I swallowed down the bile that had risen up. “You don’t need to do this. You can have me –”

“And I will.”

“So why haven’t you?” I snapped.

He cocked his head at me curiously and bared his teeth. “Is that a challenge?” he growled, pressing up into me. I gasped at the contact from the hard-on he did nothing to conceal. “Make no mistake, there is nothing more I would rather do right now than bend you over this chair and introduce you to my cock the right way, but business first and then we fuck.” I didn’t know what pissed me off more: what he said or the way my body reacted to it. “I see the look in your eyes, Monroe. You can keep up the good girl act but we both know what I will find if I touched your pussy right now.”

“The only thing I feel towards you right now is contempt…” I leaned forward until my nose was touching his. “…make no mistake about that.”

I was flat on my back before I could blink and then my jeans were being ripped off my hips. Panic took over as I grabbed onto Keiran’s wrists but he effortlessly broke out of my grip and turned the tables by pinning my wrists against the cushions with one of his. A second later, he shoved his other hand down my panties, delivering an unexpected swat to my pussy before his fingers slowly slipped inside of me. He immediately withdrew them and used his now dripping fingers to strum the little bundle of nerves until I was gasping for air. Only then did he plunge his fingers inside me once more, causing my body to bow off the couch. His grip tightened to keep me from escaping the pleasure he was forcing on me and after only a few teasing strokes of his fingers a violent tremble shook my body.

“How can it only be contempt you feel for me when all I feel is you coming on my hand? I barely touched you…”

“No.” I shook my head against his claim. He watched me quietly until the shaking subsided. Whatever just happened left me feeling weak. When he shoved away from me to sit upright, I quickly pulled my jeans back over my hips, feeling embarrassment flood my senses. I couldn’t meet his eyes but I knew he was watching me from the other end of couch.

“Now…back to business.” His blank face and callous attitude over my first sexual experience had me choking back my ever-present tears. It was a common occurrence around him. He rolled his eyes and he pulled out his phone. “As I said when you came in—you seem to have a hard time hearing me.” He began dialing on his phone and then a video feed of an older man with long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail appeared on his screen. “You got her?”

“In my sight as we speak.”

“Good. Someone needs to see.” He crooked his finger and patted his lap with a satisfied look on his face. I reluctantly slid over but when I refused to sit in his lap he hauled me over. I wrestled with him until he placed a restraining hand around my neck and whispered low, “Move again and I’ll spank your ass.”

“You got a feisty piece there, don’t you?” the guy commented lustfully. A black look crossed over Keiran’s face as he turned back to the camera. The guy suddenly looked nervous and cleared his throat while apologizing.

The screen suddenly switched and I was looking at the glossy background of a bar. I could see the name of a well-known, five-star hotel chain plastered on the wall and then something or rather someone, caught my attention.

My aunt. Sitting at the bar with her agent.

I knew immediately what Keiran was showing me—what he was telling me. Without saying anything, Keiran ended the call and the video feed of my aunt disappeared.

“One phone call and she disappears. There are a lot of places a person can disappear. I should know. I did.”

“What do you think I’m going to do?” I cried with anger and emotion filling my voice. I was yelling by the time I spoke the last word. Fear for my aunt overshadowed my need for self-preservation.

“I don’t know. You surprise me at every turn and I have to say, I did not think you had it in you to fight me. Planting those drugs in my locker? Brilliant. The execution was sloppy as hell though, but not to worry…I’ll show you how to get back at someone properly. So here’s what you’re going to do.”

* * *

I walked into school with my head low, watching the tile floor and my feet as they quickly carried me to English. My phone rung for the umpteenth time since I left my house this morning and I closed my eyes to quell the pain. Don’t answer it, Lake. Just ignore it. You can do this.

I quickly stored my extra books in my locker and hurried for English. I couldn’t be late. Being late meant something else would be taken away from me and though I didn’t think there wasn’t anything left, I couldn’t risk it. He would know exactly where to strike. He always did.

I made it to the classroom with less than a minute to spare and was careful not to make eye contact with my tormentor. He was sitting in his normal seat and I headed for the one assigned to me. The one he told me to sit in. I kept my head down, staring at the table and ignoring the silence. The class was completely empty and school wouldn’t start for another half hour.

“Take your hair down,” he ordered from a few rows behind me. I slowly unwound my hair from its bun on top of my head and let my hair tumble down my back.

“What happened this morning?”

I tried to hold back the tears that immediately threatened to spill over. “I told her.”

“What did you tell her?”

“To stay away from me.”