Page 59 of Bound To Me
He shook his head and didn’t answer. “Once we get to Hana’s door, act like you’re alone. Make them open the door,” he ordered.
My eyes brimmed with tears. “And what if I don’t?”
He turned, casting me a menacing glare. “One way or another, Jackie, I’ll always get what I want. It’s up to you if you want to make it easier or harder for yourself.”
I looked away and gritted my teeth. I only needed to know one thing. “Are you going to hurt her?”
He scoffed. “Never.”
* * *
I watched, paralyzed by terror, as Michael scooped the unconscious Hana off the floor. My heart pounded in my chestas he carried her into the hallway and went down the emergency stairs.
“You said you weren’t going to hurt her!” I wailed, following close behind.
“Shut up, Jackie,” he growled out as he quickly paced down the stairs, holding Hana in his arms with ease.
“What are you going to do to her?” I screamed, my voice breaking with panic.
He ignored me, his focus unwavering as he continued downward.
“Michael!” I shouted again, desperate and terrified.
He exited the side of the building and hurried toward the cab.
“Please hurry, mate. I need to get my fiancée some help.” He gently settled Hana into the cab, leaving me standing there, rendered speechless in shock. He slid into the seat beside her and the cab screeched away.
I just helped Michael kidnap Hana. I just witnessed him chloroform that poor woman and knock the shit out of her husband. Jesus Christ. What do I do?I jumped when my phone began to vibrate in my pocket; it was Billie.
“Billie?” I answered.
“Jackie, there’s a fucking water leak in the building. I need you to get to the apartment and make sure it hasn’t fucking flooded the place. I’m on my way too, but it’s gonna take forever to get there from work.” She sounded frantic, and I was still too stunned to question it.
“O—okay. I’ll go now.” I hung up quickly.
Should I call the cops? Should I turn myself in as an accessory to kidnapping? No, it wasn’t my fault—he coerced me. Didn’t he? God, I should go check to make sure Jack is okay. No, the water leak.My thoughts raced as I took the train to our apartment. Distracted, I got off one stop too early and cursed myself as I sprinted the rest of the way.
I spotted Jack as soon as I shut the door behind me. There was no water leak; Billie must have known something had happened and lured me there to Jack. And when he told me he was going to the police, I knew I had to tell them everything. I knew this nightmare had to finally end.
Now
Michael untied me and tended to the wounds he created. I was grateful that they were only surface wounds to draw blood; they were nothing compared to what he had done to me before. But this was somehow more disturbing. He wanted me to bleed, he wanted me scared, and he got off on it. He somehow became even more of a monster since our last encounter.
But I still pretended to be sweet, naive Jackie as he bandaged and bathed me. I had a plan: the next time we went out, I would make a run for it and head straight to Elliott. And he’d help me kill him.
I didn’t know how it would happen. I didn’t want to think that far ahead; all I knew was that as long as Michael was alive, he would always reel me back in. And if it wasn’t me, it would be another poor woman who fell victim to his charm. It was clear that he couldn’t change, or that he even wanted to.
My heart hurt at how awfully I treated Elliott. Would he forgive me for coming back to Michael? If I could forgive him for lying to me, couldn’t he forgive me for temporarily losing my mind to Michael?Oh my god, Jackie. How the fuck did you fall for this again?
Michael held me again that night. I wished I didn’t enjoy his arms around me, but I did. Feeling his gentle touch stirred up so many conflicting emotions inside of me. I needed to keep reminding myself that he was a monster. He was manipulatingme. He was being gentle on purpose, just to treat me like shit again, and I knew he’d repeat that over and over again. And he scoldedmefor being typical. My heart ached as I silently cried myself to sleep.
* * *
Michael woke me up by stuffing his cock into me. As much as he told me how much I repulsed him, how pathetic I was, he certainly didn’t mind fucking me. And as much as he repulsed me, and how much I hated him, I still liked it. This only strengthened my decision to end his life.
“We’re going to the restaurant. They want you to pick up your last paycheck and fill out some paperwork. Then we’ll go do some shopping,” Michael said as he and I got dressed and I put on my usual bodysuit to cover my scars.
He narrowed his eyes at me as he stared at my breasts. “Are you on birth control?”
