“Don’t treat me like the teacher you once knew.”
“You are.”
“No, I’m not.” He advanced toward her. “I haven’t been that man in a long time.” He wrapped his fingers around her neck. He didn’t tighten his hold, but the threat was there. He stared into her eyes. “No one is the same in this world. Not anymore. Like you, Maggie. What will you do to survive?”
“What?” she asked. Her hands were on his arm, almost trying to pull him away, but he kept a hold of her. He didn’t want to let her go. The beat of her pulse beneath his fingers was a heady experience.
Clayton pulled her close so his lips were right next to her ear. “I can protect you.”
She looked up at him. “I’ve been doing fine.”
He chuckled. “Maggie, I’m not going to let you go.” He’d wanted her back then, but it had been illegal for him to take her. Now, there was no reason to wait. No reason to be disgusted with himself. “I’ll make your life easier.”
“But you have a price.”
“Everyone has a price. Will you be willing to pay it?” he asked.
“Try me.”
He smirked. As he marched her back toward the wall, she let out a gasp. He took her arms, holding them up above her head, keeping her trapped. “You will be my fuck toy. At my beck and call. This body, this pussy, ass, and mouth, it all belongs to me to use when I see fit.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am. Give me everything, and in return, I’ll give you what you need.”
“You can’t bring my parents back.”
“Don’t be a fucking child. You know I can’t bring anyone back, but I can give you what a woman like you needs. Protection. Have you been attacked? Have you seen what men do?”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’ve seen what they can do.”
“Have they hurt you?” he asked.
“No.”
“They haven’t?” This did surprise him.
“I’ve been good at hiding.”
“Good. Do we have a deal?” he asked.
Chapter Two
With how close he was, Maggie was having a hard time struggling to focus on what he was actually saying. It was all a little surreal to her. Mr. Knight wanted her to belong to him. The way he looked at her, she’d have given anything in class for him to see her.
“I’ve done just fine on my own.”
“Everyone does until their day comes. You think you’re going to get away with hiding all the time. Someone will find you, and if you don’t have my crew at your back, well, you’re fucked.” He released her neck, stepping back.
“You’re my teacher.”
He laughed. “Babe, I haven’t been your teacher in a long time.” He reached out and stroked a finger across her nipple.
She gasped but didn’t pull away.
“It’s time you stopped thinking about what was right, Maggie, and started to think of survival and what you need in this world to survive. I could give it to you.”
She licked her lips.
“Thirsty?” he asked.
She nodded.
He moved toward the fridge, opening it up, and she spotted several cans of beer and bottles of water.
“How?” she asked.
“Some places haven’t been explored. I’m guessing our population has dwindled quite significantly. It’s time we take as many chances as we can get to survive.” He tossed her a bottle, taking out a can of beer for himself.
She unscrewed the lid, still watching him. Unsure.
“You won’t share me?” she asked.
“No. I don’t share. You will belong to me and others will know it.”
She nodded.
“Is that you agreeing?”
“Will you let me go if I say no?” she asked.
“Do you really think this is a place for a woman on her own?”
She shoved back some hair and hated how dirty she felt. It had been a week since she last had a shower.
“Would you like to use the bathroom?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“It’s through there.” He pointed behind her.
She took a swig of her water bottle and thanked him. At the doorway, she hesitated, glancing back at him. “I need my clothes.”
“Are they washed?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You really have survived,” he said.
“I’ve done what I can to make it through.”
“Haven’t we all? It could be worse, Maggie,” he said.
“What could be?”
“I could have said that you had to service all of my men. One of the women, I saved her from a camp that was doing that to her, making her fuck six men, one after the other.”
“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to you … like this.”
“Do so, or you’re going to end up dead. The old life is gone. This is who I am now. Go and shower.”
Clayton slammed out the door. She didn’t know when he’d stopped being Mr. Knight inside her head, but it had occurred in the last few minutes.
He’s not your teacher anymore.
He wasn’t even a friend.
Going into the shower, she looked at her reflection in the cracked mirror. There was dirt on her cheeks and her hair looked greasy.