“I’m sorry. I need to think before I say anything. I’m working on it, Adalynn. I’m not perfect!”

Flashes of the bruises, the hateful words Kohen has spoken to me, and Jax’s secrets rush forward. Making the anger I keep bottled up, erupt.

I turn on him, each word laced with the rage crackling inside of me. “I never asked you to be perfect! All I’ve asked is for your respect, but you can’t give me that! I already had a dad, I don’t need another one. YOU. WILL. NOT. TELL. ME. WHAT. TO WEAR.”

Kohen raises his hand and hits me across the face. The force of the blow makes me stumble closer to the steps of the house. The exact steps I should be running up to flee. Instead, I square my shoulders. I will not run scared.

Tenderly I touch the side of my face. I wince as soon as I feel my cheek. It’s burning hot. I force the tears not to fall. I will not cry in front of him, I won’t give him the satisfaction. HOLY SHIT! I’ve never in my life been slapped and I never want to be experience this again, especially from him.

I grit my teeth and match his stare. He smirks at me. Actually fucking smirks. I think I missed that day in high school when they taught boys like him to smack girls around and then smile.

I find my voice. “DON’T YOU EVER FUC—”

Slap! That first smack was a whisper of a caress compared to this one. The asshole didn’t even bother to hit my other cheek. No, that would have been too nice. Kohen gets right in front of my face. It takes every ounce of willpower to stand my guard as he strokes my injured cheek.

“You will not talk to me like that again. You will learn your place by my side.”

I laugh, which I know is the last thing I should do in the situation. I can’t help it. He must be high. Does he honestly think I’m going to stay with him after this? I open my mouth to tell him just that, but then close it. Panic takes over . . . I need to escape. Now. I turn around in an attempt to flee, but Kohen has other plans for me.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he says into my ear as he painfully jerks me to him.

“I’m leaving,” I whisper but it’s loud and clear.

My teeth chatter as I tremble against him. Kohen laughs, enjoying the fear he’s causing. He presses his lips to my ear. I try to squirm away, but he’s gripping me too tightly that I can’t breathe and I’m forced to let him lick my neck. I swallow down my lunch.

“Just let me leave. I won’t say anything.”

Kohen chuckles again and trails one hand down to my chest. Roughly he grabs ahold of my breast and grinds his thick erection into my ass. I close my eyes, willing myself to find that empty void I used to live in. If I can find that place, I can get past this. I can get past Kohen and his disgusting hands.

“I told you that I’m not letting you go, Em. You’re mine.”

Who the fuck is Em? I want to ask but I remain silent. He’s stolen my ability to speak. I’m that terrified.

Releasing the death grip on my breast, he licks my neck again. “And I plan on taking what’s mine tonight.” He shoves me away from him and spanks my ass before striding into the house.

I don’t even think about it. I run.

Before my feet even reach the sand, I’m yanked back. I cry out in pain, frustration, and angery. Of course it wouldn’t have been that easy. Kohen isn’t going to let me go. Okay, I need to be smart. I can’t go for the obvious moves or he’ll stop me.

I’m crying while Kohen drags me back into the house. None of my tears are for the pain I’m feeling. No, they’re all for my stupidity. I should have seen this coming. God, how could I be so stupid? He’s shown me his true colors before, I just chose to ignore everything. I wanted him to be better, I wanted to move on from Jax. I desperately wanted to be loved by someone.

Because of that, I’m stuck in a house that could be in the middle of nowhere. Kohen said we were going to the Hamptons, but we could be anywhere. I slept the entire way here. That false security I was feeling seconds ago has vanished. If he does have neighbors, I doubt I’ll be able to reach them before Kohen finds me. He knows the area, I don’t.

It dawns on me that this was his plan the entire time. That’s why the fridge and pantry are stocked, and not just for the weekend, but a few weeks. I thought him buying all my favorite things was a sweet gesture; it was anything but sweet.

“You never texted Harper or my brother.” I don’t ask him. I know the answer. I’ve known the answer the entire time. I just ignored it. I hoped for the best.

“No, but you knew that. That’s why you’ve been wanting to call Logan, isn’t it?”

I spit in his face. He backhands me again. At least this time he hit my other cheek. Generous. I grin as I watch him wipe my spit off of him. The searing pain in my cheek was worth it.

Seizing my forearm, Kohen ushers me along with him. I try in vain to grab anything within reach as he forces me from the kitchen and into the hallway. I can’t take anything without him seeing. Be smart. I can get through this, I’ve survived worse. I’ll survive whatever Kohen has in store for me.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“We’re not going anywhere.” Kohen opens a door to the right of the hallway, the door directly across from the living room. It’s the same room I didn’t bother to look at last night. I skipped the “tour” saying that I was tired and wanted to go to bed.

Throwing me into the dark room, Kohen gives me a sad smile. “I didn’t want to do this, but you gave me no choice, Em.”

“My name is Adalynn!” I shout.

He doesn’t say anything as he turns to leave. Oh my God. He’s going to lock me in here. “You don’t have to do this Kohen. You can still walk away.” You psycho.

Kohen ignores me. “If you’d just let me love you, we wouldn’t be here. You forced me to do this, Ads. But you’ll see I’m right. You’ll thank me. We belong together.”

“Don’t call me that.” For some reason I don’t care that he’s going to lock me in here anymore. I never want to hear him use Hadley’s and Jax’s nickname for me. I can handle anything he throws my way, but not that.

“Oh, right. Only your precious Jax can call you that. Don’t worry, you’ll realize he doesn't love you like I do.”

“You’re right,” I say, surprising him. “Jax loves me. You’re incapable of loving anyone . . . especially me.”

His dark expression returns. “We’ll see.” Kohen closes the door and locks it.

There’s no light. Putting my hands out in front of me, I stumble around, trying to find a way out even though I know it’s pointless. I take three steps before I hit a wall. I trace every inch of the wall I can reach, but nothing. I do the same thing to the other two before slamming my hands against the door. There’s no hope. The only escape is through the locked door. Leaning my ear against the door, I strain to listen, but that’s pointless too. I can’t hear anything. The tears finally come.

I’m locked in a room smaller than my closet, in pitch darkness. My only way out is the door. A door that can only be opened from the outside. Ignoring the pain in my hands, I punch the wood over and over again, begging for help at the top of my lungs. In the back of my mind I know that Kohen’s probably soundproofed this room, but I don’t give up. I scream for Logan, for Connor, and lastly for Jax. I scream for them to rescue me.

Nobody hears my cries. Nobody is coming to save me.

I’m still screaming as I remember my dad telling me bedtime stories when I was younger. The princess always found her way out. She would realize that she was strong, strong enough to take on anything that came her way. After that, I always hated fairytales that ended with the prince saving the day. I almost forgot that I don’t need anyone to save me. I’ll save myself, just like the princesses in the stories.

I sit down across from the door. I wipe my tears. I’m not going to cry. I’m going to be the princess my Dad believed I was. I won’t let Kohen break me. Eventually he’ll open this door and let me out. I know that. I need a plan. Because the first chance I get I’m running and I won’t look back. I’ll either get away, or I’ll die trying.