill me,” I demanded.

“If I kill you, I’ll do it on my own time.” He crawled on top of me, straddling me, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. Not with my hands and legs tied. He skimmed his hand down my neck, and over my breast. “Before that, though, you need a reminder of just how mine you are. It appears you’ve forgotten how this works between us. I own you. You bow to me.”

“No.”

He stiffened. “Don’t tell me no. You know I don’t like it.”

“Fuck you,” I said, breathing heavily.

He froze. “Excuse me?”

“I said,” I lifted my head, even though he couldn’t see me, and glowered at him. “Fuck you, asshole.”

He grabbed my hair, wrapping it around his fist. “You’ve gotten mouthy since I lost you.”

“I’ve gotten lots of things. Things you could never give me.”

He yanked so hard my eyes watered, and I literally felt the strands snap out of my scalp. “Shut up.”

“What’s wrong?” I gasped, laughing. “Don’t like the truth? Can’t handle it?”

“You’re the one who can’t handle the truth.”

I laughed again, and it sounded maniacal. Not too surprising, considering the circumstances. “Oh, I know the truth. You’re a scared little boy who can’t keep a girl at his side without hurting her. It worked for you in the past. You terrified girls into staying until you tired of them, and told them they weren’t good enough anymore. But I’m the girl who left before you finished with her. I’m the one you couldn’t keep, and I’ve never been happier than I’ve been since leaving you, with Ben at my side. He doesn’t have to hit me to get me to stay.”

He said nothing. I think I’d stunned him.

After all, I didn’t usually talk back.

I continued in a rush, taking advantage of his shock before he started hitting me. “You know, it’s funny. When you walked in on us, I was about to tell him I loved him. I’ve always loved him. Even when I was with you, I loved him. I never loved you like I loved him—”

He closed his hands around my throat and squeezed, cutting off my words. “Shut up!”

I’d done it. I’d made him lose his cool.

He never did that when he was “punishing” me, so I guess it was a victory in my column. I laughed, but no sound came out, because he was literally cutting off my oxygen. Last time he’d done this, he almost killed me. This time, he just might succeed. At least my words would echo in his head for the rest of his life, and he’d know he failed to own me like he wanted. That failure would haunt him in his jail cell.

“You’re mine,” he spat, his saliva spraying my face.

Ben’s face flashed before me, and I knew without a doubt that if I was sad of losing anything in this fight, it was him. I’d lost him all those years ago, and now we wouldn’t get a chance to do it right this time. I thought about my mother, and what would happen to her, but Ben would take care of her, and so would his father. He might hate me, but he and my mother had always been close. They’d see to her care. I had to believe that.

I only wished that Ben and I had more time together. That I could have told him I loved him, and that I’d always loved him.

I wished…I wished so much.

I love you, Ben.

Vinnie squeezed even harder. “You’ve always been mine. You’ll always be mine.”

I shook my head, defying him even when I started to fade into blessed blackness.

The world faded away, and I stopped fighting unconsciousness. I tried to be happy with the small victory I’d claimed. Tried to tell myself I’d won, even though I was about to die. I wasn’t his. I wasn’t anyone’s but my own—and if I was going to have to go, at least I went out fighting him the only way I could. With my words. They were all I had left…

Though, he’d even managed to take those from me in the end.