purple.
“What the fuck, dude? Let her go.” Grayson whines and tries again to intervene. This time he knows better than to fucking touch me.
“Grayson, buddy, I suggest you stay the fuck out of this.” Still holding the bitch’s throat, I reach into my dresser and grab the 9mm Dad gave me for my birthday.
“Whoa, whoa, what the fuck, man!” Grayson backs up, throwing his hands up in surrender.
“I think I’m the one who should be saying what the fuck. You’re the ones barging into my room when I’m busy.”
“Busy doing what, trying to rape an unconscious girl?” God, this bitch is getting on my nerves. Without thought, I backhand her with the gun. Blood spurts from her lip and I laugh as her knees buckle.
“Evan, stop, man.”
I hate it when people tell me what to do. My frustration spikes, along with the drugs peaking in my system. My hand starts to shake with anger as I point the gun at him. “I told you to stay out of this. Get your own pussy.” I turn back to the girl, debating what the hell to do when Grayson tackles me.
And the gun goes off.
Gabriel
I’m a ruthless motherfucker.
I’m a fierce, no fucks, dominating businessman who would take candy from a baby to seal a deal. I have a solution for every problem, all pointing in my favor. At the end of the day, I sit on my throne of power, admiring each game I’ve played and won. I laugh at companies and people who become chess pieces in my sport of domination. And I sip on my fancy scotch without a care or concern of whom I destroy along the way.
That’s the man I’ve always been.
Until her.
No amount of power or riches compares to the priceless caress of her sweet smile against my chest. The feathery scent of her skin as I drag my tongue over every single part of her. And the willingness in her eyes that screams trust, safety.
I’m a fucking monster…and she trusted me. Wholeheartedly. Violent pain in my chest makes me recoil at the thought of Hazel being in trouble. Hurt. Fuck…I swear to God if that little shit touches her… My blood begins to boil with revenge. He won’t be walking out of his apartment if I have anything to do with it.
I fight to suppress the panic I heard in Violet’s voice. The anguish in Hazel’s when I rejected her. I always feared how our little world would come crashing down around us, but I never thought it would hurt this bad. I was a man of power. Nothing could hurt me until tonight. After the way Hazel looked at me, I’ve finally been defeated—and I have no idea how to fix it.
I inhale deeply. How much fucking longer? I need to get to her. Make sure she’s okay. Touch her one last time. Thank God Heath is a man on a mission, breaking every traffic law. We get onto campus in unimaginable timing. As we pull up to the address Violet texted, the red and blue lights flashing tell me we weren’t fast enough. We’re not even fully parked before I jump out of the car and run to the apartment building. Police lights bounce off the building and crowded sidewalk of curious bystanders. Police cars barricade the street, and a group of medical staff runs into the building. I push through a group of kids but am stopped at a barrier of cops.
“I need to get in there,” I demand, but the officer uses force, thrusting his hand against my chest, halting me from passing him.
“Sorry, this is a crime scene. You can’t go through.” The color drains from my face. His words echo in my head. Crime scene. Crime scene. Crime scene. Fear swipes me off my feet, and I grip his shirt.
My voice cracks. “What do you mean, it’s a—”
Heath is finally behind me. He throws his shoulder into the officer and fights to get past him. “My fucking daughter is in there. Let me through!”
The officer’s demeanor changes at Heath’s statement. His eyes shine with pity. “Sir, which one is your daughter?”
My stomach bottoms out. His question dangles in the cold air as the reality of what he is asking settles in. I turn to Heath, his face ashen. “What do you mean which one? Hazel Winters, who else?” The doors to the apartment building swing open and two paramedics hurry out, wheeling a stretcher. The first thing we see is