What felt like ten minutes passed. My heart raced, my pulse ready to break through my neck. A loud snap drew my attention to the left. With my hand over my mouth, I poked my head out from the tree, doing my best to steady my rapid breathing.
A man stood about a hundred feet in front of me. He had medium length dark hair and tanned skin. “Alexandrea,” he said in a thick Russian accent. “Don’t make me chase you.”
He passed by my hiding spot, the mud beneath his shoes crunching as he walked. After he was about two hundred feet away, I slipped out from behind the tree. Careful not to make a sound, I left my heels in the grass.
What did he want?
When my stalker was at a safe distance, I flew down the dirt path. Dirt stuck to my bare feet. Leaves and sticks and who knows what dug into my skin.
“Hey,” he yelled. “Get back here.”
He barreled toward me, snaking his arm around my middle, lifting my feet off the ground. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Please,” I whimpered as he tightened his grip. “Just let me go. You don’t want to do this.”
“Oh, but I do.” I could feel the smirk gracing his lips as he pressed them to my cheek. “I hate the Salvatores. They have taken everything from my family. And now, I’m going to take the one thing they want most.”
“They don’t want me,” I screamed. “I have money. I’ll give you whatever you want. Just let me go.”
He dragged me over to a tree and pinned me against it. I kicked him and yelled for help, but it was no use. His strong arms held me down as he reached between us to push up my dress.
“Stop it! Please.” I raised my knee to kick him in the balls, but he was too fast and caught it midair.
“There’s no point in fighting me.” He bunched my dress around my hips and then worked on unbuttoning his pants. “Your virgin pussy is worth a lot more than money to the Salvatores. By the time I’m done with you, they won’t even recognize you. No one will want to bid on you.”
Bid on me?
I yelled for help, tears streaming down my cheeks. He covered my mouth with his hand and pushed his boxers down, his cock springing free. I wriggled in his arms, raking my fingernails across his cheek.
Cursing at me under his breath, he fisted his cock. Tears leaked from my eyes and coated my cheeks. I couldn’t scream with his hand over my nose and mouth. His skin smelled like cigarettes and aftershave, a mixture that made my stomach churn.
“Payback is a bitch,” he grunted.
I closed my eyes and waited for him to push inside me, knowing I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
But nothing happened.
Something warm splashed across my face and into my hair. The man fell forward, caging me against the tree with his heavy body. I opened my eyes and screamed.
Idrove with Damian to our safe house in Beacon Bay. My brother had fucked up again. And as usual, I had to deal with the consequences of his sickness. Damian wasn’t like other people. He was never right in the head, an uncontrolled psychopath who needed my help to satiate his dark desires.
I parked in front of the abandoned apartment building my family owned and hopped out of my Porsche. Damian slid out of the passenger seat, licking his lips as he glanced up at the top floor. The wheels were already turning in his sick mind. We all had our vices, so I didn’t have room to judge him. But I was really getting annoyed with his urges.
“Make it fast,” I said in a level but firm tone. “I’m not spending all day here. Alex and Marcello will be home soon.”
He smirked. “Eager to chase after our pet?”
We all wanted Alex Wellington. What man wouldn’t want the blonde bombshell? But I mostly wanted to beat Luca to her virginity.
Her cherry was mine.
“D, I’m tired of this shit.” I slammed the car door and pulled the keys to the apartment building out of my pocket. “We shouldn’t even be here right now. You promised the last time would be the last time.”
“I got carried away.” He rolled his shoulders, indifferent to the fact he had a serious problem. “What do you want me to say? He was lurking outside of Wellington Manor. I did it to protect Alex.”
“Yeah, fine. You did good.” I turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. “But murder isn’t a sport.”
He followed me into the building, breathing down my neck. “Dad doesn’t have a problem with it.”