His Scars

32. Deranged

Okay, firstly, it has been a hot minute, I know. I was...uninspired. In a slump. 

Couch-potatoing. Procrastinating. Also drowning in the work that pays my bills. Please forgive me. 

I received some very sweet comments on the previous chapter requesting updates. So this is for you. Thank you so much. I didn't think anyone but my friend who has been keeping up with my updates has been actually feeling anything towards this story. I am happy to know that's not true.

Rest assured that I will finish this book. 

Also, this is the song I listened to, to get myself into the mindset for this chapter

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TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT

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SAGE 

He had dragged me, kicking and screaming from where Kane and I had been bound. He had held the knife to my throat the entire time but the thought of leaving Kane scared me even more. No matter what Eric had planned, he was not planning to kill me. But Kane...I had no idea what "Grubb" or whatever his name was would do. 

The periphery of my vision blurred with panic. How was I supposed to protect him? How would I save him? How could I live without him? 

Eric dragged me by the hair and shoved me into a small, dingy room with only a mattress. He closed the door behind him. 

The dust in the room clogged my senses. I could see that the mattress was covered in a thick layer of it. Vomit rose to the back of my throat. 

I turned to look at Eric.

"You've got to be joking," I said. "This place is disgusting." 

He grinned at me, the insanity in his eyes shining bright. "I would fuck you on a bed of nails at this point, Sage." 

Terror crawled through my veins. My stomach churned at the thought of him touching me. 

"Eric. You don't have to do this. This cannot be who you really are. Rape? Really? You would stoop so low?" 

What was I even saying?

He laughed, loudly and raucously. "Rape? Oh no, no baby. You promised yourself to me, remember? This isn't rape. This is consent in all its glory. I am just holding you at your word." 

Tears blurred my vision. He really was deranged. This man's brain was malfunctioning and I couldn't imagine how he had held it together this long. 

Fear kept me rooted to my spot. Fear of him, fear of the filthy mattress...and fear of what would happen to me once I was on it. 

He pointed the knife at me, blinking at the wisps of blonde hair that fell into his eyes. How had I ever thought him to be beautiful? When I first saw him, I thought his hair must have been spun from gold. His eyes must have been cut from diamonds. 

"Lay down," He commanded me. 

Cold dread trickled over my skin. "Eric..." I begged. 

"Lie the fuck down." He commanded, brandishing the knife at me. 

The tears finally spilt over as I lay back gingerly on the mattress, watching the dust swirl around me. 

I watched in sick fear as he ripped the knife through his own round-neck shirt until he was left bare-chested. 

He then straddled my thighs, sending up another puff of dust. I closed my eyes when the cold metal of the blade pressed against my neck. 

They squeezed tighter when I felt the blade cut through my own shirt. 

I swallowed back the vomit when I felt his wet mouth trail over my cheek and down my neck. 

When I felt his teeth close over my skin I dug my teeth into my lips to keep from screaming my agony. I tasted blood on my tongue. 

My eyes rolled back into my head from the pain of him biting into me again and again. 

It couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes before he started kissing his way down my stomach and my head lolled to the right. 

That was when I spotted it. 

The knife. So loosely held in his fingers. He was so caught up in his assault on me, and I had been laying here like a dead fish that he'd forgotten to keep threatening me. 

Before I could even really consider what I was doing, my hand flashed out and grabbed the knife and I slashed. 

It was like an out-of-body experience. I watched as the blade ripped through his ear and across his cheek. 

He howled in pain and reared back, releasing my legs. I pulled both my knees to my chest, before kicking out as hard as I could, kicking him squarely in his chest. 

I watched him fly back. It was possible that he only fell backwards but in my delusion, I saw him fly. 

I watched his eyes widen when he looked at me but I didn't give him time to react. Adrenaline pumped in my veins. With the knife still gripped tight in my fist, I sat on top of his stomach and held the blade against his neck. 

I screamed like a banshee. I was just as deranged as he was. Anger and terror welded together and created something I didn't recognise. 

Fear bubbled to the surface of his eyes as I put enough pressure to cut the skin. I continued to scream in his face. 

"Sage." He mouthed. I couldn't hear his voice past my own wailing. Lifting the knife I dug it into his shoulder and twisted. 

His insanity seemed to ebb as pain took over. He howled in agony. 

I twisted and dug the knife into his thigh next. Our voices almost out-pitched each other's. 

I climbed off him, and not giving him a chance to recover, I left the room and latched it behind me. 

After that, I bolted. 

Only one name repeated in my head like a mantra. 

Kane. 

Kane. 

Kane.

Turning the corner, I slammed into something hard and hands clutched my arms tightly before pushing me away. 

I pushed the hair out of my eyes to see Grubb. 

I couldn't decipher the look on his face. 

Kane stood a few feet away from him. 

He looked pale and bloody. 

My vision turned red at the sight of him. 

I charged at Grubb, the knife poised to attack. But he grabbed me by the wrist and twisted and the knife clattered away. 

He twisted my arm behind my back and whipped us around to face Kane who for a second looked shocked. 

Then seeing Grubb's hold on me, his expression morphed into one of fury. 

"Let. Her. Go." 

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