Chapter 103: Why would I leave you?
Winded, pain pulsing, she rolled slowly over and hunched, gasping, to drag her knees into her stomach. Scared almost past the point of thinking, gripping the handles on the cupboards to pull herself up, peering over the counter, unable to see him, unable to make anything out, squeezing her eyes, she fumbled for the knife block.
He let her find it and withdraw one, a long-bladed carving knife. Watched her with satisfaction and, as she hauled herself to brace her elbows on the counter, took hold of her wrist, flipped her around with practiced ease until she dropped to her knees, arm twisted behind her. Yanked on it painfully until she dropped the knife, was crying out, beyond being able to form the words to beg him to stop.