I whip around to find Jude hovering with a nasty, smug grin, watching me like a hawk. I roll my eyes as a show of annoyance even though it’s something very different that I feel rushing through my veins. “Fuck off, Jude,” I say with an irritated groan, discreetly taking a step away from him.
He walks with me, meeting me step for step. “No gun today?” he questions, eyeing me up and down. “Damn, baby. You don’t seem so tough now.”
“I’m warning you, Jude. Back the fuck off. If you touch me, I’ll fucking ruin you.”
“Touch you?” he laughs. “Look at you. You’re nothing. I’d fuck anything with a heartbeat but I wouldn’t waste my time with you. Maybe at the start I considered it, but your putrid low class has me rethinking. You’re the kind of bitch to purposely get pregnant and try to dig your claws into my money, but I’d fucking bury you before that happens.”
I give him a sugary sweet smile. “In order to insult me, I must value your opinion first. Nice try though.”
Jude’s features darken. I’d dare say the guys of Bellevue Springs aren’t the type who are used to women fighting back.
My face scrunches as I look at him with distaste. The guy seriously thinks he’s a fucking prize. He’s the kind who thinks every woman wants him but he couldn’t be more wrong. Sure he’s attractive, but the second he opens his mouth, he ruins his chances. I turn and walk away, only the fucker follows me. “You are the reason why there are directions on shampoo bottles. What didn’t you understand? Leave me the fuck alone.”
“I’ll leave you alone once I’ve finished dealing with you,” Jude scoffs.
I spin around, no stranger to a threat. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I demand, getting in his face and throwing him off guard.
Jude’s grin twists and becomes wicked. “It means you’re a fucking problem.”
His arms snap out with a speed I wasn’t prepared for. Nails dig into my skin and panic rises in my chest. He moves to the side, blocking me from getting away and using his body to force me toward the pool. “HEL—”
A hand is slammed down over my mouth and I try not to panic. There’s no doubt that I’m going in this pool but panic is only going to make it harder to get out of it, that’s assuming he’s going to let me out.
Jude gets his hands around me and I’m lifted off the edge of the pool. I claw my nails against his skin, desperately trying to inflict as much pain as possible.
“Yo, what the fuck are you doing?” a voice comes from somewhere around the huge room.
“Fuck off, Spence. This is between me and this bitch.”
I push against him, desperately trying to free myself. “Let me go.”
“Leave her alone, man,” he says sounding bored, almost as though he isn’t going to do shit about this. “She’s probably going to squeal the second she gets a chance. You’re only causing more problems for yourself.”
“I’m fucking solving one,” he spits back, grunting as I fight against him. “This bitch won’t be a problem once I’m through with her.”
Oh, fuck.
Jude gets my hands trapped in one of his and I know it’s game over. I can’t get out of this, not without getting thrown into the pool.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” I screech.
“Not if I kill you first,” he promises just moments before he throws me hard, sending me hurtling toward the deep water.
I suck in one last desperate breath just as my body crashes down hard against the still water. Panic creeps up on me. I’m not a great swimmer. I was lucky the other night when Colton tackled me into his pool that his arms were around me and we were mostly in a shallow part of the pool, but this water must be at least eight feet deep.
The momentum from Jude’s throw has me diving nearly all the way to the bottom and I try to remind myself to keep calm. Panicking isn’t going to help my ass get back to the surface. My momentum slows and I find myself concentrating on getting to the surface.
It’s just like taking a swim at the local swimming hole. I’ve done it countless times before. This is nothing. I can handle this.
The panic begins to seep out of me and as my feet come under me to push up off the bottom. I find myself opening my eyes and looking up through the water. Jude hovers above the edge of the pool, looking down and watching the show and while I can’t make out his feature, it’s damn clear that he’s intent on causing as much harm as possible. I bet he’s counting on the fact that a poor girl like me wouldn’t have taken swimming lessons as a kid. He’d be right, but that doesn’t mean that I’m completely hopeless.