The Touch

(Warning: Triggering content ahead.)

Dread.

After so many years, Evelyn was suddenly overpowered by this emotion. Her emotions were haywire. She couldn’t help but feel cautious. Ryan’s death wasn’t troubling her anymore. Rather her new cause of worry was Sara’s revelation.

But Evelyn wasn’t scared after hearing that instead it only bolstered her belief.

’Cause, she had experienced this earlier too.′

Evelyn always had this constant feeling of being watched. Though she had shrugged it off thinking that it was her paranoia, Sara’s words again turned everything back to square one.

Since last year, this constant haunting feeling of being stalked had turned stronger, and from being occasional, it turned routine. To catch her stalker, Evelyn herself hacked into the CCTV of various hotels where her meetings were organized but found nothing. Either the managers of those hotels were working hand in glove with that evil soul or her stalker erased the evidence before she could catch it.

Swirling her office chair, Evelyn stood up and forwarded her legs to the window. Opening the blinds, she slid the window pane to the side. Her eyes closed feeling the cool breeze tickling her face.

Opening them, Evelyn removed her hair clip letting her brown locks bounce and play in the air.

“It was just an accident. Nothing else.” She again assured herself.

Evelyn knew that things would escalate further or possibly take a wrong turn if she didn’t cease this rife then and there. So, she threatened Sara to keep her mouth shut or else she’ll fire her.

Sara readily accepted it. She needed the job badly and had no other option apart from burying the matter. The fire started because of her negligence and if Evelyn exposes her, her whole career will be ruined.

It was a win-win situation for both women.

Evelyn was lost in her thoughts when her earpiece suddenly buzzed.

“Ma’am, your meeting with Mr. Miller is scheduled for 4 p.m. His company has shown interest in the project.” Sara stipulated.

“All right. Get the arrangements done quickly.”

Saying that Evelyn ended the call and got to the couch. Getting her coat, she fastened the buttons and headed outside locking the worries in her cabin.

*****

“We’re glad to work with you, Ms. Clarke. This collaboration would give rise to a new relationship and strengthen our ties for the future.” Mr. Miller spoke while smiling widely at Evelyn. He was jumping with happiness when Evelyn signed the deal.

To avoid unwanted attention and evade the eyes of the media, Evelyn decided to attend the meeting herself. She readily accepted Miller’s invitation and came to his hotel with none of her staff accompanying her.

After the Wills Corporation backed out, Evelyn took the entire project into her hands. The deal with Ryan had become the talk of the town and if she dropped it, she would indirectly give the controversies a new tangent.

Evelyn was agile and extremely cunning when it came to business. She knew that the media which had already entangled her with Ryan were eagerly waiting for her to repeal the deal. If she had done that, they would then easily implicate her saying that she backed out due to fear of getting caught. She had a hand in his murder.

That’s why Evelyn approached different investors to hedge her bet and save the situation. Trading with Miller would serve as a good reason that she was ready to forget everything but the Wills Corp. was still holding onto grudges so she had to look for other businessmen. Her eagerness to maintain the relationship would turn their accusations into false and baseless.

Evelyn chuckled softly and shook hands with him, “Indeed. I am thinking of scheduling the meeting of the board of directors tomorrow in my office. And yes, regarding the blueprint-”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Miller quickly interrupted her, “We have the best engineers.”

His cocky response stilled Evelyn. Raising a brow, she gave him a lopsided smile and shook her head, “That’s good to hear but as the project is ours so will be the design.” She spoke stridently.

Mr. Miller clenched his fists. He was planning on stealing the design but Evelyn poured water on all his plans.

Suddenly an evil idea popped into his mind.

Putting up a tight-lipped smile, he walked closer to her. Evelyn immediately turned alert when he invaded her personal space.

“Ms. Evelyn” he husked while his dark eyes raked all over her form, “Don’t misunderstand me. I am one of the best capitalists in America.” He spoke and extended his hand.

Evelyn immediately stepped back before it could touch her shoulder, “Indeed you are. But your lack of ethics contrasts with your authority, Mr. Miller.”

His smile dropped.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she raged while throwing him a death glare, “I know your intentions well Miller, it’s you who probably misunderstood. My approval was only for the deal, nothing else. But I will readily cancel it if you cross the red line.”

Miller was ablaze with fury. Still, he swallowed his rage and scoffed, “Then I would say you’re too naive Clarke or you’re simply playing around. You’re running a million-dollar company. There’s no way you would have never slept your way to the top.”

Evelyn turned livid after hearing his scathing remarks. This was the second time someone dare insult her on her face.

Watching her fuming, Miller chortled and raised his hands in surrender.

“All right, I am sorry. Let’s forget about this. Keep the design as something else has piqued my interest.” Sneering he lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

“One night and consider the deal done.”

His words scorched her skin. Moving back, Evelyn swung her palm ready to strike him but he caught it in mid-air.

“Let go you pig” She screeched while glaring at the portly man who only gave her a menacing smirk.

“Aren’t you ashamed? I am the age of your daughter.”

Evelyn was disgusted. The old hag was eyeing her as if she was a snack.

But Miller kept smiling as if he didn’t have any conscience left in him. Pulling her towards himself, he started toying with the rogue strands of her hair, “Oh stop whingeing. I may have grey hair but I am an Alpha in bed, sweetheart. Moreover, girls like experienced men, right?” He spoke shamelessly and sniffed her hair.

Resentment coursed through her veins. Pushing him away, Evelyn swung a fist and struck him hard. Miller grunted and staggered back while holding his bleeding nose.

“BITCH, AHH!!”

Evelyn didn’t stop there and kicked his groin sending him straight to the ground.

“You fucking retard!!” Yelling, she continued kicking him, “I WILL FUCKING SEND YOU TO HELL!! EVIL MANIACS AND ASSHOLES LIKE YOU SHOULDN’T SOIL THIS EARTH! THE ONLY PLACE YOU DESERVE IS HELL!! ROT THERE!!”

Evelyn was having a conniption fit. She was regretting her rash decisions. Just to get rid of the scandals, she didn’t even check the portfolio of the man who had such wicked intentions for her.

Miller coughed blood when Evelyn stabbed her high heels into his stomach.

“I won’t take the laws in my hand. This much damage would remind you of not messing with a woman and never taking advantage of her silence.”

Panting heavily, she moved back while glaring at the man whom she had beaten black and blue. Grabbing her clutch from the ground, Evelyn quickly unlocked her phone and dialed 911.

Miller was lying on the floor, bruised and bloodied. Exhaling a shuddering breath, he watched Evelyn who had her back on him.

His lips twitched into a smirk.

Whimpering in pain, he very cautiously pulled out the gun from his waistband with trembling hands.

“Hello off-”

The words stuck in her mouth when she heard the sound of a gun being cocked. Removing the phone, she was about to turn around when Miller kicked her from back making her phone land on the floor.

Evelyn grunted, the phone slipped from her hand and crashed onto the wall. She quickly looked over her shoulders only to see a deranged Miller prowling towards her.

“You’re literally naive Baby if you thought you could send me to Hell. See, how the tables turned.” He snorted while brandishing the gun.

Her mouth turned dry. Evelyn swallowed heavily while sailing on the floor backward. She noticed how he glowered at her pale legs that got exposed as her skirt glided up. She immediately pulled it down and continued moving back while her panicked eyes darted across the room searching for something which she could use as a weapon.

Miller chuckled darkly as he found her too amusing.

“No one is going to save you, tigress. It’s my area. The moment you entered the room, you sealed your fate as my men had locked the main door. And now your phone is also broken. Tsk, tsk.”

Evelyn flinched hard when her back collided with the cold wall. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes finding all the doors closed. She was doomed.

She watched Miller with trepidation as he crouched in front of her.

“Either way I will have you today. So, just submit and enjoy or I will kill you and fuck your dead body.” He rasped.

Evelyn jerked back in horror. Her petrified gaze landed on the shiny metallic object that he was twirling between his fingers.

Her lungs constricted when he aimed the gun at her forehead, freezing her.

“Strip.”

Her heart sank.

Evelyn let out a muffled cry when he jabbed her forehead with the nozzle.

“FUCKING STRIP OR I WILL EMPTY ALL THE BULLETS IN YOUR HEAD!!” He roared and grabbed her shirt making her shriek. A tearing sound echoed through the room as he ripped her shirt from the front, sending her buttons flying to the ground.

“NO, LET GO!!” Evelyn screamed and pierced her sharp nails into his hand. Miller hissed in pain as she drew blood out of his hands.

“YOU WON’T LISTEN!! THEN LET’S DO IT MY WAY!!” Hollering, he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her to the ground.

Evelyn let out a horrifying scream when he hovered over her and grabbed her legs. Thrashing her arms, she started to cry out loud witnessing the brutality.

“You will be one good fuck. I can feel that.” The sicko spoke while running his rough fingers over her smooth legs.

Evelyn again tried hitting him with her knee but he grabbed it and twisted it making her moan out loud.

“HELP!! HELP SOMEONE HELP!!”

Her heart was hammering in her mouth. Why the heck she came without any security?

Evelyn turned pale when the sound of unbuckling of belts rang in her ears. Tears continued running down her eyes.

Her wide eyes suddenly met with the gun that was lying at an arm’s distance. It got dropped from his hands during the struggle. Huffing, she tried reaching out to it while keeping her eyes on Miller who was busy fondling her body.

A little more. Just a bit more.

She was sweating hard. The gun was loaded, she just needed to grab it.

Her eyes lit up when her right hand contacted that weapon. Tilting the nozzle with her index finger, she stretched her hand to reach for the handle when Miller violently parted her legs, knocking the air out of her lungs.

“NO!!!”

Evelyn let out a blood-curdling scream when his callous fingers dipped inside her skirt.

Terrified, her hands unconsciously pushed the gun away as she started hitting his shoulders hysterically.

Miller chuckled at her futile attempts, “Stop wasting your energy, Babe. Save it once the real fun begins.”

Saying that he gripped her hands and pinned them above her head. Evelyn started shaking her head as he ducked forward and was about to attack her lips.

That’s it.

She never imagined her end to be this barbaric.

Evelyn broke into loud sobs as she squeezed her eyes and continued struggling for life.

“Argg!!”

Her eyes shot open when a painful grunt rippled through the air.

Evelyn gasped when she eyed the leather belt that was snaked around his neck. Her teary eyes fell on the tattooed hands that were strangling the man who was about to snatch her virtue.

Miller quickly released her and clutched the belt tightly. He tried hard to pry it but the grip only turned stronger and stronger as someone started lifting him from behind with the noose around his neck.

Evelyn trembled while watching the gruesome sight. The man was squirming like a dying fish but couldn’t escape from the claws of the grim reaper who was squeezing the life out of him.

Miller started to wheeze; his face continued turning blue with every passing second.

Her heartbeat ceased when he turned limp.

Her horror-stricken face watched his body that sagged against the belt, his wide lifeless eyes gazing at her. She was too terrified to even scream.

The corpse was then suddenly pulled away from her and thrown to the ground harshly. Evelyn remained motionless on the ground. She was traumatized and shaken to the bone.

Her eyes started to droop. She felt too weak. She could hear the extremely slow beating of her heart and the sound of heavy metallic boots treading the floorboards.

She felt someone crouching beside her. Something was draped over her chest before she felt herself being pulled up from the floor. Two muscular arms slithered to her back and held her firmly. The embrace was soft, warm…

And familiar.

Even in her stupor, she recognized that touch. But her debilitated state stalled her movements. She could only breathe.

Evelyn still forced herself to catch a glimpse of the sturdy figure who was no less than her guarding angel. The first thing she noticed was the thick, silver chains on his neck before she peered at her face.

The lights were suddenly dimmed so she failed to figure out the mysterious silhouette. But her breath hitched the moment her chocolate hues connected with the dark obsidian ones.

“Y-You-”

Broken incoherent words escaped her mouth before she gave in to darkness.

*****