Chapter Thirteen
“I’m done with your bullshit,” Vivian huffs, marching up to us and flinging Emmett and Bernadette out of the way, wagging her fingers viciously in my face. “As long as daddy dearest responds to the ultimatum our parents sent, you won’t get hurt.”
“What ultimatum?” I ask, wishing I had more of a clue as to what was going on. “If my life depends on my ability to help you, wouldn’t it be better for all of us if you told me what was actually going on here?”
“I don’t buy this little innocent naïve act of yours for one second,” she barks back, practically spitting in my face between her gritted teeth. “I’m not going to stand here and waste more of my time and energy explaining things that you probably already know. You’re just trying to get more out of us so you can tell your shitty dad how much we know. And that is a biiiig mistake, you little rat.”
“I wouldn’t know how to reach him to tell him anything anyway!” I remind her, my voice shrill in frustration. “Much less how to reach him and tell him to do whatever it is you’re wanting. I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Well, you better start figuring it out, princess,” she walks away carelessly. “I’d hate for your first meeting with Daddy dearest to be at your funeral. That’s if he even makes it out of this alive. Which is doubtful at this point.”
My blood chills. She’s not fucking around. And she’s also not budging. Her death threats make me want to threaten to go to the police again, but I know that means nothing to them. They’re completely fearless.
Well, almost. My dad has managed to do something that has them afraid. Something I know nothing about but am somehow expected to stop.
She tosses a phone in my direction, sending my arms flying to catch it so it doesn’t hit me in the face. Once my hands wrap around it, I lower my arms to study the device.
It’s not just any phone. It’s my phone. Again.
“How did you get this?” I murmur in confusion.
“Oh, I hope you don’t mind…” Emmett answers tauntingly. “I borrowed that from you yesterday.”
“No…you couldn’t have…,” I reason out loud, but then I start connecting the dots.
I was so upset after our encounter I had raced straight home and never even bothered checking to see if I had my phone last night or this morning. I slept straight through and then came to school in a daze. He had it the entire time.
Had that been the only reason he got so close to me? Why he kissed me again? Was it all just a ploy of distraction so he could swipe my phone right out from under me?
I shake away my doubts, filing them for later, as I bring myself back to Vivian’s demands.
“Well, can you at least tell me when my dad needs to respond to the ultimatum by?” I try again, hoping for any small hint of where to even begin.
There’s no response. Vincent and Trey are approaching once again with frightening smug grins. This isn’t just another round of roughing me up. They’re closing in on me with a purpose, one that they’re too pleased with.
My eyes dart to the door as I contemplate making a run for it. They may be stronger than me, but I doubt they’re fast enough to outrun me. But I know I won’t be able to build enough speed between where I stand and the door. They’d have me back in their arms before I could make it out.
And even if I did get away…they don’t sound like they’re going to let all of this go easily. I’d escape only to be haunted by the constant looming threat of when they’d try again. And since this business with my dad seems to be of a time-sensitive nature, I might as well try to get this over with.
“I’ll just ditch my phone!” I jeer, swallowing down my fears about how pricey a new one would be. “I can get a new one. You’re not going to keep tabs on me.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Vivian grins. “We’ve got a back-up plan.”
Trey and Vincent snarl and cackle as they grab onto me again, Bernadette joining in. They sound like wild hyenas who’ve just landed their prey.
“Get away from me!” I protest hopelessly as they each take an arm and lift my feet from the ground. I kick aimlessly into the air, but it’s no use. My struggling doesn’t doesn’t faze them and I’m at the mercy of their hard grip around my shoulders.
With a painful thud, they slam my chest and face down onto a table. One hand spreads across the side of my face while another set of hands holds my arms behind my back.
“Move over,” Emmett grunts. “Let me do it.”
“I’ll do it,” Vivian protests. “I don’t want you putting your hands on this filthy little cunt anymore.”
Her jealousy gives me a momentary thrill, but I’m quickly brought back to the danger I’m in.
I hear a scuffle from the two of them fighting over something, but barely. One of my ears is sharply pressed down beneath the weight of my head, and my other ear is being crushed underneath Vincent’s hand. All I can hear is the fierce and rapid pounding of my own heart in fear of whatever it is they’re getting ready to do.
With a quick and sudden pull to my top, I hear the fabric rip around my right arm. I assume their motives are perverted and sexual, but then…