didn’t eat it all?” he asked roughly.
“I…” My heart started racing. “I needed some fresh air so I didn’t get to eat it all.” Something was off.
“Then you should have been honest and said that you didn’t get to eat your whole meal because you needed air,” he said, using air quotes.
“I didn’t think I had to be so specific.” I rose to my feet, needing to get back to Matteo before this feeling grew into something I could no longer control.
“How’s your mother, Marketa?”
Stopping in my tracks, I slowly turned towards Andre. “Excuse me?”
A wicked grin spread on his face. “Sit.”
“I need to find Matteo,” I said, swallowing hard.
“I said, sit,” he demanded. “Or else I’ll force you.”
“I…what do you want?” I asked, my voice small. Matteo, where are you?
“I want you to sit,” he answered casually, patting the empty spot beside him on the bench.
Wishing at that point that I could disappear, hide under a rock or even cower in a corner, I did the only thing I could. I sat down.
The pieces that had been torn from my soul so many years ago, continued to break one by one. The anxiety I had tried so hard to ignore, crept into my being like that of a ghost.
“Good girl,” Andre sneered. “I know it was hard for you to listen to me right now. Especially with how much you like being told what to do.” Sarcasm dripped from his words, his deep voice taking on an edge of hatred.
“What do you want, Andre?” I should have ran back inside. I should have listened to that little voice deep within the walls of my mind, warning me to stay away from Andre. So many things I should have done. But that piece of me, the willing submissive, pushed forth, forcing me to listen even though I didn’t want to.
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
Be strong, Marketa. “Should I?” I reached into my bag, pulling out my cell phone when it was snatched from my hand. “What are—”
“You are going to listen to me now, little girl,” Andre grabbed my hand, squeezing to the point my bones started rubbing together.
A whimper escaped me.
“Look at me, Marketa,” Andre growled in my ear.
“Why are you doing this?” I tried struggling out of his hold but his grip only tightened.
“I want to talk.” He loosened his fingers, brushing his thumb over the back of my hand.
“Matteo’s waiting for me,” I insisted, pulling from his hold.
“I watched your mom die.”
My heart sped up, a cold sweat dripping down the length of my spine. “You…”
“I was there. I know what was done to you. I know your father shipped you away to live with your aunt and cousin. I also know the dark desires you crave because of the abuse that was inflicted on you.”
“You don’t…you can’t know that,” I whispered, tears burning my eyes.
“My son died because of you.”
“Johan,” I gasped. “He was…”
“My son.”
Bile rose to my throat as memories flooded my mind.
Dark sapphire eyes. Hot minty breath. Deep grunts filled with pleasure. Johan. A boy I had grown up with. Raised by the sadistic hands of his father. The abusive bastard blamed me for his son’s death when it was all him. I remembered Andre. The looks he gave me. The creepy side stares that made me feel like he wanted to eat me alive. Oh God. How could I forget him?
“You remember me now, don’t you?” Andre rose to his feet, pacing back and forth in front of me. “Remember when we gave you the tattoo? Remember how you and my son were friends?” He laughed. “God, I can’t help but remember the look on your face when Johan showed his face at that club.”
“You forced him,” I said, my voice cracking.
“Did I? You were such a fucking tease, acting all innocent, egging my son and everyone else on.”
“That is not true!” I shouted.
“Isn’t it?”
“How the hell did you get away?” I asked, knowing my father had a hand in my attacker’s disappearance.
Andre brushed a piece of lint off of his suit jacket. “I have my ways.”
“Tell me.”
“He had no idea that I was in on it.”
I stared at him. “How could he not know?”
“What the hell is going on here?”
A breath of relief washed over me at the deep accented voice coming from behind me. I ran to Matteo’s side.
“Why hello, Matteo.” Andre smirked. “Marketa and I were just catching up.”
“You two know each other?” Matteo wrapped his arm around my