With a tightly coiled tension in my gut, I snatched the phone from her discarded jeans, glancing at Scarlett one last time before answering. My heart hammered in my chest as I braced for the worst.
“Hello?” I said tersely into the phone, trying to mask the surge of anger that loomed like a storm cloud over me.
“Kid!” Her father’s voice crackled through the receiver, both familiar and unsettling. “I need your help. Things have gone sideways.”
A low growl escaped me as I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to throw the phone against the wall. “What do you want?”
“I’m in trouble—big trouble. I can’t go back. I need to lay low for a while.”
In that instant, my thoughts flashed back to Scarlett—the fear coursing through her now, her vulnerability laid bare. Her father had gotten to her once, twisted her world into chaos. There was no way I was letting him do it again.
“There’s nothing for you here. You made your choice,” I spat, venom seeping into every word. “You’ll never see her again.”
There was silence on the other end, then a low chuckle that felt like a violation. “You think you can protect her? You don’t know how deep this goes. Trust me, kid. You're deeper than you realize.”
“Fuck you,” I shouted before ending the call, a wave of adrenaline crashing over me. I turned to find Scarlett standingat the edge of the bed, her expression a mixture of fear and confusion.
“What did he say?” she asked, every ounce of vulnerability exposed like a raw wound.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I replied, purposefully keeping my voice steady. “Just—stay close to me.”
She stepped closer, the tension hanging thick in the air, drawing us into a fragile truce. I could see her mind working, processing the remnants of our earlier intimacy against the chaos that loomed now like a shadow over us.
“Is he coming here?” she asked, her voice wavering, the fear pooling in her hazel eyes.
“No,” I said firmly, though doubt gnawed at me from within. “I won’t let that happen. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Without warning, Scarlett stepped into my space, grabbing my collar with a fierceness that left me breathless. “I don’t want to hide anymore,” she asserted, her voice filled with determination. “I won’t let him control my life. Not again.”
Her boldness ignited a fire within me. “Then we fight this together,” I declared, knowing that whatever it took, we’d face the storm on our own terms.
“I’m with you,” she whispered, the vulnerability still lingering beneath the surface, but resilience shone through.
And just like that, in the midst of uncertainty, something shifted. We had crossed a threshold, stepping into a world filled with danger and possibility. The past was heavy on our shoulders, but we could either be crushed by it or use it as fuel for the battle ahead.
As we stood there, affirming our resolve, I felt a swell of something greater than hope—it was solidarity and strength woven into the very fabric of who we were becoming together. In the depths of our darkness, we had found a flicker of light,a promise that we would no longer be defined by our fears, nor would we face them alone.
“Together,” I repeated, sealing our pact once more as we prepared to confront whatever lay ahead, hand in hand, heart to heart.
23
Midnight snack
Scarlett
Still straddling Michael, my palms on the bed on either side of his head, and I looked down at him, feeling like he was hiding something about the phone call from my father. But before I could ask him, Kellin walked into my room to take over, since the four of them were taking turns watching over me.
I felt pathetic. I didn't want their help. I didn't need help from anyone. I always figured my own shit out and nobody ever helped. But they were stubborn men with obsessive attitudes and possessive tendencies. They were the type who looked out for women and children. I knew they wouldn't leave no matter how much I fought them. So I didn't fight it, but I made sure they knew I wasn't happy.
Kellin walked up behind me at the end of the bed, and pulled my hips back so my ass fit perfectly against him. I noticed Michael shoot him a look over my shoulder, so I remained alert, not wanting to be caught off guard by one of their stunts. Kellin took his belt off and pulled my arms behind my back, wrapping the cool, black leather around my wrists so I can't move my hands.
He bit the side of my neck and growled, and slowly Michael got up and scooted towards me, mischief written all over his face. As I began to move away, Kellin wrapped my pigtails around his fist and violently yanked my head backwards so we were looking at each other upside down.
"God, you're so fucking beautiful," he breathed heavily, stroking my cheek with his tattooed knuckles.
Micheal leaned in closer, his fingers locking around my jaw. He squeezed hard, forcing my mouth to open, and he shoved a handful of pills into my mouth. He grabbed the liquor bottle and held it to my lips, tipping it back so the vodka filled my mouth and helped the pills slide down my throat.
"Good girl," he said, grazing my cheek with the back of his hand.
