PROLOGUE – ISABELLA
“Fuck!”
I whip around the moment I hear my best friend, Olivia, swearing in agony. After everything she’s been through, she can’t face any more. No way.
But I don’t need to worry.
It’s just the nasty ass taste of one of those gross, weird colored shots.
“Isabella, youneedto have one of these.” Olivia says as she shoves one my way, spilling way too much of it over the bar. “Come on, you’re supposed to be getting wild with me tonight. I’m free!”
I grimace because I had promised, but I didn’t think that’d mean I would have to drink stuff likethis. I only agree to it because this is a celebration.
Olivia isfinallyfree from that toxic piece of shit, Leon, and back living with me just like we used to back in college. She was single and ready to mingle once more.
Well, maybe not ready to mingle right away. She’s been gas lit for months now, coming on for a year, so that’ll take a lot of undoing. Plus I don’t think Leon Morrison is the sort of guy who’s going to let her go easily, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of, he isn’t getting her back.
I don’t intend to ever let him near her again.
After all, if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s keeping the guys away.
He might have convinced Olivia to fear him, but he doesn’t scare me. I don’t give a shit. He isn’t getting through me no matter what he tries.
“Get me another,” I call out over the thumping music in the nightclub.
“You like it?”
“No.” I screw my face up in horror. “But we’re getting wild, right?”
“Yeah, we are! Here you go. This one is supposed to be a bit nicer.”
Once this next, equally gross shot burns down my throat, Olivia yanks me onto the dance floor, where we dance around like complete idiots, not even caring who’s looking. Why would we care about anything else when this is making us laugh so damn much?
I’ve missed this, so freaking much. I hated Olivia being wrapped up inhim.
“Leon.”
Huh? I stare at Olivia in confusion. She must be trying to tell me something else that asshole did. As if I need to be any angrier at that piece of shit. I can’t believe how much she kept from me while she was trying to make things work.
If I’d known the full extent of it all, I might’ve killed him.
I still might, I’m not fully calmed down yet.
“Leon,” she repeats, pointing over my head. In the flashing neon lights, I can see the color draining from her cheeks. My blood runs ice cold. “Leon, he’s here. He’s found me.”
Oh no.
This night just took a different turn. The laughter melts away as the world around us turns to the frozen tundra. He must be following Olivia, tracking her down somehow. Coming to wreck her fun because that’s what he does best.
Well, not this time.
“Come on.” I grab Olivia’s arm and tug her towards me, away from him. As far as I’m concerned the quicker we get out of here, the better.
“We need to leave.”
“Why? “Olivia juts her chin out defiantly as the alcohol cascades through her body. “Why should I always have to leave because of him? It isn’t fair, it isn’t right. He has ruined enough of my life as it is, I don’t want him to do anything more to me, I refuse to let him think that he can still control me because, no way. There is just no way that’s happening. I won’t have it.”
I grit my teeth with irritation. Much as I’m enjoying this show of strength from her against that monster, this doesn’t feel like the time and place for it. She’s wasted and he’s mad. Not the best combination. Even I don’t want to take this fight on here.