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“You honestly think we would go through all this trouble for a one-time thing?” Kay sniggers. “Don’t be stupid.”
I turn in my chair to peer up at Caden. “That’s not what we agreed.”
“Come on, get up. Let’s go.” He doesn’t even deign me with a response.
I want nothing more than to leave this house, so I follow Caden outside quietly. As soon as we’re by my car, I circle back to the problem.
“That’s not what we agreed, Caden,” I rage, finding some of my strength back now that I’m not surrounded by three Kings. “I’m going to do this job for you, and that’s it. You can find another person to blackmail after tonight, because I’m not doing it weekly.”
In a split second, he flips me around and wraps his hand around my throat. My back hits the side of the car as he pushes me. My defenses kick in, and I attempt to knee him in the stomach, but he grabs my leg easily and pushes it back down. When I try to throw a punch, he swats it away like it’s nothing to him. His hand tightens around my throat and the lack of oxygen stops me from trying anything.
“We didn’t agree on anything,” he rumbles low. “You do what I say, and that’s it.”
Both my hands are holding his forearm. It’s strong, veiny, and I can feel he’s holding back his strength even though he’s already hurting me. His fingers on my skin are burning a fire of conflicting emotions I can’t control.
“You need to learn how it works with me, Billie. I order, you obey. Period.”
I can see that he won’t let go until I stop fighting back, that he wants me to agree to his words, to submit. Despite that, I thrash around and fight until I understand there’s no point.
He smirks when I start to lose my strength; when he sees I’m about to give up. I turn manic when my chest heaves and I tap at his forearm rather than attempting to get him off me.
“Put both your hands at your side,” he tells me calmly. “Show me you’re going to listen.”
The lack of oxygen is getting to my head as I feel my vision narrowing. Left with no choice, I let go entirely and allow my arms to fall by my side.
He squeezes a little longer for effect and finally releases me. I gulp in the frigid night air and bring a hand to my chest as it burns my lungs with every intake of breath. He steps back as I hunch over, feeling like I’m going to be sick. When I finally feel like I’m not going to pass out, I straighten up again.
“Anything you’d like to add?” he asks with his mocking grin twisting his mouth.
I shake my head, still too shaken to even talk.
“That’s what I thought. Get in the car.”
I quiver as I turn to the car and get in the driver’s seat. He gets in next to me, and I start the engine.
“Where—”
“I’ll guide you.”
It takes all of me not to retort something.
“What the hell is wrong with your car?” he asks seriously. I shrug, not knowing what he means, and pull out of the parking spot.
“Your light, Billie. Do you not have two working headlights?”
“Oh, that.” I’ve gotten so used to driving with only one working light that it doesn’t strike me as something wrong anymore. “Yeah, it’s broken.”
“You need to get it fixed.”
“I don’t have the money,” I say quietly. Everyone is poor on the North Shore, but it’s always embarrassing to be doing worse than the others.
“Take a right here. Get on the highway toward D.C.,” he indicates. “I know someone who’ll fix it for you. She owes me one. I’ll take you during the week.”
“Right,” I snort. “As if I’d ever leave my car with someone from the Kings’ crew. She’s going to cut off my brakes.”
“I can’t have you giving the cops any excuse to arrest you while driving for me. You’re getting your car fixed.”
“Fucking hell,” I huff. “Your voice makes me want to punch walls, Caden.”
