At the sound of his heavy footsteps approaching my body stiffens. The smell of his cheap cologne invades the space behind me, and I grip the silverware in my fist that so happens to be a fork. I’ll do it. I’ll stab his eye out. One touch from him and I’ll fucking do it.
“You should start showing me gratitude for all the times I’ve offered you more hours. For all the days I let you work overtime.” His hot breath hits the back of my neck, and I tighten my hold on my only weapon I have. Do it, asshole. I want an excuse. I need an excuse.
“Offered me? You mean all the times you said I’d be fired if I didn’t show up?” I stay facing forward, him still inches behind me.
“You stupid girl. I’m the best boss you’ll ever fucking have.”
I let out a mocking laugh. “You’re disgusting.” The words leave my mouth so fast, I don’t have time to play the possible repercussions, but at this point, I don’t care.
“Did you just laugh at me?” He doesn’t give me time to respond or time to ready myself as he grabs my neck, thrusting me into his chest. But I go for it, jerking out of his hold and gashing him straight in his arm with the fork. The only reason it didn’t hit his skull is because, apparently, I suck at aiming silverware.
He lets out a piercing yelp as he rips the fork from his punctured skin, blood trickling out of the wound. “You goddamn bitch!”
I back away but my body collides with a table as my boss stalks me with hatred in his eyes. Despite it all, I smile, watching the blood run down his arm.
“Think this is funny?”
“I do, actually.” I snatch up a knife from one of the tables. “I’m enjoying this.”
He clocks me with a confused look.
“What? You didn’t think I’d fight back? Yeah, fuck that. I’ve had worse done to me. You can’t hurt me. You can’t bring me down. I’ve already been through the ringer. So come on… try me.” I don’t even stutter as my pride returns and a power in me flares to life.
Glass shatters behind me, and out of instinct, I crouch down, covering my head. The echo of my scream doesn’t overpower the muffling behind the ringing of my ears.
Did someone break the door’s window?
“What the fuck is this?” Eric’s timid voice can be heard from my position even though I’m practically hugging the ground.
When he comes into view, a panicked look flashes over him. His mouth agape and he starts retreating backward.
Someone is here.
Another set of approaching footsteps grow heavy and closer by each ticking second. My body trembles as black boots stop directly next to me, and when I realize who those boots belong to, I steadily bring my arms down.
The eyes I’ve gazed into many times before are the light and they are his. They aren’t unreachable. But the concern for me is written all over his face.
Liem rubs his hands down my arms, scanning me with urgency. “You hurt?”
I shake my head, never looking away while Liem’s eyes hold me sane, holding me safe.
“I stabbed him in the arm,” I quiver, managing to tell him.
He picks up his bat stroking my tear-stained cheek with his thumb and grins. “That’s my girl. But I have to take care of something. I’ll be right back. Stay down and don’t look. Okay?’’
I’m made speechless as I nod with a sandpaper swallow.
He pulls me close, his lips touching my ear. “You did good, Danika. You did so good. But it’s my turn now.” He stands and my heart beats over a thousand times in my chest. Pride swirls around like a whirlpool.
The bottom of his bat scrapes the tile floor as he stalks toward my boss. I don’t look away like he told me too. No, I watch because I want to witness Liem destroy this man, and I’ll do it with a smile on my face.
“You need to get the hell outta here, buddy. Your fucking club has been around enough. I’ll call the police.”
My boss has no idea what Liem and his club are capable of. The police can’t help him.
Liem keeps advancing on him, his body fueled with rage. He’s unstoppable at this point, and all I can do is watch in complete awe, no itch to stop him. Eric deserves the pain. Men like him deserve to suffer. And if that makes me a bad person—a monster—then so be it.
No words are spoken as Liem keeps closing in on him and Eric, with nowhere left to go, backs himself against one of the tables.
