The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) Read Free Page B

the dried blood that had sealed my eyes shut. I wasn’t blind after all. His face shimmered like a mirage, and all four of his mouths grinned evilly down at me. My ears rang like church bells; my head throbbed viciously. His face swam in front of me again. I couldn’t focus. My thoughts were scattered. FOCUS! I have to stay awake to get out of here.
    “I found a few things in the basement.”
    There was a screwdriver, a flashlight, a piece of wire, some duct tape, and a hunting knife gleaming in the faint light. He was lovingly stroking the knife with glazed eyes. I have got to get out of here. I tried to get up, but my body didn’t want to cooperate. Gasping at the shooting pain, I stomped down the urge to cry. Escape was impossible. I couldn’t get up, let alone walk away. There was no hope. No one would save me. I would die here after he was done with me. He certainly couldn’t leave me alive.
    Totally into his new role as psycho, he was playfully rubbing the heavy flashlight over my legs. Up and down he rubbed, humming thoughtfully as he moved. Without warning, he smashed the end of the flashlight into my ankle. Shrieking with agony, it was all I could do to hold back the bile that rose in my throat. I didn’t want to give him any more satisfaction than he was going to get.
    When I finally looked at him again, he was considering the knife with unconcealed anticipation. Shit. Here it comes. I couldn’t look away. Like a mouse watching a snake, I watched my own personal nightmare plan my murder. Turning the blade one direction then another, he was feeding my terror, enjoying it.
    He was unsnapping my jeans when an idea hit me. I could stop this! Clenching my teeth against the agony, I thrashed my legs to the side, trying to push him off, but I couldn’t move him. Instead, he ground his crotch against me so I knew exactly what he was planning. Getting off on my pain, he toyed with me, making my stomach heave in protest. The bile was still trying to find its way out. I swallowed hard. It wasn’t time yet.
    More horrifying than any nightmare, Scott loomed over me, blood running from his nose spattering onto my chest. The smell churned my stomach even faster. My ribs screamed as he jammed his hand over the break, the blast of pain sending waves of nausea swamping me. His eyes gleamed with an unholy joy as lightning flashed outside. Gasping for air, I inhaled a mouthful of his blood. The sharp metallic taste was the last straw.
    There was no way I could miss. He was too close to escape. By the time my stomach was empty, his face, chest, and most of my body were covered in vomit.
    Absolutely crazed, he started kicking me while screaming, “You disgusting fucking bitch! You ruined it!”
    The last thing I heard was, “Stupid bitch! You ruined everything.”
     
    “And that’s what happened,” I added to fill the heavy silence.
    Officer Halliwell pressed the off button on the tape recorder and sat back.
    By the time I finished recounting my story, I was thoroughly pissed. I had been in too much pain the last few days to be mad. I felt a little better now. My head was clearing. Now there was room for anger. Hell yes, I wanted to press charges. Yes, I would be glad to testify. Yes, I would identify the items they had found at the abandoned house. I would do whatever they needed to get that psycho off the streets. He was a lunatic. I wanted some payback.
    I had a few questions for the detective before she left. “How did you know about the house? Did I talk to you before today?”
    “No, you didn’t. We got an anonymous tip. Someone called the station right after you were brought to the ER.”
    Really? An anonymous tip? Was there a witness? If there was, why didn’t they help me? The pain meds made me a little groggy. I shook my head to clear it. “A lot of things are fuzzy right now. How did I get to the ER?”
    Her pale nose wrinkled in thought, she said, “You know, that’s a funny thing. Someone brought you