Before I make it two steps into his place, Mark turns toward us and, with a clenched jaw, says, “What do you want?”
“To talk,” Zoey says, spinning around on her heel to face Mark and me.
I stand between the two of them, knowing if something bad happens, I’ll use my position to protect my little sister.
“About?” he asks.
Zoey crosses her arms, tilting her head. “You need to drop the charges.”
Mark lets out an evil laugh that sends chills skittering down my spine. “No.”
Zoey raises an eyebrow as she glares at him. “You know the best things about dating apps?”
He grunts.
“I was able to track down a whole bunch of women who hooked up with you before I did. Their stories are very interesting, and all of them had a very similar experience with you as I did.”
Now it’s my turn to widen my eyes in surprise. Zoey hasn’t told me any of this. She left out important details as we drove to Mark’s apartment tonight.
Mark pulls in a long breath through his flared nostrils.
“And every single one of them is ready to testify with me in open court about everything, Mark. Every dirty, despicable, degrading detail about your depravity and sexual deviances. I see a very long jail sentence in front of you.”
“Bullshit,” he mutters through the stiffness that looks beyond painful, even if it’s deserved.
Zoey reaches into her pocket, pulling out her phone. “You want to test me?”
Mark’s dark-rimmed eyes drop to the phone in my sister’s hand. “You didn’t find anything.”
“Social media is an amazing thing, Mark. Between that and the dating app, I know everything.”
“Liar,” he seethes, taking a step forward, but he stops when I move in his way.
But I’m not empty-handed. I didn’t bring my gun because I knew if things went badly, I might end up with the bullet or my sister would. I’m not strong enough to wrestle a man over control of a weapon.But I did bring my strongest can of pepper spray. If he couldn’t see, he couldn’t attack us—or at least that was my line of thinking when I stuck it in the front pocket of my jeans.
“Does Mary Catherine ring any bells?” Zoey asks with a smug smirk on her face.
Mark’s face pales beneath the bruises.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever been prouder of my sister than I am right now. Everything about her oozes power.
The smile on her face grows wider, and I can practically see the strength surging within her. “Want to call me a liar again?” She pauses and stares at him as his breathing grows more labored. “I want you to drop the charges against Oliver, or else me, Mary Catherine, and the handful of other women I’ve been able to talk to are going to the police. They may not believe one of us, but when there’s a group who’ve all had the same fucked-up experience with you, people will listen, and you’ll lose. I think there are enough of us to have your ass behind bars for many, many years.”
“You wouldn’t,” Mark says, but his entire posture has changed. He may not be visibly shaking, but he’s rattled on the inside.
Zoey lifts her chin, glaring down her nose at him. “I would, Mark. For me, there’s no better fantasy than some man making you his bitch behind bars.”
My knees go weak at the balls on my sister, and somehow, I don’t break out in a fit of laughter at the way Mark’s face contorts into something even more hideous.
“Drop the charges first thing in the morning, or we’ll be at the police station tomorrow night to file charges against you. It’s in your hands now,” she tells him and takes a step toward the door.
But to get to the door, she needs to walk by Mark. I stiffen as she gets closer to him, hoping he doesn’t try something. I let my hand drop to my pocket and to the pepper spray, ready for anything.
Zoey stops two feet in front of him. “Move,” she says, motioning with the backs of her fingers like he’s a fly she’s shooing away.
“Zoey,” he says and reaches for her.
My heart leaps in my chest and I rush forward, but Zoey takes a step back, avoiding his touch.
