He shook my hand with a firm grip. “Yes, but please, call me Vance.”
He held my hand in his for a beat longer than necessary. Slowly retracting it, I replied automatically, “Okay, Vance. What brings you in today?”
Sitting in the chair across from him, I listened to him tell me about being attacked by a dog at a young age and struggling to overcome his fear of dogs ever since.
“Do you mind if I stand? Sometimes I find it easier to talk if I can move around. A nervous habit I suppose.”
“Not at all. Many of my patients find it helps to open up when they are moving about,” I said.
He stood and began to slowly pace back and forth while talking. I studied him carefully and listened intently to his words. It didn’t take long for me to be certain of one thing, he was lying.
“Vance, I understand that admitting the need for counseling is hard for many people, but there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” I softened my voice, “Instead of telling me this elaborate story, why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?”
His pacing came to a halt when he was in front of my office door. I fully expected him to open the door and bolt. To my horror, I heard the deafening sound of the lock clicking. He whirled around and peered at me with dark, soulless eyes. “Well, since you asked so nicely…”
In a flash, he was in front of me with his hand around my throat, squeezing. “I’m here because,” he said through gritted teeth, “you were promised to me.”
My eyes widened in shock. What the hell was he talking about? I reached up with one hand, wrapping it around the wrist of the hand he had clasped around my neck. With my other hand, I slowly placed it on my left thigh and felt for the bump. When my fingers found it, I pressed down several times in a row for good measure and then focused my attention on the psycho in front of me. “What are you talking about?” I rasped.
His grip tightened slightly. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Ivan Ceven, otherwise known as Vance Vine.”
My eyes widened in disbelief, and he chuckled at my response. “I see you recognize the name. Yes, I am the older brother of Valarie and Vanessa Vine. Surprise!”
And then even more realization dawned.
Vance.
Ants.
Oh shit!
Oh fuck!
Oh shit!
Oh fuck!
Oh shit!
“Why are you here?” I croaked. He wasn’t squeezing hard enough to cut off my air supply completely, but enough to make it difficult for me to speak.
“Like I said, because you were promised to me.” He sighed at my expression and continued, “I agreed to help Valarie kidnap you and her little boy toy if you could be my little toy. She thought it was a wonderful idea. The three of us would live happily ever after with you being the sister she desperately missed and the hot piece of pussy I relentlessly fucked.” His eyes darkened, and his grip grew tighter. “But then you had to go and kill her.”
He raised his other hand and plowed it into my face. Pain radiated outward from my cheekbone. Suddenly, he released the grip on my throat, and I gasped for air. My reprieve didn’t last long. He fisted my hair and yanked me from the chair, forcefully tossing me to the ground causing my head to bounce on the floor. I tried to roll to my side, but I wasn’t fast enough. He came down on top of me, one leg on either side of me and ripped my shirt open.
No.
No.
No.
This wasn’t happening. I opened my mouth to scream, but he stuffed a cloth in my mouth before a sound could escape. He grinned wickedly. “Now, let’s see what you have to offer me.” He held my wrists over my head with one hand and began tracing the swell of my bra covered breasts with the other. I heard the snick of a knife and froze for a millisecond before I started bucking and thrashing against him.
“Be still, bitch,” he barked and struck me across the face again. Screw that, I wasn’t going to make it easy for him, and I’d much rather have him knock me out than be awake and alert for any of his plans.
Before I could register what was happening, he leaped off me and yanked me to my feet, placing me in front of him with the knife held tightly against my throat. When my brain caught up to what was happening, I found myself staring into the furious eyes of Chase with an equally furious Titan at his side. The sight of them had tears leaking from my eyes.
“Let her go,” Chase said, in a tone so icy it sent chills down my spine, and I realized this was Carbon, not the Chase I knew and loved.