Bound to Her by Deborah Pin (debian ebook reader txt) 📕

It didn’t take long to find out.

“It’s not going to happen again—you know that, right, you stupid

little cunt? You’re not going to scare me off again. Don’t worry. I don’t want to kill you, at least not right away. Not until I’ve gotten what I want. You’re all the same—you know you are. You act sweet, you act nice but you’re not. You’re all the same. Fucking dick tease. Fucking bitch.” The voice was rambling and Katrina was trembling. “I’m going to

fuck you, you know that, don’t you? You can’t stop me. The fucking cops

can’t stop me. And I’m going to make it hurt. It’s going to more than hurt. It’s going to tear you in half and leave you wishing you were dead.”

His jaw was tight as he listened to the deranged voice threaten her.

Stephens was sitting quietly by staring at the recorder in front of them and Katrina couldn’t seem to do anything but stare at her hands. “It’s been awhile since you’ve gotten laid, hasn’t it? I know it has. Months.

I’ve watched you, you fucking slut. I know how much you enjoy getting

yourself off. I’ve heard the moans from your bedroom. I’ve watched you

writhing around with that fucking fake cock of yours you enjoy so much.

You fuck your pussy hard and fast, crying out and groaning like a whore. Why shouldn’t it be me?”

He was starting to understand just why this might be uncomfortable

for her. Fuck. It was uncomfortable for him too. “It’s going to be me very soon.”

The call disconnected and Stephens stood. “I’m going to go call the phone company.” He looked between the two of them in the small

private room they’d used to listen to the tape. Dillon was struggling to maintain his composure far more than normal. He’d seen plenty of crazy

in his day and this shouldn’t be bothering him but she was sitting across

from him trembling and refusing to look up to him.

Stephens cleared his throat. “Cool?”

“Yeah.” It was unspoken between him and Stephens which of them

would be questioning her. Dillon was always the front man with victims.

He simply had a better personality for it, though the woman in front of

him might have disagreed with that the first time she met him. There were hard questions to be asked and he and Stephens were both well of

aware of that fact. Stephens was also without doubt wondering what the

fuck was making him so damn uncomfortable all of the sudden. Stephens

left, shaking his head.

“Katrina?”

“Hmm?” She was still refusing to look up.

“I have to ask you some questions.”

“Great.” Her sarcasm was biting.

“He mentioned it’s been a long time since you’d been with anyone. Is

there truth to that? I need to understand just how much of what he said

is true to determine if he’s really been watching you or just wants you to

think he’s been watching you.”

She finally looked up but she still couldn’t meet his eyes and hers settled on some place over his shoulder. Her humiliation showed clearly

in her crystal-blue eyes. He wanted to touch her, reassure her that it was

okay but there was nothing he could do to make this less embarrassing

for her. She had no idea just how much he was okay with hearing the more private parts of her life but he couldn’t say that to her.

“I was in a relationship late last summer through fall with a man I met at a Starbucks of all places. He ended the relationship about three months ago, just didn’t think we were going anywhere.” She used finger

quotes on “going anywhere”.

“We only dated for four or five months and he stayed over a few nights a week on average. That is what you wanted to know, right? How

often I was getting laid and this creep was watching. Should have kept my fucking blinds closed, huh?” She sounded angry. She had every right

to be but she didn’t need to be aiming it at him.

“You have every right to be upset, Katrina, and yes that’s what I need

to know. I need to speak with your ex-boyfriend. Can you give me his

name and contact information?”

“Sure. It’s not him. He had blue eyes like the man who came into my

house but that’s not his voice and he didn’t like me nearly enough to want to fuck me in half. That is what that asshole said, isn’t it? What the

hell does that even mean?” He wasn’t even willing to entertain the idea

of what exactly that might mean to a lunatic.

He handed her a slip of paper and watched as she wrote down the name and information of her former lover and she slid it back to him. She

was still refusing to look at him and just stared at the tabletop. “We need

to talk about some of the other comments he made as well.”

He didn’t need to explain that to her—the look on her face as she shook her head in disgust made it clear she understood exactly what he

was saying. It didn’t mean he expected to see her stand and stalk to the

door. He stood quickly and then she turned to him, meeting his eyes for

the first time.

“It’s all very likely true.” Her eyes closed as the humiliation ate away

at her and then she left him staring after her. He wanted to follow her but

there was nothing he could say to her to make this better.

Instead he did his own stalking all the way to the chief’s office. “I want more protection on Katrina Page.”

“And how am I going to justify that?” Chief Greenwood wasn’t being

rude but he did need a damn good reason.

“He left her a message threatening her. He also suggested that he’s been watching her for some time and particular statements left in the message have been confirmed by the victim. There is little doubt in my

mind at this point that he’s a danger to her.”

“Okay. We’ll put a uniform outside her house when she’s there. I’m

not going to sacrifice the man hours during the day when she’s working

but she’ll be covered at night when she’s home. Anything else?” He shook his head and left. He felt marginally better about the fact she’d insisted on going home but he was anxious and he didn’t like it. When he

made it back to his desk, Stephens was there.

“You gonna tell me what’s up with that witness?”

“She’s freaked out—she’s upset. Does that seem odd to you for some

reason?” Stephens harrumphed and stared at him. He and Stephens had

been teamed together for a few years and they got on just fine—but Stephens had the personality of a meat grinder.

“Wasn’t really talkin’ ‘bout that. You two act like you’re fucking or something. All weird around each other. And not just her, by the way.” It

was Dillon’s turn to harrumph. Of course he knew it was likely true. He

couldn’t seem to pretend to be quite as professional as he ought to around her and she just seemed damn uncomfortable.

“Greenwood’s putting extra security on her. What did you find out

with the phone company?”

“Nothing yet. They’ll call me when they have something. I’m

guessing the psycho’s not so stupid he’ll use a traceable landline or cell.

Even the biggest idiots in the world know to use a disposable phone now

a day. Good thing Greenwood’s putting more people on her. I think she

may just need it.” He stood and walked away, leaving Dillon staring at

his desktop.

Chapter Seven

“Hey, Ms. Page?”

“Yeah, Seth, what’s up?” She peered up at him, feeling all the

humiliation looking at him as she felt around his father. It was just so damn odd having his son in her class. They looked so much alike it seemed as though every thought which passed through her mind

revolving around Detective Adler was somehow staring right back at her

in Seth’s eyes. It wasn’t and she was just being paranoid. She was also exhausted and likely losing her mind.

She had ended up sleeping on her bathroom floor the night before

with the door locked and a knife lying by her side. She’d had a nightmare and even though she could see a patrol car parked outside her

house nothing much seemed to calm her paranoia. She simply couldn’t tolerate being alone in a room with windows for some reason and so she

ended up in the bathroom.

“Here’s my free writing.” She took the paper from him, smiled and he

turned back to his desk. It was only second period and she wasn’t at all

sure how she was going to stay awake all day, especially given she had

an adult-education class to teach downtown that night.

She managed somehow, sucking back coffee and downing a Five-

Hour Energy drink after lunch but after the last of her students walked

out the door, she quickly snatched up her coat and bags and staggered out her door. She nearly choked on her tongue as she caught sight of Detective Adler towering above the tops of the other students’ heads about twenty feet down the hall with Seth another ten feet beyond that.

“Dad. I’m doing fine in Ms. Page’s class. Shit!” Katrina’s brows shot

up as Detective Adler wheeled toward Seth.

“Say that again and see how long I can make your Xbox disappear.”

She almost laughed but then the humiliation set in again. He hadn’t even

seen her yet and she contemplated high-tailing it down the hall in the other direction.

She decided there was little reason. He was obviously there to see her

and that meant there was a reason and it involved her case or Seth. He wouldn’t be paying her any social visits—he’d made that abundantly

clear in her kitchen. Actually the first time was the parking lot. She couldn’t stop humiliating herself around him and now the phone

message? Sheesh! Why? Why? Why?

“Go wait in the car. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Detective Adler tossed his keys to Seth, who threw his hands up in the air in frustration

as he turned around and stomped off down the hallway. It was all rather

cute and heartwarming really. She’d never actually witnessed them

together.

When he turned toward her, she had a small smile on her face and the

moment his eyes lit on hers, his mouth pulled up in his own small smile.

Hers faded quickly and she turned back into her classroom.

“How are you?” He closed the door behind him as he walked into her

room.

“Detective, I’m sorry. I just—”

“Dillon, please.”

“Dillon. I’m sorry about yesterday evening at your precinct. I was just

embarrassed and—”

“You shouldn’t be. Not around me, okay?”

She nodded but her eyes dropped down along his tall and strong

body to settle at his feet. Don’t be embarrassed about having the most private part of her life exposed to him against her will? Yeah, right.

“I wanted to let you know the phone trace was a dead end. We

suspected he would likely use an untraceable disposable phone and he did. I’m sorry.” She nodded. Just her luck. “We’ve put extra security on

you at your home address in the evenings and overnight. You may have

noticed.”

She nodded again but still remained quiet. “Katrina.” She finally

looked back up to him and his expression was serious but incredibly calm. “I’m sorry about all of this. I wish things were different…”

The subtlest of head shakes suggested he’d overstepped a boundary.

She wanted him to overstep it again. She needed his need—the need he

was hiding and withholding from her. She’d deal with the humiliation of

what he knew about her if she could just absorb and experience some of

that incredible strength of his.

“You don’t look good.” Her mouth dropped open as he spoke.

“Thanks?”

He smiled and she finally did too. “You look exhausted. You’re not sleeping, are you?”

“Sure I am. I slept on the bathroom floor last night, nearly stabbed myself with a large kitchen knife I was cuddling with for comfort.” She

smirked. It was humorless but he seemed to appreciate her sour mood.

“If you feel that way, call me. I never sleep through the night and I’m

used to being woken up constantly. You don’t need to just suffer that type of fear alone.” His eyes