Claimed (For Her 3)

“Now.” Stein sits back down in the chair and leans forward. “You’re going to make a call to your boyfriend as soon as my associate gets here.”

“Why?” I feign ignorance. I want nothing more than to call Jordan. To hear his voice for even a moment would help me get through this, but I’m scared of what they’ll make him do. I’m even more scared they might ask him to go somewhere and then he’ll end up like me. I don’t want him to get hurt. It would be too much to take, knowing I got him mixed up in this.

“I don’t trust him to take care of what needs to be deleted. I want him to give us access into the servers and we’ll do what needs to be done,” he tells me.

I let out a breath, grateful that they aren’t asking him to meet up somewhere.

“We haven’t been together long. How do you know he’ll even do it?” I ask. I still fear these people getting close to Jordan. I know he’s looking for me, but I don’t want them pulling him into this.

“Don’t be fucking stupid, Jay.” Stein stands, and I hold my breath. He doesn’t move toward me but instead goes to a table where I see a bottle of liquor. He picks up the bottle and takes a long pull from it. After he’s done, he doesn’t put it down. He makes his way back to the chair with it and settles the gun in his lap again. “Trust me. I don’t get it. All I’ve ever seen out of you is a total fucking bitch, but you had Spencer and Jordan chasing you around the office with their dicks in their hands.”

I don’t respond. What am I supposed to say to that?

“Then you give Jordan a lick of your pussy and he turns into a fucking pit bull banging down my goddamn door for you.”

Now I don’t know what he’s talking about. Confusion must cross my face.

“You don’t even know the crazy fucker you let between your legs, do you? Maybe that’s what it is. You attract the crazy. Yeah, that makes sense.”

Like he’s one to talk. If Jordan is crazy, then I’m crazy, too, and I’m okay with that kind of love.

“If he never showed up at my door threatening me for that file because of you, none of this would have happened.” Stein takes another swig from his bottle, this one bigger than the last. When he pulls the bottle away, a smirk crosses his lips. “But I got even. I was so happy to hear good old Dad made it,” he says sarcastically.

A sob leaves my throat.

“See what you’ve done, Jay? You put that nose of yours too far where it didn’t belong.” He holds up the hand with the gun. “All of this.” He waves it around in the air. “Is your fault. Everyone could be at home and none the wiser if you had just let it go.”

He’s right. I’m the reason hell is raining down on everyone I love. Everyone who has ever truly meant anything to me. My mom always told me I was going to get in over my head one day. I guess she was finally right.

I look over at my sister’s face. It’s darkening with bruises. She looks at me, trying to tell me something with her eyes. Stein mumbles to himself, and I look to see his eyes slowly starting to close. I glance back to Summer, who’s now watching him, too.

We sit in silence for what feels like forever. I want nothing more than to lean my own head back and drift off, but I fight the pull, knowing that maybe we might have a moment to escape. Summer’s gaze darts between Stein and me. She takes the towel from my head, and I think my wound has finally stopped bleeding. I can see the relief on Summer’s face as she looks me over and nods approval.

Her eyes rush back to Stein, and then she leans in close. “He’s sleeping,” she mouths, and I look over to see Stein is passed out in the chair.

“Go,” I tell her, looking over to the door. I feel like I’ll only slow her down. She needs to run.

“Not going without you,” she whispers, and I can see the determination on her face.

“Please.” I try to plead with her.

“Get up,” she whispers, standing up. I didn’t know a whisper could sound so stern.

I lift my good hand, and she pulls me to my feet. I cup my injured wrist to my chest, and the pain isn’t as bad as it once was, but the throb is still there.

I glance over at Stein. I want to grab the gun from his lap, but I’m too scared. He could wake up any second, and Summer and I don’t have the power to fight him right now. Summer can read my thoughts and shakes her head.