Hating You (Blackthorn Elite 1)

“Please, don’t. I didn’t…” My mouth clamps shut when his fingers grip on to my chin with bruising force, a low whimper the only thing that escapes me.

“Like a lamb walking into the lion’s den, you practically offered yourself to me by showing up here.” No. Oh, god. I try and shake from his hold, try and break free, but his hands are like shackles, and I’m too afraid to fight him further, afraid that he, too, might hurt me. “Did you think I would show you mercy simply because you have a nice pair of tits and ass?”

He chuckles, but there isn’t any humor in his words.

“Please, let me go. I didn’t do anything wrong.” It’s hard to speak with his fingers digging into my cheeks, but somehow, I get the words out.

“Oh, sweet, Willow,” he taunts. “You still won’t admit that you lied, and that’s the problem here. No one has taught you a lesson. No one has put the princess in her place, but that’s about to change.” I can feel him moving, his lips press against my throbbing pulse. It’s as tender of a touch as it is terrifying. A low groan fills the room, and the sound zings straight through me, sending rivulets of pleasure into my core.

No. This is wrong.

“You know, the worst part is that I thought you were different,” he whispers against my skin. “I thought better of you…but you really showed me, didn’t you? You made me believe in something that could never be. I thought you were a good girl. I was wrong, terribly wrong.” I gasp as his teeth rake across my flesh.

“I…” Is all I can get out. Even without his hand around my throat, I don’t think I could speak right now. I’m too overwhelmed with emotions.

“This is your one warning. Stay here, and I will rip you apart, piece by piece. I will take and take until there is nothing left to take, just as you and your sister did to my family. To my brother.” I shake my head without even realizing it. His family is the one who wronged mine. His brother is the one who hurt my sister, who destroyed our lives.

This can’t be happening right now. This can’t be the way things are going to be. I did the right thing. I know I did, but right in this moment, it feels like all I’ve done is sign my own death certificate.

There is no peace, no forgetting what happened that night.

“You have to help me, Willow. You have too.” My sister sobs, her entire body shaking, and all I can do is stand there and watch because I don’t understand. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix what happened.

“How?” I croak, wanting so badly to take my sister’s pain away. I haven’t felt this broken or lost since Mom died, leaving my sister and me behind to fend for ourselves against our father.

Ashton looks up at me, her eyes are rimmed red and tears stain her cheeks, “Tell them. Tell everyone. Be my voice, please, Willow. I’m begging you.”

With a gasp, I’m pulled from the memory and placed back in the present. Parker still has me by the neck, I’m nothing more than his unwilling victim. Acid burns up my throat, and my stomach churns. I think I’m going to be sick.

“Leave. Never come back. Never show your face here again, and I’ll consider not hurting you.” There is a brief pause, and I wonder what more he could possibly say, but then he clears his throat and starts to speak again, “But stay, and I’ll make sure you wish you’d never met me. From here on out, I’ll be your biggest nightmare. Hope you aren’t afraid of the dark.”

And just like that, he releases me. Like I’m fire, and he’s gasoline. Like one more touch could push him over the edge. Gasping, I almost fall to the floor, not even realizing how much of his body was holding my own up.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I slide down the wall until my ass meets the floor. When I hear the click of the door opening and then closing, I let out a ragged breath, followed by an uncontrolled sob. I bite my bottom lip, holding in the scream that wants to rip from my throat. How could I have been so stupid?

He’s here. Tears well in my eyes. Shame. Anger. Pain. It all resides inside of me, swirling around and around. The boy I once knew is here. But he’s not the same. Now he wants to hurt me. Now he wants to destroy me, and if I’m not careful, he’ll do just that.

I have to escape. I have to leave. But how?

Opening my eyes the next morning, the first thing I do is touch the tender skin around my neck. It’s almost like I can still feel him there, still feel his fingers curled around my throat. Each finger imprinted on my skin. Branding me.