Lucien steps away from the car and I instinctively take a step back. “I’ve been looking for you,” he rumbles, eyes dark and haunting. No hello, no asking how I’ve been, no checking up on school or my real family, just straight down to the shit storm that is my life.
He takes another step and I take one back, turning this into some sort of sick dance. “Where’s your brother?”
“You’ll never see him again.”
Lucien laughs and the sound sends chills down my spine. It’s the same sound I heard as he pushed me down on my bed, the same sound that came as he tore my underwear off me, it’s the same damn sound that I heard as he forced his way inside my body.
Images flash through my head from that night and it’s almost enough to send me spiraling. I want to crumble, but I can’t. Crumbling means he wins and I’ll be damned if I ever let that happen again.
Why did I have to be so stupid as to drink half a fucking bottle of vodka? I dropped the ball again. I should have been ready. Hell, I went to the fucking cops only a week ago. How stupid could I have been?
Realizing this is a fight or flight situation, I drop the joint to the ground and crush it beneath my foot, freeing my hands in case I need to fight for my freedom.
He takes another step, but this time I don’t move. I will not succumb to his intimidation. I’m stronger now.
Braver. Survivor. Warrior.
“Where’s your brother, girl?” he demands, his voice sailing far throughout the night.
“He’s out living his life, far away from you and your psycho wife. He’ll never go back, not in a million fucking years. He hates you, he despises you. You’re nothing but trash with money bags.”
Lucien’s hand snaps out hard and fast, slapping across my skin with a sharp sting and making my head rebound and spin. I stumble on my feet, still pissed off that I drank so much. If I was clear-headed, I would have seen that coming and could have avoided it but my stupidity won out again.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I scream, throwing my hands out and forcing myself forward. I slam them into his chest, holding back bile at the thought of touching this man. He’s rocked back, shocked that I had it in me to fight back. “We will never go back. We’re finally free of your bullshit.”
Lucien’s hand flies out, latching onto my wrist with a grip tight enough to crush my bones. “You’ll fucking go wherever I say you’ll go,” he spits, pulling hard and dragging me back toward his SUV. “I. Own. You.”
I pull back, desperate to save myself, knowing what kind of fate I’ll endure if I was taken back to that hell. I scream out, desperate to save myself.
I claw at his hand, knowing damn well that I’m cutting deep grooves into his skin, but he doesn’t relent, treating me like misbehaved property.
A large body is shoved between us and my wrist is yanked out of his grasp with a hard tug. My body goes flying back and I drop to the ground with a hard thud. I look up, finding a breathless Slade rearing back with a tight fist. He lets his anger free and his punch flies toward Lucien, knocking him back into the side of the SUV. “If you ever fucking touch her again, I will end you.”
Lucien scrambles to catch himself as he spits blood onto the sidewalk. His eyes are wild, still trying to figure out what the fuck just happened.
He straightens himself out as I hastily get to my feet and dart behind Slade. His hand flies to his back and I latch onto it with everything I’ve got as I cower behind him, desperate for this nightmare to be over.
My eyes are wide and wild, terrified and ferocious. My breath comes in rapid movements and I know that one slight movement from Lucien could have me spiraling down into a destructive meltdown.
Lucien finally rights himself as he studies me with Slade. “What’s this?” he questions, his eyes narrowing curiously, bringing his eyes back to Slade. “When you didn’t respond to my demands, I had no idea it was because you decided to keep the prize for yourself.”
Every muscle in Slade’s body tightens and I don’t doubt that he’s doing everything within his power to control himself and to not lash out. After all, Lucien plays dirty and I don’t doubt that somewhere in that suit he has a gun, loaded and ready to use on my man.
Lucien takes another step forward, slow and intimidating and while I’m about ready to pass out from fear, Slade only appears to be getting stronger. “She’s good, isn’t she?” Lucien laughs, desperately trying to get a reaction out of Slade. “Nice and tight.”