Unwanted Obsession

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Kate's lifeless eyes were focused on the ceiling overhead. What did I do in life to deserve this? Maybe I really did do something wrong in my past, but why couldn't my punishment have been a little less severe?

Todd was in the bathroom 'cleaning up' while she lay motionless on his bed. The disgusting abuse she'd just received made it so that she felt unable to move, much less try to escape. He was sucking the energy out of her...literally. It was so unfair.

A dark chuckle drew her attention towards the bathroom doorway where Todd was standing with only a towel on, watching her. "I take it you can't get up," he commented while drying his wet hair with another towel. He chuckled some more and walked towards the bed. "I gather that by the fact that I'm sure you would've tried to get away while I was in the shower...if you were able."

Kate's eyes returned to the ceiling. I'd rather die than let him know just how 'in control' he is right now. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and studied her. "My beautiful, stubborn Katie... You still haven't surrendered to me, have you?" Receiving no response, he reached out and cupped her chin in his left hand. "That's alright, you don't have to say it. I already know the answer."

Her eyes refused to meet his. "You're mad at me, aren't you?" Todd saw some tears well up in her eyes, which at least meant that she was listening. “Now, now, don’t cry. It has to be this way. You committed the ultimate betrayal and you have to be punished.”

“Don’t you think I’ve been punished enough?” Kate’s voice was meek, which she hated.

“Perhaps,” he replied, running his fingers through her hair. “Have you decided to stop pushing me away?”

Knowing what awaited her if she continued to rebel, Kate’s eyes finally met his.

She nodded slowly in defeat.

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Beth and David Watson sat watching a television screen with horrified looks on their faces. They were in a small investigation room located inside the Louisville city police department.

What they were watching was video surveillance taken from a local gas station. The video showed their daughter at a front counter of the gas station’s convenience store. Then, it showed Todd Delozier entering the store with a gun, shooting people left and right, and finally snatching Kate up -obviously against her will- and leaving.

A detective who was also in the room stopped the tape and looked at Beth and David’s stunned faces. “I know that was..disturbing to watch. As you know, this is national news now and Todd Delozier is on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.” He watched as Beth began to cry. “We’ll find them. We will. It’s only a matter of time.”

“B- but you didn’t find anybody at his house except…” She couldn’t even say it. They’d seen pictures of Nathan Delozier’s decapitated body. Just the thought of it brought horrible images to Beth’s head of what could be happening to their little girl.

David reached out to console his wife, although he was inwardly in the exact same state. “What do we need to do?”

“I know it’s hard, but you need to let us do our job. Unless you’ve come up with any leads as to where they might be, it would be best for you to sit. And wait.” The detective stepped out of the room leaving Kate’s parents. They were both absolutely beside themselves with worry.

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Todd stroked Kate's arm gently. "You mean it, Katie," he asked excitedly. "You've really decided to stop fighting me?"

Kate nodded again, hating herself for her actions, but also too worn out to try to change them. Being brave and trying to do the right thing hasn't gotten me anywhere. It's backfired, really. Thinking about the incident at the gas station, she remembered, People are dead because of me...

He took her hand then and put it against his bare chest. "You feel that?"

She merely watched what was happening, as if from a distance.

"It's my heart. It's not angry anymore. It's beating calmly and steadily, the way it should. It beats for you, you know." Todd brought her hand up to his lips and pressed them against it. "I love you, Katie. So, so much."

Her continued silence would probably make him explode in rage, Kate feared, so she nodded again.

"I'm going to let you sleep for a while, ok? There will be plenty of time to play later." Todd grinned before leaning down to kiss her. "Be a good girl," he said before leaving the bedroom.

When he was gone, Kate rolled over onto her side flinching from the various areas of her body that were throbbing in pain. Has he really won it all? 

That was her last thought before she fell into a confused slumber.

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Todd nearly skipped down the hallway of his dead father's summer home. He supposed it was one thing he could thank his father for. If Nathan hadn't decided to purchase this little rural house back when he retired, Todd would be in real trouble.

Kate had made it so that he was a wanted man now. What had happened at the gas station made him look like the bad guy. If Kate had simply done what she was told, they could still be in Kentucky. But no, she had to be a naughty girl... And they had to flee.

So here we are in Florida where it's miserably hot and disgustingly humid, Todd thought while looking out a kitchen window. But how can I be mad at my sweet Katie? She's being such a good girl now. My punishment got through to her. 

The fact that he was now a wanted criminal couldn't escape his mind, though. We are only safe here for a limited amount of time. Soon we will have to flee again. 

Todd would do whatever it took to keep from being found. He'd gone through enough trouble to get Kate back, and he wasn't about to let her go again. Even if it meant killing more and more people who got in their way, that's exactly what he would do to keep her.

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Not my best work I'm afraid... BUT big things are coming. I've had some writer's block with this story... Hopefully that will end soon.

Thank you for all of the support!

I will try to update again soon :-)

-Lauren