sorry. I guess I never thought of it like that.”
He rubbed her hair, almost causing her to purr with pleasure. “I hope you weren’t too harsh on him.”
She sat up and gasped. “I have to call him back.” She made to move, but he held her still.
“It can wait until morning.” He smiled at her. “Besides, I’m sure he already knows how you really feel.”
She closed her eyes and tried to remember everything she’d said to her father hours ago. She shook her head no. “I think I made it very clear how I felt, and I definitely owe him an apology. But you’re right. It will have to wait until morning.” She leaned back as he flipped through the channels.
She ended up falling asleep against his chest as he watched the news, the only non-scary thing on at the time. She woke briefly as he carried her into the bed and crawled in next to her. She sighed as his arms wrapped around her and then drifted off into sleep.
Chapter Twelve
I t was still too dark to see clearly when she opened her eyes. But somehow, she knew she was no longer in the small house on the ranch in East Texas. The floor under her was hard and cold. Pain shot up her arms like there were a million needles pricking her. Her eyes felt heavy and when she tried to focus, she had a hard time, as tears streamed out of her eyes.
Finally, a bright light shone in her face, and she blinked a few times before she could make out the shape in front of her. Her father sat across the small room from her. His head was down, his gray hair was wet, and she could see blood dripping from his face. When she tried to call out to him, her tongue wouldn’t work and it just came out as a moan.
Then the light shifted and she saw Ryan walking towards her. He had a smile on his face, and she noticed that his hair and beard were back. But now they were twice as thick. His clothes were slick and shiny, almost hurting her eyes. She tried to call out to him, but again her mouth wouldn’t work. Looking down, she realized she was tied to a chair as well. Then she tasted the dirty rag that was shoved in her mouth and realized she’d been gagged.
“Oh, princess. Don’t fight it,” Ryan said, laughing. “Can you believe all this trouble I had to go through just to get my hands on him?” He pulled her father’s hair and raised his face so she could see the blood dripping from his nose and mouth. His eyes were shut and when she tried to call out to him again, Ryan dropped his head so she could no longer see his face.
Ryan laughed, but instead of the warm sound she’d grown used to, it came out more as a deep cackle.
“Years.” He walked towards her. “Years I’ve wasted looking for him. To pay him back for what he did to me.”
Nothing was making sense. She kept looking for any sign that her father was still alive, but he didn’t move. Then Ryan stood in front of her and crouched down until his face was right in front of her. His blood-covered hand ran up and down her face gently. “I guess getting to play with you was just the bonus I needed.” He smiled and she noticed how really thick his beard was. She could barely see his teeth through the dark coarse hair. When he leaned down to place a kiss on her lips, she screamed.
“Nikki?” Ryan shook her out of the nightmare.
Hearing his voice, she swung out and clocked him, catching him off guard. Her mind was still back in the nightmare, so she kept swinging until he finally had her arms pinned above her head as he sat across her legs.
“Nikki?” he said again. “Are you okay?” He held both of her hands in one of his and leaned over to flip on the light.
When the light hit his face, she realized that his face was clean shaven, and his hair was short. She closed her eyes and immediately hated her mind.
She knew all about reading dreams. Years after the abuse had stopped with David, she had attended counseling to help her get over the effects.
“Are you alright?” Ryan asked, releasing her hands.
She
He rubbed her hair, almost causing her to purr with pleasure. “I hope you weren’t too harsh on him.”
She sat up and gasped. “I have to call him back.” She made to move, but he held her still.
“It can wait until morning.” He smiled at her. “Besides, I’m sure he already knows how you really feel.”
She closed her eyes and tried to remember everything she’d said to her father hours ago. She shook her head no. “I think I made it very clear how I felt, and I definitely owe him an apology. But you’re right. It will have to wait until morning.” She leaned back as he flipped through the channels.
She ended up falling asleep against his chest as he watched the news, the only non-scary thing on at the time. She woke briefly as he carried her into the bed and crawled in next to her. She sighed as his arms wrapped around her and then drifted off into sleep.
Chapter Twelve
I t was still too dark to see clearly when she opened her eyes. But somehow, she knew she was no longer in the small house on the ranch in East Texas. The floor under her was hard and cold. Pain shot up her arms like there were a million needles pricking her. Her eyes felt heavy and when she tried to focus, she had a hard time, as tears streamed out of her eyes.
Finally, a bright light shone in her face, and she blinked a few times before she could make out the shape in front of her. Her father sat across the small room from her. His head was down, his gray hair was wet, and she could see blood dripping from his face. When she tried to call out to him, her tongue wouldn’t work and it just came out as a moan.
Then the light shifted and she saw Ryan walking towards her. He had a smile on his face, and she noticed that his hair and beard were back. But now they were twice as thick. His clothes were slick and shiny, almost hurting her eyes. She tried to call out to him, but again her mouth wouldn’t work. Looking down, she realized she was tied to a chair as well. Then she tasted the dirty rag that was shoved in her mouth and realized she’d been gagged.
“Oh, princess. Don’t fight it,” Ryan said, laughing. “Can you believe all this trouble I had to go through just to get my hands on him?” He pulled her father’s hair and raised his face so she could see the blood dripping from his nose and mouth. His eyes were shut and when she tried to call out to him again, Ryan dropped his head so she could no longer see his face.
Ryan laughed, but instead of the warm sound she’d grown used to, it came out more as a deep cackle.
“Years.” He walked towards her. “Years I’ve wasted looking for him. To pay him back for what he did to me.”
Nothing was making sense. She kept looking for any sign that her father was still alive, but he didn’t move. Then Ryan stood in front of her and crouched down until his face was right in front of her. His blood-covered hand ran up and down her face gently. “I guess getting to play with you was just the bonus I needed.” He smiled and she noticed how really thick his beard was. She could barely see his teeth through the dark coarse hair. When he leaned down to place a kiss on her lips, she screamed.
“Nikki?” Ryan shook her out of the nightmare.
Hearing his voice, she swung out and clocked him, catching him off guard. Her mind was still back in the nightmare, so she kept swinging until he finally had her arms pinned above her head as he sat across her legs.
“Nikki?” he said again. “Are you okay?” He held both of her hands in one of his and leaned over to flip on the light.
When the light hit his face, she realized that his face was clean shaven, and his hair was short. She closed her eyes and immediately hated her mind.
She knew all about reading dreams. Years after the abuse had stopped with David, she had attended counseling to help her get over the effects.
“Are you alright?” Ryan asked, releasing her hands.
She
Similar Books
