“Ophelia,” says Emmett loftily. “You’ll follow me, or Trey and Vincent will help you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I growl, and when I say this, something glints happily in Emmett’s eyes. It is almost as if he was wanting me to deny him. “So fuck off.”
Rough hands grab my shoulders, wrists, and suddenly I’m being pulled. My hurt wrist screams with pain. My feet dig into the tile but the two guys are too strong for me. With a yank, I’m jolted forward and only avoid falling on my face thanks to their death grip on my arms.
“Fucking hell, stop!” I scream. Panic bubbles into my chest. I seriously cannot get out of their hold. I struggle, trying to bend my arms this way and that. They’re dragging me to a door, and a fresh burst of fear fuels me. I try to trip the one to my left, but he just laughs, grabbing my leg so I’m hopping on one. My skirt bunches against my hips and I’m certain I’m flashing Emmett, who waits inside with a smarmy grin.
“Stop stop stop, what the fuck?” My voice is breathless and panicked. Teeth! Why didn’t I think of it before!
As I struggle, I bite down on a forearm. There’s a yowl of pain, and suddenly I’m flying, weightless. Pain cracks my skull, and for a moment I’m dazed, feeling my body being dragged. Everything is fuzzy, and the dull click of a lock barely registers.
“Oh fuck,” I say, touching my head gingerly. Before I can move, arms scoop under my armpits and haul my limp body up. My butt lands on papers and pens, but it’s nothing compared to the headache I have. “Ow.”
Warm hands press down on my thighs. Emmett appears in front of my face.
“Knock it off,” he says harshly. “You didn’t hit your head that hard.”
“Fuck you,” I growl through the haze.
I’m unprepared for the hand that grips my hair and yanks. Sharp pain radiates from my skull and I gasp as Emmett’s lips touch the shell of my ear.
“We can do that, baby,” he murmurs darkly. “You just need to be a good little pet and do as you’re told.”
“Get off!” I yell, placing my two hands on his chest and shoving. It’s enough to get him off me, stepping away. His two cronies watch with beady eyes and salivating mouths. I realize my skirt is up, my blue lace panties being shown off to these creeps. I tug it down, glaring daggers at them.
“Who the fuck are you?” I say.
“You know who I am,” Emmett says, sitting on a desk in front of me.
“Who are your cronies?” I jerk my thumb to the idiots who dragged me into this room. My body aches from their manhandling.
Emmett whistles softly. “You don’t know much about us, do you?”
“I’m Vincent,” says the football-looking guy.
“Trey,” the blonde guy adds.
“They’re fraternal twins,” Emmett offers, carefully watching my face. I don’t know what he expects from me, but he’s disappointed I don’t react more. He sighs. “My, my Ophelia. What are we going to do with you?”
“Let me go?” I grind out. I play with my hands like an idiot, struggling to maintain my composure. I can’t let them know they’ve got to me. Bullies thrive off fear. “Like, obviously?”
“Oh, we can’t do that.” The ominous tone in his words... It’s down-right chilling. My heart rate spikes as he slowly stands up. “You’ve gone too far.”
“I don’t see how,” I say.
“Oh, you don’t, do you?” says Vincent, crowding in on my personal space. His legs brush my knees, and it’s all I can do to not wither into a ball. “I think you know exactly why you’re here.”
We look at each other. He towers over me, and the sheer strength he exudes reminds me of Brendan’s. But far, far more menacing. Trey’s eyes are black, and they suck me in like a vortex. I have a feeling he hides many secrets behind them.
He seems to be waiting for a response. “Uh.” My voice is tight. My tongue is dry, and I tumble around the words. “Lily?”
Vincent and Emmett look at each other. Trey has taken up residence on a desk, looking bored.
“Come on, you guys,” he says, “Let’s move on with it.”
“You don’t belong here,” Emmett says slowly, as if he’s explaining something important to me. “You are a fucking cunt who doesn’t deserve to lick the bottoms of our shoes. But you’re here. And we need to make sure you understand just how things are around here.”
His words don’t hurt. They fall upon deaf ears, because all I can hear, feel and see is a raging tidal wave of anger.