Dirty Beginning (Dirty 0.50)

I study everything about him. The way he is pushing people out of the way in an uncontrollable and savage way to get to me faster. The tightness of his jaw as he focuses on stopping me. The desperation in his eyes as he inches closer to me. But the one thing that convinces me above everything is the emotion and pain dripping off his voice when he yelled for me .

I could be wrong. I could drink this, and Arlo might not give a shit about me. He could let Erick do whatever he wanted to me. If I drink this, Erick could rape me. He could kill me .

“Don’t, Nina!” Arlo shouts again, begging me with everything that he has for me not to do this. Please , he mouths .

I suck in a breath. Arlo will save me .

This is the most reckless thing I’ve ever done. I’ve been obsessed with countless men, but I’ve never risked my life for a man on quite this level before .

But I do it anyway .

I throw the shot back in my throat while I look Arlo dead in the eyes and plead for him to save me .

8

Nina

I open my eyes, but it still feels like I’m asleep. It’s dark. The pitch black kind. In-the-middle-of-the-night, in-the-middle-of-nowhere dark .

I try to sit up, but I immediately fall back down onto the dirt floor. The pain in my head is dizzying. I’ve never felt anything like it before. I grab my head with both hands, trying to remember what happened that made me feel this bad .

It’s all a haze. I remember Eden. I remember strange boys. I remember dancing. And Arlo. There was something important that happened with Arlo .

Pain. It’s all I feel right now, making it impossible to sort out everything floating around in my head .

My head is pounding. My whole body aches. My stomach is queasy .

I’m naked. I don’t have any clothing. Not my bra, not my panties, not an oversize shirt to cover me. There is just nothing .

I was raped .

It all comes flooding back to me. I took the shot. I passed out. Erick raped me. Arlo didn’t save me. I made a gigantic mistake. And, now, I just have to hope that I can escape before he kills me .

I push through the pounding in my head and the ache all over my body and manage to sit up. It’s incredibly dark, and I have no idea where the door is to make my escape. It doesn’t help that my head is spinning the longer I sit up .

“Drink.” A cup is thrust in front of me, seemingly out of nowhere .

I’m not going to be drugged again. I’m not going to let him rape me again. Not so easily. Not without a fight .

I push the cup away and force myself up. I start running in the opposite direction of the cup. There has to be an exit somewhere .

“Nina, stop,” I hea

r Arlo’s voice command .

I stop .

My heart stops beating. I stop breathing .

I wasn’t raped. At least, not by Erick .

I turn slowly and can faintly make out Arlo walking toward me with a cup in his hand .

“It’s just water. Drink. It will make your head stop aching .”

I take the cup out of his hand and drink until every last drop of water is gone .

“Sit down .”