𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 (+𝟏𝟖) - 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐢𝐞

⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆Fourteen ⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

"What are you doing here?" I ask, glancing around wildly, as if I'll be able to pull the answers from the ether.

It makes no difference. I know why he's here. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting to see him again.

As he pushes his way inside and closes the door behind him, I realize he's changed clothes. He isn't wearing the standard issue prison uniform anymore.

I squint as he comes into the light, trying to make out what he's wearing. Then it dawns. The pants are so familiar because I see them at work every day.

They're from an officer's uniform. It doesn't take a genius to figure out he must have overpowered the one in the back of the ambulance and escaped somehow.

I swallow around the lump in my throat and ask the question that has knots forming in the pit of my stomach. "Did you.. did you kill them?"

He raises a brow. After a pause, he says, "No, I didn't kill them."

If I didn't know any better, I'd say his voice sounded almost tired, but that can't be possible. The energy coming off him in waves has my pulse responding in kind. Adrenaline kicks up and ignites in my blood.

As he advances, I take matching shuffling steps backward. With one eye on him, I look for a weapon, nearly seething. I'm sick and damn tired of being hunted in this house. Of being terrorized and bullied by men like him.

Instead of backing away, I charge in his direction. He isn't expecting my sudden movement, and this time, my shove catches him off guard and knocks him into the wall.

Pictures dislodge and rain down, crashing to the floor in a spectacular shower of broken glass. His hands come up to block as I attack with my fists, unleashing a whirlwind of pent-up frustration on any part of him I can reach.

My fury knows no bounds, and I slap, punch, and scratch every available inch of his skin. 

Unrecognizable sounds tear from my throat, and soon I'm panting from exertion. My nails rake down his cheek and score along his throat, breaking the skin. He curses and takes both of my wrists easily into one hand and pins me against the sofa with his hips.

"Why are you even here?" I scream at him. "I did what you wanted. I got you out. You win!"

His body goes still, and he presses as close to me as he can. My heart leaps into my throat, and my pulse trips over itself.

"What if I want you?" he asks quietly.

My lips part, and for once, I don't have a retort. That is the last thing I ever expected for him to say.

When I manage to speak, it's more like a croak. "You're certifiable" I say, and try to squirm away from him. "After all the shit you pulled, you come back for what? A booty call? Screw you."

He ignores me and says, "Come with me."

My brain simply short circuits. "What?"

The grip on my wrists loosens. "Come with me. Now. Let's leave together."

"You can't be serious" I exclaim. "You just killed a man! I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Dead serious" he replies. "You can't stay here, so leave with me. I can keep you safe."

"Keep me safe? You're on the run from the cops! I just helped you escape prison." A laugh escapes me then, and I double over with it, my head going to his chest as the emotions bubble over. "I guess that means I'll be on the run from the cops, too."

He tips my chin up. "So run with me."

I don't get the chance to answer his question because Raghav chooses that moment to walk in the front door.