Chapter 6

Spending the day thinking, okay – Fantasizing – about the night before would be incredibly embarrassing if Dalen knew about it. Luckily he has no idea. So it's okay. No harm, no foul.

I was so happy, thinking only about Dalen and how generous he is and our future, that I let my guard down, in the stupidest way possible.

There was a knocking on the door, and the foreboding sound of a man laughing loudly at something that only he, himself, heard. Pfft. The neighbors were such a riot. This happened four times in the last month.

I threw the door open, fully expecting it to just be the kids trying to scare me. “You little twerps. Didn’t your mother ever warn you about… Bothering …” I trailed off as I tried to grab for the dagger at my side, laughing nervously.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no. This isn’t happening. This is not happening!

Forcing his way in, was an overly muscular man that I would know anywhere. A chiseled jawline, little clothes, and mussed up hair. If I was younger and more naive, I would drool. As I had done in the past. There was no denying the truth; he was the picture of masculine handsomeness. Instead of the attraction I once felt, I saw only the personification of my own greatest fear.

“Robert,” I whispered, gulping. It had barely been a year since I escaped from his awful grasp. A year since I tried to fight my way into a better life.

“Don’t worry, sweet thang.” The twang in his voice that – at one oblivious point in my life – used to be charming, is now one of the most intimidating things I had ever heard. “I have no reason to hurt ya. Not unless you give me another one.”

He was using his playful voice. Oh no. He was always so much worse when he was playful as opposed to angry. When he was angry, he held himself back because he didn’t want me dead. When he was playful, he was in full control enough to just enjoy playing with me. It was always so much worse this way. Which is probably why I usually did everything I could just to make him angry.

“Nice house you got here.” He commented, walking around. He put his dirty hands all over the place. How dare he infect my life with his awful presence again? Make me suffer through the hell that is interaction with his awfulness. “Honestly, I never thought you’d be the type. I mean, you were never the good little housewife for me.”

My upper lip curled as a snarl was ripped from my throat. “Why are you here.” I hissed through clenched teeth. He brought out the very worst in me, I’ll admit it. But, the worst part of me is still better than the best part of Robert.

He smirked at me, clearly having no intention of giving me a straight answer. At least not that easily. After all, knowledge is a weapon. "Of course, I suppose I never taught you how to pretend to enjoy it. Like this guy clearly, has. I honestly thought you got yourself killed on some back-water worthless planet while going after something you don't deserve." He snorted. "I guess I was half right."

“What. Do. You. Want.” When biting the words, I was praying to myself that Dalen would come home from work early. He would get the jump on Robert. Maybe Robert will die?

“You’ve always overestimated your own self.” He held my jaw in his hand like I was some kind of vicious dog.

I might be one because I immediately attempted to bite him. To get him to get off of me.

“Ouch. It’s almost like you don’t even miss me.” Robert had his hand on his heart, in mock-hurt. “Truth is, I need you, Dollface. See, you are key in this big deal I got. The only reason you aren't dead by now, actually."

I stepped back from him, giving him an unsure scowl. “Why do you need me? You could just not pay that guy.”

“Ooh, I would, but you see babe.” He pushed me up against the wall hard enough that my head banged into it roughly, as I fought to escape. “This is about more than money. It’s about saving my own skin.”

His alcohol-filled breath washed across my face and I do the only thing I can think of. I spit in his face, feeling satisfaction at the sight of him wiping the saliva out of his eyes.

“Well, have you thought of this? It might be better for everyone if you would just die. So how about we try and take that route, eh?”

"You'll pay for that, you worthless little whore.” He hissed, wrapping his hands around my throat.

As I gasped and struggled for breath, my sight was dimming, big black spots in my vision. I got the satisfaction that I won’t go down easy as I clawed at his hands and hissed to myself. Oh no. It’ll be my biggest fight ever. I finally have something I want. Something more important than anything else to me.

My Dalen.