Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
I turned and flung the imaginary bottle at the wall. I loved the burn in my upper arm. That wasn’t imaginary. Releasing my rage wasn’t something I did often but when I did, it gave me memories, not fantasies. I could smell the freshly cut grass even though I couldn’t feel it. I could hear the crash of the waves even though I couldn’t see them. My entire body felt the powerful idle of my Mustang, even though the car would be beyond my reach for the rest of my days.
Unfortunately, there were some memories I wished I’d never remember, no matter how much rage or hate I threw back at the world that had forsaken me.
One memory in particular played on a loop inside my head during my forays into reality.
It included the tentative, soft brush of inexperienced lips against my own.
“Sorry, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve never kissed—”
I slammed my hand against the side of my head, hoping to banish those words, those touches, forever.
I chugged the next beer before throwing it against another wall, or maybe the same one. I wasn’t sure. Just as I reached for the third imaginary beer, my instincts kicked in.
It, or rather who, was just what I needed. There was nothing imaginary about the soft, slow footsteps coming up behind me. The unintelligible words that were spoken didn’t matter. It was the same old story but a different dance. For once, I was grateful for whatever piece of shit seeking his fifteen minutes of fame had been locked in my cage with me. It didn’t matter what kind of weapon the guards had given the guy; it wouldn’t change a damn thing. Maybe there’d come a day where it did change things. Maybe there’d be a day where I’d spend every minute of every hour with that beautiful loop running through my head and then I’d let it all go forever.
I’d want my pick of guys, though. It would be someone whose perversions hurt kids. There were plenty of those kinds of guys available in my reality. Regrettably, I’d probably be given only one guy to take out of this world. Hopefully he’d be the worst of the worst. I’d let him take my life with whatever killing tool he’d been given, but I’d make sure he’d feel the cut of the blade so he’d be right behind me as we made the fiery journey to hell.
I let the bottle of beer I’d been reaching for disappear in a wisp of smoke. I prepared to adjust my eyes to the bright lights if the guards decided they wanted to watch the show in full color rather than the less enjoyable night vision.
I closed my eyes and focused on using the senses I had available to me to locate my attacker who was behind me. Oddly enough, while I normally kept my back to the wall in the corner of my cell, today was different. I liked the idea of leaving my back exposed… almost like I was drawing my attacker in. I pulled his smell into my nostrils, fully expecting the scent to be foul and nauseating, not woodsy and clean. I brushed the oddity off and listened for the footsteps that would tell me which direction my attacker was coming from. The cement floor would make it next to impossible to hear but I knew where every groove and pebble of concrete was in the room. If the guy was heavy enough, I’d hear one of those pebbles crunch beneath his weight and I’d know where he was. If he was a heavy breather, that would also do the trick.
Cass.
There it was again. The voice…
The asshole was talking to me in a gentle tone like I was some kind of wild animal caught in a trap and he was trying to set it free. The fucker had no clue that I wasn’t the one who was trapped.
As I sensed him getting closer and closer based on just his smell, I remained where I was, leaving my back completely exposed. Energy pulsed through me.
I didn’t wait for the guy to touch me. Not with his hands and not with whatever lethal toy he’d made himself or the guards had given him so there’d be more of a show for them to watch.
I spun around, bringing my elbow down hard on the man’s left arm before spinning us so I could shove the man’s face into the concrete wall. I expected the guy to scream as his nose broke from hitting the stone, but all he did was let out a soft moan.
Cass.
The sound of my name being whispered like it was coming from the heavens themselves caught me off guard. I quickly recognized the trick for what it was and jerked the guy around and slammed him against the wall again, hard enough to temporarily steal his breath. I quickly ran my free hand over his body to look for his weapon but found none.