Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

The days seemed to melt into one another. Instead of me trying to find a way out I find myself getting comfortable in the small shack with Nick.

Every day I teach him a little more about the world and the people in it. I try to assuage his fears about going out into the public. He’s had a rough life but he seems to be a good man even if he’s only just a little rough around the edges. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’d ever fit in to the small town life here in North Carolina. No, Nick is a woodsman through and through.

During the days we keep things sweet and nice but at night, every night, Nick makes sure I don’t have even the slightest bit of tension in my body. He laps at my core like it’s the best meal he’s ever eaten, and by the time I fall asleep he’s already coaxed a minimum of three orgasms out of me. I’ve never felt more at ease.

Of course, I should have known something bad was on the horizon. Clyde isn’t the type of person to just give up easy. I should have been on guard. Should’ve taken care of business when I had the chance.

It was a crisp morning when the illusion of peace shattered. I woke to the sound of someone walking through the woods, my body instantly tensing. Nick was already up, peering out the window with a scowl etched on his rugged face.

"Someone's here," he growled, voice low and dangerous.

I scramble out of bed, heart pounding. Clyde found me.

"Nick, we need to go," I whisper urgently, but he stands rooted to the spot, muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike.

"No," he said firmly. "This ends now. You don’t need to run anymore"

Before I could protest, the cabin door burst open. Clyde stormed in, rage twisting his features as his eyes land on me. But Nick is faster, positioning himself between us like a human shield.

"You shouldn't have come here," Nick snarls, and I see a glint of something primal in his eyes that both thrilled and terrified me.

Clyde sneers, reaching for something in his jacket. "This doesn't concern you, mountain man. Step aside."

In that moment, I realized the true danger of the situation. Two men, both unpredictable, both possessive in their own ways. As tension crackled in the air, I knew that whatever happened next would change everything.

Clyde rushes forward but I’m ready for him. I brace for impact as his body comes lunging into mine. He swings his hands but the blows do nothing. I grab hold of his hair and turn him so he’s facing the door before I pick up my foot and boot him out of my makeshift house.

Clyde cries out while he stumbles forward back into the wooded area. I follow him outside but before I do I turn in Macy’s direction.

“Stay here. No matter what you here, stay.”

She nods and I put her out of my mind. I have an asshole to deal with.

I stalk in Clyde’s direction and once again he tries to rush me but I simply step to the side, putting my foot out to watch him fall face first into the dirt.

The sound of Clyde's face hitting the ground is satisfying, but I know this isn't over. He's like a rabid dog, relentless and dangerous. As he struggles to his feet, spitting dirt and blood, I see the glint of metal in his hand. A knife.

"You think you can just take what's mine?" Clyde snarls, his eyes wild with rage and something else - desperation, maybe. "She belongs to me!"

The words ignite a fury inside me that I've never felt before. I've lived alone in these woods for years, away from the complications of people and their petty conflicts. But Macy... she's different. She's shown me a world beyond the trees, a warmth I never knew I was missing.

"She doesn't belong to anyone," I growl, my voice low and threatening. "Especially not to a piece of shit like you."

Clyde lunges at me again, this time with the knife leading. I dodge, feeling the blade whistle past my ear. He's quicker than I expected, fueled by his anger and whatever else is coursing through his veins. But I have the advantage of strength and terrain.

We dance a deadly waltz through the underbrush, him slashing wildly, me ducking and weaving.

Clyde is enraged but I’m in my element. I know exactly what’s going on and where I am. Clyde doesn’t. He doesn’t see that I’m leading him further and further away. Doesn’t realize that the terrain is becoming more and more treacherous.

As Clyde charges again, I sidestep and grab his wrist, twisting hard. The knife clatters to the forest floor.

He gasps and stares up at me. The fear is clear on his face but it doesn’t excite me. In fact, it bores me. I’m through with him.

“You should’ve stayed away when you had the chance. Should’ve let her go. Now you have to pay…with your life.” I growl before I pick my foot up and kick him hard in his chest.

“No!” Clyde screams as he tries to keep his balance. His face flashes pale as he turns his head and sees the drop off right behind him.

More than a hundred feet straight down. Covered with trees and brush. His body will be eaten by the wildlife long before any authorities have the chance to find him.

With the last smile Clyde will ever see, I wave my hand at him, “Bye bye.” I taunt as he finally falls backward. His death scream echoing throughout the entire wooded area.

It’s over. Finally, over. But does that mean my life with Macy is over too? I don’t want to lose her. I can’t.