“You’ll do more than that.” His fingers dig into my arm.
“Stop. You’re hurting me.”
Todd laughs. “Hurting you? Look at my face,” he snarls, bloody spit flying at me.
“Do you want some ice?” I try to jerk out of his hold, but this only serves to piss him off. His hand flies back. Thwack. His palm connects with my cheek. I bite my tongue as my skin burns and stings from the slap. “Please, Todd. I swear. I’ll make it up to you.”
His fist connects with my eye and I scream. “You can start now.” His hand slides up my arm, squeezing my shoulder, and pressing me to my knees so that I’m kneeling at his feet.
I swallow the bile that creeps up the back of my throat. My stomach clenches and I grind my teeth. Jerking his belt, he undoes the button and zipper of his dark blue jeans. Tears gather in the creases of my eyes as he looms over me. Todd’s always been a bit of a dickhead, but I never expected this from him. Grabbing me by the back of my hair, he yanks hard, forcing me to glance up at him. Lips puffy, eyes swollen and bruises forming, Todd glares at me as though he wishes I were dead.
“Always a cock tease. Not anymore. Tonight you’re gonna pay up.”
“No. Please don’t. I’ll get you the money.”
“Shut up, bitch,” he growls in my face and knocks me on my ass. I roll to my stomach and try to crawl toward the kitchen. There’s a set of butcher knives on the counter if I could get to them, I’d stab his eyes out and cut off his dick. Todd grabs hold of my hips and drags me across the carpet, the friction rubbing the exposed skin of my belly. Jerking the bottoms of my uniform down he bears down on me, his weight pinning me in place.
I choke out a sob. “Oh, God. Please no.” I feel the heat of his skin poking against my back side. “Stop it, Todd. You don’t want to do this. Not like this.” Fear bubbles in my chest as he continues to ignore me, forcing me to spread my legs for him.
“Shut up. You’ve been teasing my cock for months, you fuckin’ slut. Tonight you’re gonna give me what I’ve been waiting for. You owe me.”
Trembling beneath him I stare at the end table next to the couch. Beside the lamp is a picture of Rochelle’s dad and her mom in a pretty white frame. It’s their wedding day. Both baby faced and not much older than I am now. James wearing this beautiful smile on his face and probably one of the only times the man has been in a suit. He’s holding Rochelle on his hip. I imagine him gazing at me like that. Full of love, adoration, and hope for a brighter tomorrow.
As Todd’s body slams against mine, I pretend I’m in that photo in place of Ruthie, and I get lost in the fantasy. Pretending I’m somewhere else. That I’m someone else with each brutal thrust as my stomach slides over the carpet. “That’s it. Take it, you whore.” The heat of his breath fans along my neck. Bile churns, in the pit of my belly, clawing its way up my throat.
Todd bites and nips at me like a savage animal. His teeth digging deep enough to draw blood.
I hear the front door open and pray its Murder.
“What do we have here?” A gritty voice growls.
I hear the bones in Todd’s nose crunch, and he cries out.
I try to see who my savior is, but one eye is swollen, and my vision is hazy. “This the little bitch who got off with the product?”
“You broke my nose,” Todd whines.
“Make yourself useful and tie her up.”
I try to crawl away from them but it’s no use. I’m no match for the two of them.
Chapter Three
Two Weeks Later
“What are you looking at?” I step up behind Grudge who is staring hard at the gate to our compound. The Devil’s Playground.
“That’s the third time she’s walked past the gate in the last ten minutes.”
I move to stand next to him to see who she is.
One look at her blonde braids and the way her skirt swishes when she walks, hinting at the curve of her ass cheeks, and I know exactly who she is. Alexa. My daughter Rochelle’s friend. “I got this.”
“You know her?”
“Yup.” I leave off the unfortunately. Fucking Alexa showed up at house two weeks ago in need of a place to stay and then she vanished. No one has seen her since. Her folks and the police been leaning on me for information, but I didn’t know what the fuck to tell them. I pointed them in the direction of that stupid fuck she was dating. Little prick Todd but he’s been missing too. I figured she skipped town with him.
“Looks like jailbait, brother.”
“She is.” I climb on my motorcycle wondering why she’s wearing her cheerleading uniform still and Grudge opens the gate. I roar onto the main road and her red and black skirt flies up exposing her black lace thong and tanned ass cheeks. Jesus. I look away. I idle and wait for her to approach me. When I see her face, my blood runs cold. “What the fuck happened?” I glare at the black and blue bruise circling her left eye.
Alexa wraps her arms around her middle and shakes her head. “Nothing. I just...I don’t want to be alone...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here.” Her pearly whites graze her plump cherry stained lips. Her thick black lashes flutter as she blinks away her tears. She swipes them away quickly, sniffling. “I should go. I’m not your problem.”
“Well you’ve made it mine by showing up here,” I snarl at her. “Who gave you the shiner? You didn’t have that shit las time I saw you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll be
