Anything!?
1288 Words
BANG. BANG. BANG.
“Scarlett!”
The drunken shout tore through the quiet cottage again.
Scarlett pushed herself upright on the couch, heart racing for an entirely different reason now. Her skin still burned from the dream, from Tom’s hands, his mouth—
God.
She shoved the thoughts away immediately.
Another slam rattled the front door hard enough to shake the hinges.
“Open the damn door!”
Tom stood near the bed now, completely still.
Which was worse than if he had been angry.
The darkness wrapped around him unnaturally, his tall frame barely visible except for the faint crimson glow of his eyes.
Predatory.
Watching.
Waiting.
Scarlett quickly stood.
“It’s nobody,” she said too fast.
Tom’s gaze slid toward her slowly.
The silence that followed was sharp.
Outside, the voice slurred again.
“I know yer in there with that fuckin’ writer crap!”
Scarlett closed her eyes briefly.
Wonderful.
Just wonderful.
Tom spoke at last.
“Who is that?”
“It’s my ex.”
The room went deathly still.
Tom’s expression didn’t change.
But something dangerous shifted in the air.
“Ex!?” he asked calmly.
Scarlett rubbed her forehead tiredly.
“Yes. Darren.”
BANG.
“Scarlett!”
“I said open the damn door!”
Tom’s head turned slowly toward the sound.
Every movement he made suddenly looked less human.
Less restrained.
Scarlett noticed immediately.
“Tom?”
His eyes moved back to her.
“Is he a threat?”
“No.”
A pause.
“…I don’t know.”
Another violent bang.
The door shook again.
Tom’s jaw tightened faintly.
“He oversteps.”
Scarlett sighed.
“He’s drunk.”
“That is not my concern.” He growled. “You are.”
She softened, relaxing into the intensity of his gaze. His deep red eyes burned with an immense desire to protect her, she could sense it.
“Ok,” she admitted quietly. “He can be dangerous. He’s hurt me in the past. I don’t like that he’s here.”
Tom stared at her for a long moment.
Then—
He started walking toward the door.
Scarlett’s eyes widened instantly.
“Oh no.”
She rushed forward and grabbed his arm.
The moment her fingers wrapped around him, Tom stopped.
His gaze dropped slowly to her hand.
Then lifted to her face.
“Tom,” Scarlett said carefully, “I need you to promise me you won’t kill him.”
Outside, Darren slammed against the door again.
“SCARLETT!”
Tom’s eyes flicked toward it briefly.
Then back to her.
“I will not kill him,” he said.
Scarlett blinked.
“That is not reassuring.”
“It should be.”
“It really isn’t.”
Tom looked genuinely puzzled by that.
Another crash echoed through the cottage.
“You belong to ME! You think you can just walk away, move out and forget about me!?” Darren shouted drunkenly from outside.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
Scarlett felt it.
Tom went completely still beneath her hand.
A dangerous stillness.
His eyes darkened slowly.
“What,” he asked softly, “did he say?”
Scarlett’s stomach dropped.
“No, please...”
His gaze remained fixed on her.
“He claimed you.”
“It’s drunk nonsense.”
A muscle shifted in Tom’s jaw.
“He is a dead man!”
Scarlett released his arm carefully.
“You can’t—”
The front door suddenly rattled violently as Darren shoved against it.
“Open up!”
Tom moved before she could stop him.
One second he stood beside her.
The next—
He was at the door.
Scarlett barely had time to inhale before he unlocked it and pulled it open.
The cold night air rushed into the little cottage..
Darren stumbled forward drunkenly, nearly falling into the cottage.
He froze when he saw Tom.
“…who the f**k are you?”
Tom said nothing.
Scarlett hurried forward.
“Darren, go home.”
Darren blinked rapidly, clearly trying to process the sight before him.
Tom towered over him.
Tall. Broad. Barefoot. Wearing a black shirt partially unbuttoned at the throat.
Darren frowned drunkenly.
“You got a man now?”
Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Darren—”
“Is this why you stopped answering my calls?”
Tom’s expression remained calm.
Too calm.
Scarlett knew that look now.
It meant danger.
Darren laughed bitterly.
“This guy?” he scoffed. “Seriously?”
Tom tilted his head slightly.
“Oh God!” she exclaimed when Darren stormed in drunkenly.
“You think you can just move on from me?”
Tom spoke for the first time.
“She already has.”
His voice was low.
Controlled.
Darren looked him up and down.
“And who the hell are you supposed to be?”
Tom’s gaze sharpened slightly.
Scarlett answered quickly before things escalated further.
“That is none of your business.”
Darren laughed harshly.
“Right.”
Then his eyes narrowed at the marks on Scarlett’s neck.
The healing bite marks now looked like intense love bites scattered around both sides of her neck.
Silence.
Tom noticed Darren’s expression twist and immediately knew something was wrong.
“What the f**k is that?”
Scarlett instinctively touched her neck.
“None of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t!”
He stepped forward angrily and reached for her.
Tom moved instantly.
Fast enough that Darren never saw it coming.
One moment he was shouting.
The next—
Tom had him by the throat.
Lifted completely off the ground.
Scarlett gasped.
“Tom!”
Darren clawed weakly at the hand crushing his throat.
His face turned red instantly.
Tom stared at him coldly.
“How dare you?” he asked with a voice full of spite.
Darren choked violently.
Scarlett grabbed Tom’s arm.
“Put him down.”
He didn’t move.
Scarlett’s heart ached as she watched Darren’s face turn blue.
“I’ll do whatever you want!”
His crimson eyes slid toward her.
The look in them sent heat and fear twisting together in her stomach.
“Anything?” He asked.
Scarlett’s breath caught.
Darren stopped struggling for a second just to stare at them both in shock.
Tom’s gaze remained fixed on Scarlett.
Completely serious.
Scarlett’s pulse fluttered wildly beneath his stare.
“Yes,” she whispered carefully, “now put him down.”
A long pause.
Then slowly—
Tom released him.
Darren collapsed onto the porch choking violently.
Scarlett exhaled shakily.
Tom stood over the man like death itself.
“Leave,” he said softly.
Darren looked up, absolutely terrified.
He scrambled backward clumsily off the porch.
“What the f**k are you?” he whispered.
Tom smiled faintly.
It was not a comforting smile.
“Don’t ever come back.”
Darren didn’t argue again.
He stumbled into the darkness as fast as his drunken state could allow.
Silence returned to the cottage.
Scarlett slowly closed the door.
Then turned around.
Tom was still watching her.
Those crimson eyes burned in the dim light.
“Why did you do that?” Scarlett said calmly, though she was anything but.
“Do what?”
Her throat tightened.
“You’re going to treat me like this to? Am I just a plaything to you?”
Tom stepped closer slowly.
Scarlett’s pulse quickened immediately.
His gaze dropped briefly to her neck.
To the fading bite marks.
Then back to her eyes.
“Never” he said calmly.
The air left Scarlett’s lungs.
Tom reached up slowly and brushed his thumb lightly beneath her jaw.
Possessive.
Gentle.
Terrifying.
“Will you grant me my wish, my beauty?”
- Writer
