“You didn’t teach me a goddamn thing!” I shouted, earning looks from the people walking by. “How could you do that to me? I’m all alone in this city and you set me up with a man you’ve never met before so you could get money for a businessthat should be so flush with cash, we could be giving out our own loans!” I seethed. “How did you know something wouldn’t happen to me?” Why was she needing money? What was happening to the company?
“Because you’re a strong and capable girl.”
If only she knew. “That doesn’t stop others from attacking me!” I said through my teeth, remembering that nightmare, my hand instinctively finding my neck, feeling the collar beneath the scarf, my blood chilling.
“You have Steven—”
“Steven b—" My teeth clicked shut, the world blurring around me. Goddammit!
“Steven what? Beats you? Is that what you were about to say?” She laughed, and I honestly couldn’t believe she even guessed that on the first try. “Okay, well that is certainly not true. I would know if my daughter was dating someone who beat her, and even if he did, I wouldn’t blame him,” she went on, causing my stomach to hollow out completely. “The things you put me through, I’m sure he got tired of holding his tongue just like I did. You know what? I’m going to give him a call.”
That was just…that was justperfect. Why did she even have his number?
“You sound like you need some rest dear, you should get home, drink some tea, take some of those sleeping pills I sent you. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
I swallowed, tears dripping down my cheeks. “I’m not like you, mom. I won’t just pop pills because it makes everything easier.” I’ll certainly have my fair share of alcohol though.
“That is very rude to tell your mother.”
“Good.” I hung up and shoved the phone away, my bottom lip trembling as I quickly swiped my fingers under my eyes.
I glanced down at my fingertips and nodded, more tears filling my eyes when I saw the black and red smeared across them.Perfect. This was just goddamn perfe—
A hand wrapped around my wrist, and I was jerked to the side violently.
My whole world spun and tilted, nothing slowing down or making sense until I was shoved up against the wall, a hand slamming over my mouth, while the other pinned one wrist to the wall, a leg sliding between both of mine, a body pressing me into the crumbling brick.
My eyes widened, heart slamming against my ribs when I met the cool silver-blue eyes of the man from The Club.
He had me pinned to the wall.
I was trapped.
9
Olivia
April 23rd, 2022
Iinhaled deeply, preparing myself to scream only for his hand to shove into me a little more, pain etching into the back of my skull, the tears I had tried to keep back spilling over as I panted through my nose.
What the fuck.
What the fuck!
He lifted his knee a little more, pressing hard against my pussy as he leaned in close enough to feel his hot breath graze my skin, the scent of him, pine and rain, filling my nose. “Why is there someone following you, little writer?”
But I couldn’t think, I couldn’t move. I had lost all control.
This had to confirm it. Hewasfollowing me. I couldn’t escape him. 800,000 people and he still managed to find me.
His eyes flicked to where his hand pinned my head to the wall and back, a smile curling the corners of his lips up. “Did you like the gifts I left on your body?” he asked, my eyes wideningto saucers as his fingers holding my wrist to the wall forced my bracelet down to reveal the marks I had gotten in my sleep. “Did you fuck yourself to them in the shower this morning? Moan when you saw the collar around your pretty little neck?”
No because it wasn’t real. It wasn’t…it wasn’treal. It couldn’t have been real. I pressed my lips together, refusing to answer. He was lying. It was all just a game. It had to be a game.
“Brave of you to walk home,” he hummed, running his thumb over the soft part of my inner wrist, “by yourself,” His eyes found mine again.
There was something so dark and evil about the way he looked at me, and I…fuck, Ilikedit. It was so unhinged and so wild, and those icy blue eyes were focused only on me. His entire mind, his every thought, was focused on me in this moment, and I was the idiot who slurped down that psychotic morsal without thought.
