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“Just using the bathroom,” I whispered.
“And now you’re all ready for bed, I see.”
He stood and I held my breath, outwardly cool and watchful.Fuck. Shit. Damn.Inside, I was panicking. If I made it through this, I swear I was putting a bucket in my room.
“What’s goin’ on, Ricky? Got the prize? We’re ready to play some fuckin’ poker!”
Rick looked at me with a cruel smirk and I felt my blood ice over in my veins. Prize? Surely they didn’t mean—
But no. Rick grabbed my upper arm and started to tug me down the hall. I dug my heels into the tatty carpet, trying to pull away. “No!”
“Stop fuckin’ fighting me,” he snarled, and looked at his friends. “She’s a feisty one, men.”
There were noises, encouragement, lewd gestures from the others.
I tried desperately to peel his fingers off my arm. “Let me go—”
A chorus of heavy knocks sounded on the door.Oh, God, not more of them—
Without waiting for an answer, the door swung open and another man stepped through. Gray eyes landed on me immediately, darkening with anger and confusion, when I made a shocked gasp.
Mr. Reeves.
“What’s going on here?” He asked, voice authoritative.
Rick stopped hauling me down the hall immediately.”Who the fuck are you?” he sneered. “What’re you doing in my house?”
Mr. Reeve’s lip curled. “I came to carry my drunk father home, but I think we might have another issue.” He looked at me. “Eleanor, are you all right?”
“The girl’s fine.” My uncle slid his meaty palm over the nape of my neck and squeezed.
His father.I rubbed my arm and looked between him and the men at the table, and it struck me suddenly who the one was, and why he had looked at me so hatefully. Reeves was one of hundreds my father had embezzled money from, one of hundreds whose life he’d ruined. No wonder.
“Eleanor?”
I looked at Mr. Reeves and nodded, then shook my head. No. I wasn’t fine. I felt my eyes gloss over with tears.
Mr. Reeves held out a hand and I stared at it. At him. “Why don’t you come with me?”
I hesitated. Behind me stood my uncle, his hand hard on my neck and his intentions plain.
Before me stood a man with no reason to help, and every reason to hate.
I could stay. Get to my room and pray my chair and lock lasted the night.
I could call Jude. Pray she got here in time.
I could run. But it was dark. The streets were no safer than this trailer. And there was nowhere to go.
Or I could—
“Come with me,” he said. “Last chance.”
And I went.
The End
