Eli didn’t hesitate, his voice firm and absolute. “You’re staying with me. Tonight. No arguments.” His piercing gaze left no room for debate, but Riley didn’t even try to argue. Her pulse was still racing, her hands trembling as she glanced toward her bedroom.
“Okay,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Let me grab my pajamas.”
When Riley approached her apartment, something felt off. The building was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that crawled under your skin and made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. She stopped in front of her door, gripping her keys tightly, and froze at the sound of glass breaking from inside.
Her heart jumped into her throat. She strained to hear more, but the silence that followed was deafening. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to call someone, but before she could act, her body moved on its own. She unlocked the door slowly, trying not to make a sound, and pushed it open just enough to peer inside.
The apartment was dark. The only light came from the faint glow of the streetlamp outside, filtering in through the blinds. Riley stepped in cautiously, her breath shallow, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of movement.
“Hello?” she called out, her voice trembling, barely above a whisper.
The response came faster than she could process. A hand shot out from the darkness, grabbing her arm in an iron grip and yanking her inside. The door slammed shut behind her with a deafening thud, the sound echoing in her ears. Before she could scream, another hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her cries.
“Keep quiet,” a voice hissed, low and venomous, right against her ear.
Her eyes went wide as panic consumed her. The voice was familiar in a way that sent a cold wave of dread through her. She thrashed wildly, but the man’s grip was unyielding. He shoved her backward, and she stumbled, falling hard onto the floor. Pain shot through her hip and back, but she barely registered it over the overwhelming terror coursing through her.
The man loomed over her, his face hidden by a mask. She couldn’t see him clearly, but she could feel his presence—the weight of his body, the heat of his breath. He crouched down, one hand pinning her shoulder to the floor, the other hovering dangerously close to her face.
“Stop running,” he murmured, his voice cold and deliberate. “We’re meant to be together.”
Her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe, her mind racing for an escape. His elbow dug painfully into her stomach, the pressure making her gasp in pain. She tried to scream, but his hand smothered the sound, pressing harder as she fought.
“Shh,” he whispered, almost gently. “You’ll see. This is how it’s supposed to be.”
Tears burned in her eyes as she thrashed beneath him, her nails raking against his arms, but it was no use. He was stronger, more deliberate, and every ounce of her strength was met with unyielding force. Her vision began to blur, the edges darkening as her lungs screamed for air.
Just as she felt herself slipping, a loud crash shattered the suffocating silence. The door burst open with enough force to shake the walls, the sound of wood splintering like thunder. A figure stormed into the room, fast and unrelenting.
The man froze, his grip loosening for just a second, but it was enough. Riley’s body jolted as fresh air flooded her lungs. She coughed violently, tears streaming down her face as she scrambled away from the intruder.
“Get off her,” Eli’s voice roared, low and furious.