Through The Storm

24

Estella

"Are you trying to play with fire again princess?" He leaned into my neck, peppering kisses along me.
This couldn't happen again. I can't keep giving in. Not when he was the one I was giving into.

"Cade stop. Please." I begged at him.
He pulled away at my words. Hurt flashed through his eyes as if he had a right to feel that emotion right now, when I was a victim to him. He turned to walk out of the room but I wouldn't let him leave me alone again.
"Stay. Please." The desperation and damage was clear in my voice, I had become all too familiar with that emotion; desperation. He turned towards me, barely meeting my eyes when he sat down against the far wall.

"I'm sorry." It came out against my will, everything in me had fought those words but my heart leapt up and took over. Completely controlling my mind, Cade had such an affect on me. One I didn't even understand myself, how could someone so harmful be the person that I feel like I need most? I didn't even know him.

"Why?" He spoke softly, softer than I've heard him speak.

"For this. I don't know what I did but for whatever reason you're keeping me here." The frustration had pricked my eyes with tears, threatening to take over and color me blind.

"You didn't- It's complicated." Was all he mustered out.

"Then explain it to me. I'm not dumb like you think. I promise I can take it." I needed to know why I was so important to these people.

"You have a power over me. And it drives me fucking insane, my partners see that, and they want you. If they get you then you'll be in danger. And for some shit reason I can't allow that." He was speaking with clear denial in his voice. He was frustrated at his own words, his own body.

"Why did you threaten me that night?"

"Because you slapped me." Liar.

"Yeah because you insulted me." My confidence was creeping back up slowly.

"Because you deserved it."

"How?"

"You heard me when I was asleep- when I was vulnerable. And you spoke about it." He was getting angry, I could tell by the way he clenched his fists and jaw twitched.

"I didn't speak about it to hurt you. I was trying to-"

"Fix me? Be my psychiatrist?" He cut me off. His anger was peaking through more and more and it terrified me.

"I'm sorry I brought this up" I backed down as it seemed like the only option to protect myself at this point. His eyes searched my face for a reason, and when he caught on his gaze met the ground. It wasn't long before he was on his feet and striding out of the room.

This was becoming a recurring thing, and I needed to find a way out. I tried the door again, and it didn't open. But I saw a paper clip hiding under a crack in the desk, so I quickly grabbed that and bent it open.

I was able to get the door open by wiggling it around constantly, that's how I opened the bathroom door to find my sister when I was 11. Okay Stella, that got dark. Focus.

I peered out into the long hallway, and it seemed empty so I stepped out. I ran as fast as I could down to the steps I remember coming up. When I rounded the corner of the landing, i couldn't wrap my head around what I saw.

Cade sitting at a desk, out in the open, doing lines of cocaine. What the hell? I back up slowly hoping to find another way out, but I tripped. The sound of the fall was enough to snap Cades head towards me.

Pure evil erupted through his eyes. And he was coming straight for me. My body was frozen in place as I begged myself to start moving. I should've stayed in the room. What would he do to me now? If there was hope before, it was all lost now.

He pinned my wrists above me and against the wall, leaning in close only inches from my face.

"Well Princess, I think we've run into an issue." He whispered at me.

"I didn't see anything I promise. Please just let me go home." His eyes were red, the type of red they had been that night. Oh God was he? Is that what he meant when he said he wasn't himself?

"But you did. I watched you watch. I felt you there long before I looked up. Sweetheart, all you had to do was stay put."

"I'm sorry." I looked away from him, and he snapped my face back towards him. Leaning in even closer and brushing his lips against my ear.

"What should we do about this?" He whispered in a shivering way. His voice was stone cold, this was the man I had known in that alley. And this was the man who would kill me.

Without thinking, my reflexes kicked in. I kneed him in the crotch and ran. I had no destination, but I kept running and running. Until he caught up to me, god what was he? How could he run so quickly?

He wrapped his leg around mine, flipping me over and looking at him. "I told you multiple times now, I don't like when girls walk away from me when I'm talking." His voice was demanding, he wanted me to submit but I wouldn't.

He lended his hand out to me thinking I would take it to get up. But I ignored him and brought myself to my feet on my own. I stared at him, reading his face, looking into those bloodshot eyes. The man staring back at me wasn't Cade and I had no idea who he was.

"So what now? You kill me?" I wasn't sure what answer I was expecting but I knew either way I wouldn't like it.

"No." He stepped back from me and turned on his feet. Was he about to walk away?

"Are you leaving? Can you just explain to me. Can we please just talk about it?" His jaw clenched at my words. He turned back around swiftly and put an arm on each side of my head.

"I can't just fucking talk to you."

"Why not?" I think I knew the answer.

"It's too hard." And his lips were on mine again. So much anger behind this kiss, yet it was filled with passion and need. He needed me just as much as I needed him.

I couldn't think straight with his lips moving against mine, it was near impossible to even breathe. He pulled away and sunk his gaze into my eyes.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because if I don't stop now then I don't think I'll be able to control myself." Control himself?

"From what? Killing me?" It was a stupid remark but it rolled off my tongue before I could think about it.

"Fuck you." He grabbed my wrist and led me back to a different room in the office. "Im leaving. Stay here this time." He gritted at me. Then without another word or look; he walked out.

~~

[ okay sorry this update is so late in the day, it's been a crazy long day. But here it is! I will have at least one more out tonight hopefully. Thank you so much for 2k reads!!! <3 ]