Her heels skidded through it, her arms pin wheeled as she fought desperately to keep her balance, but it was too late. With a startled cry she fell backwards, crashing to the floor with enough force to knock the breath from her. Stunned, Cassie shook her head, trying to clear it of the waves of pain suffusing her. Her tailbone screamed in agony, pieces of glass sliced into her hands as she sprawled inelegantly across the coated floor.
Dismay filled her as her heart sank. Maybe if she had stayed on her feet, maybe if she had been able to get to the door, she might have had a chance at escape. She wouldn’t be able to do so now. Shoving it all aside, she rolled to the side, not caring that her dress became covered in the slippery liquid and torn by the shards of glass. She had to keep moving, it was her only hope, a small one, but it was all she had. As she moved, she kicked off her heels, ridding herself of the hindrance, and hazard, they caused.
Julian recovered swiftly from the blow she had given him. She lifted herself to her feet, but remained crouching as she rested her wounded hand lightly on the cold linoleum. She froze as she met his intense, heated gaze. Through the hunger and annoyance, she saw his amusement, saw how very much he was enjoying toying with her. Playing with her. He was going to drag this out for as long as possible, and he was going to enjoy every second of it. Though she was bleeding, the scent of her blood did not seem to send him into a frenzy this time as his eyes remained their crystalline blue color.
For a moment she could not move, she could only stare at him as despair and anger crashed over her in conflicting waves. She was not ready for this; it was not her time to die.
“You are a feisty one,” he said softly, his voice a gentle hiss. “No wonder Devon wants you so bad.” Cassie moved slightly, not wanting to draw his attack quite yet as she tried to adjust herself into a better position. “I’m going to enjoy taking you away from him.”
She froze, trapped by his gaze. Realization crashed into her, shaking her. “That’s what this is all about,” she breathed. “That’s why you’re here. We didn’t draw you in, he did.”
Julian grinned at her, flashing his perfect white teeth as his fangs cut into his bottom lip slightly. Even with soap dripping off the side of his face, he was hauntingly beautiful and perfect. Kneeling slowly before her, he rested his hands lightly on the floor, his eyes twinkling with merriment.
“Yes love, that’s what this, is about. Or at least that’s why it started. Now I have decided that I want you. I want to keep you, and break you, and parade you around in front of Devon because when I get into you, I won’t let you go. You won’t even know who he is by the time I’m done with you. Your mind will be mine. You will be mine.”
She shook her head, unable to speak as his words brought forth a rolling horror that she could not escape. “No, no I would never forget him. I would never allow you to do that to me,” she breathed.
His grin widened. “You’re so cute,” he taunted. “You actually think that you would have a choice, but you won’t. I wouldn’t allow it. For eternity you will be at my every beck and call. You will do everything that I want you to do. And I do mean everything.”
Bile surged up her throat, images of what he would do to her smashed through her brain. Grabbing hold of her pride, and her strength, Cassie tilted her chin defiantly as she met his gaze. “I’d rather die.”
A short bark of laughter escaped him as he leaned slightly forward, his body coiled for attack. “I won’t make that mistake princess.”
She glared fiercely at him, her lip curled in disgust. “Don’t call me princess.”
Leaping easily to her feet, she darted to the side, running a swift zigzag pattern toward the door. Toward escape and freedom. Toward the only hope of salvation she had. She no longer cared if he killed her, for that would be far better than the alternative he had planned.
He was right on her heels, so close that she could feel the heat of his body. Spinning, she darted swiftly to the left, just managing to avoid him as he rushed past her. A growl of fury escaped him as he slid to halt. Darting back a few feet, she easily avoided the puddle of soap and debris as she rushed toward the stalls.
They offered her no protection, she was not foolish enough to think they did, but the longer she stayed free of Julian the longer she stayed alive. Her evasion of him might also infuriate him to the point that he did kill her by accident, instead of seizing control of her mind and body like he had threatened. There would be nothing worse. Nothing.
The door slammed off the wall as she lunged into one of the stalls, she didn’t bother to attempt to lock it. What would be the point? Leaping onto the toilet, she threw her hands on top of the stall; ignoring the sharp pain the motion caused her torn and wounded hands. She catapulted herself into the next stall as Julian slammed into the door, causing the metal to shriek in protest as it twisted and bent beneath the force of his impact.
Cassie kept moving, leaping her way over the stalls, heading back toward the door. A roar followed her, Julian’s frustration and anger became palpable in the bathroom. Reaching the last stall, she leapt easily over it, swinging her legs wide of the soap puddle. He was on her, coming at her with the rushing force of a locomotive.
Cassie ran as fast as she could, but it was not fast enough, nowhere near fast enough. He was far too powerful for her, far to hell bent on destroying her and Devon. The door was mere feet away when his arms encircled her. His iron tight grasp knocked the breath from her as he squeezed hard. A rib cracked, a cry of pain and terror tore from her as his hands dug into her, tearing through the fabric of her dress, slicing her skin. This was it; this was the way that it was all going to end.
She wasn’t ready; she so very much was not ready for this. Her thoughts turned to Devon, sadness consumed her as all of her dreams from earlier shattered. Her heart broke at the thought of leaving him, of losing him.
Cassie tried to dig her feet in, tried to stop Julian’s attack, but it was useless as his violent rush propelled them toward the door.
CHAPTER 15
Devon skidded around the corner of the hall, not losing a step as he raced forward. His body thrummed with dread, his skin crawled with fear. He couldn’t move any faster, yet it was not fast enough. Not nearly fast enough. Too much time had passed; she had been alone with Julian for far too long. And he knew that she was with Julian, she had to be. Only Julian could have inspired the amount of terror that was radiating from her.