He didn’t give her a chance to finish her sentence.
“I suggest you be careful how you finish that little sentence. Do you understand me?” He had his hand wrapped around her neck, silencing all protest from her.
“Stop,” she said, muffling out the word.
“I rather like this. You seem to think you have a choice, but there is no choice.” He squeezed her neck a little more before finally letting her go.
He listened to her gasping for breath. He watched her as she grabbed at her throat, but he made no move to help her.
Staring at her now, he looked forward to seeing her relent. To finally getting a taste of her body.
He’d liked her back then. Even as he’d bullied her every single day, not giving her a reason to even look at him, he’d taken advantage of every moment to touch, to feel her.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he stared at her now.
She really was a beautiful woman.
“What makes you think I’d ever agree to something like this?” she asked. “You’ve got to be completely crazy if you think I’d ever allow you to do anything like this.”
He smiled.
“How about now?” He pointed at the television and pressed “Play.”
Loud and clear the sound of fucking filled the air, and Ava’s face paled.
“Do you see anything you like?” he asked. “I see a whole load of things.”
“How did you get this?”
“I happened to know a few people. It would seem your parents weren’t as squeaky clean as you’d think. No, they liked to fuck a lot of people, and believe me, their medical bills show a great deal. Did you know they enjoyed many a weekend with other people?”
“My parents are dead,” she said. “You can’t hurt them.”
“But this would hurt their memory, but what about you?” he asked. He clicked the forward button, and next, he didn’t exactly like watching this one, but seeing as he set it all up, he made himself watch it.
“Grant?” she asked.
“Oh, he’s an employee of mine. You know, the one who always had to go away on business. The hotel I own, and let’s just say, I made sure every single corner you were exposed to.”
He looked at her, seeing the tears in her eyes. “If you want any of this to go public, walk away. Leave. You can go right now.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“You know why. I’m not even going to justify that question with a fucking answer. You owe me, Ava, and you’re going to pay up one way or another. So, what will it be?”
Chapter Two
Sixteen years ago
Ava cried out as she was slammed into her locker.
“Well, well, well, if it’s not little fatty!”
The pressure was pulled away from her. There was no mistaking Luke, one of the most popular guys in school, who was also one of many guys who liked to bully her.
She grabbed her book and closed her locker, turning to see his little crew. There were three other guys.
“Be careful, she might eat you, Luke,” Riley said.
There was a round of chuckles.
“Nah, she won’t eat me. She only eats stuff with real flesh on. You’ll be the one in trouble, Logan. The guy’s huge. I bet she’d choke on him.”
They all started to laugh.
“Are you done?” she asked.
They crowded around her, and she hated it when she became the center of attention, even when it was bullying. She hated attention of any kind.
Her hands shook, but she held onto her book in the hope none of them saw just how nervous they made her.
Logan stepped forward and pushed her hard. His hand was large; even at fourteen he was the biggest guy in school. He pushed her against the locker. “I suggest, little girl, you be careful who you talk to.”
“We’re the same age. That hardly makes me little.” She shoved against his hand.
“Ah, so you like it rough. Is that what you’re trying to say?” Logan asked. Both of his hands went to her shoulders, and she let out a gasp as he pushed her hard against the locker, making her wince.
“Logan, man, we’ve got to go. Principal is heading this way,” Marvin said.
“Then I guess, we better go.” Logan made no move to release her.
She glared at him, refusing to break eye contact even as her heart raced. Out of all of the guys, Luke terrified her, whereas Logan confused her. She had noticed Logan stared at her. It was like he was trying to figure her out, or whatever the reason he had for staring at her.
He was bigger than she was in every single way. Before he left, he pushed himself against her, making her very much aware of who was stronger between the two of them. There was nowhere else for her to go. She was at his complete mercy.
“Until next time.” He gave her a final shove before walking away.