His jaw twitches. “You really are a mouthy bitch.”
“Leave me alone.” I try to sidestep him.
He grabs my upper arms and squeezes. “You think you’re something, but we all know the boss is going to wear your pussy out then throw you away. You aren’t even good enough to breed.”
Fear and anger spin inside me, braiding together as panic begins to take hold. I keep my voice even. “Let me go.”
“Or what?” He yanks me to him. “What are you going to do?”
“Get off me!” I reach up and scratch his face.
He shoves me backwards, and I hit the kitchen island. Pain explodes along my lower back as I turn and run. But he’s already on me, one of his meaty hands covering my mouth as he pulls my hair until I scream.
“Shut the fuck up!” He pins me face down to the island, and I try to bite his hand when I feel him yanking at my pajama bottoms.
This is not happening. I will not let this happen. I fight him and bring my hands up to the hand he has over my mouth. I dig my nails into him, pull one of his fingers away, then get it between my teeth and bite down hard. Blood spurts into my mouth as he howls and yanks his hand away.
I spit and jerk away from him, then run to the door that leads outside. I flip the lock, but he catches another handful of my hair before I can open the door.
“You fucking bitch.” He slams my head against the door, and I almost pass out from the pain of it.
I fall to the side, barely holding myself up on the counter as he comes up behind me. Blood trickles down the side of my neck.
“I’m doing the boss a favor by putting you in your place.” He goes for my pants again.
I spin, a knife from the butcher block in my hand, and slice across his middle.
He stops, his eyes dropping to his chest where another flash of lightning shows a crimson stain spreading along his dress shirt.
I take the opening and run to the back door, then yank it open and tear off into the rain.
“Bitch!” he screams from behind me, and I dash around the pool, the rain drops slapping me in the face as lightning streaks overhead. I can’t look behind me, if I do, I might freeze from fear. So I barrel ahead through the rose garden, the thorns tearing at my clothes and my skin underneath. But I don’t stop, pushing myself as my heart pounds and thunder rolls through the air.
When I clear the garden, I jet across the grass, my bare feet squelching in the soggy ground.
“Get back here!” He’s closing on me, his voice far too close.
A grove of trees is ahead, and I sprint into them, their low-hanging branches slapping against me as I power through. I swear I feel the ghost of a hand grabbing for me, and I dart to the left between two trees and keep going.
My lungs are burning, water sluicing into my eyes and making the dark night blurry save for when a flash of lightning brightens the sky.
I see the property wall ahead. My heart sinks. There’s no way I can climb it fast enough. But I don’t stop. I can’t. When I reach it, I scrabble at the mossy stones, my fingers slipping off. I try again, my nails digging in as I struggle to pull myself up. The exertion makes the pain in the back of my head bloom anew, and I start to see dark shapes climbing along the wall beside me. I blink hard, and they disappear. I move up, the top of the wall still far away.
Then my fingers slip, and a scream rips from me as I fall.
I land hard, but not on the ground.
Mateo looms over me, his face hidden in shadow and rain.
“Escaping already, princess?”
“G-G-Geno.” I try to look past him, to see if he’s still after me.
“What?” He pulls me closer. “You’re bleeding.”
“Geno.” I cling to him, wrapping my arms around his neck even though I feel weak, too weak. “Please don’t let him—”
“He touched you?” The low, silky amusement is gone from his voice. It’s all harsh edges and sharp notes. “What did he do, Lucretia?”
“He tried t-t-to—” I bury my face in his neck, his familiar scent somehow comforting. “Please don’t let him hurt me.” I can barely get the words out I’m shaking so badly.
He turns and stalks back toward the house.
I try to look around for Geno, but the dark shapes are back, obscuring everything. I can feel myself starting to fade, my mind shutting down.
Another flash of lightning rips the sky apart, and the last thing I see are the burning eyes of the devil, beautiful in their terrible rage.