The Cursed Key

Excerpt 3

Through the trees, the angles of my house came into view. If I could just get to my car...

A gasp filled my lungs as an arm reached out. The man's hand gripped me, strong and relentless, and jerked me around. He shoved me against a wide tree, the bark digging into my back. His hand pressed against my collarbone, holding me firm against the trunk. His dark brows were low. Slowly, his face tilted down, and when he glanced back up, his eyes were wider.

Held fast in my right hand was my knife, and I had the point threatening slice a hole right through his dark blue T-shirt and up under his sternum.

"Get your hand off me." I spat the words through clenched teeth. The man froze for a second before still stepping closer to me. I opened my mouth to protest, and he held a finger to his lips.

"Shhh." It was then I heard the voices. The rhythm of a pair of feet hitting the trail reached me. A couple of people were jogging not too far away. "Don't scream."

I lifted my gaze. His face was so close, I saw the few days' worth of stubble peppering his jaw. He smelled like sweat with an peculiar undercurrent of citrus and petrichor. His body was practically flush with mine. It irritated me. I put pressure on the knife and scowled. "You don't scream," I muttered.

His cheek jumped, though whether it was an angry tick or a barely contained smile, I couldn't tell.

The couple paused, and the two of us froze behind the tree as they remarked on the marred trail. I pulled in deep breaths as me and the man who refused to give up waited in silence. Finally, the footsteps continued and faded through the forest.

I pushed against the man's firm hand. "Back off." I punctuated my demand with another slight upward jab of my knife.

"You'll want to be careful with that knife," the man said.

"I think you are the one who needs to be careful." I didn't break my hard gaze from his peculiar golden eyes. As I stared at him, I couldn't help but have a strange sense that I'd seen him before. I worked to try to place him, but was coming up blank.

Slowly, he eased up on me. Just slightly. "Give me the key."