down. I needed to get the hell away from Ellie. I peeked between some heads when I saw him turn to talk to someone. Pushing to my feet, I kept myself low, and as the crowd jumped at a scary part, I stood and raced past the men. I used my body weight and slammed into the emergency exit and burst into the daylight. It took me a half a second to realize the alarm didn’t go off and another second to hear his voice.
“Why are humans so predictable?” Henry shook his head as he walked toward me. “I really wanted more of a fight from you, Sloane. You were always such a spitfire.”
A series of emotions plowed through me, but the strongest was to lash out sarcastically. I blamed my father for my tongue. It got me into trouble more often than not as a child.
“Fuck you, Henry. Is this the part where you stuff me into the trunk and drop me off in a lake?” I popped my hip out and tried to look in control when really my bones shook so hard, they threatened to separate from my muscles.
“I tried to give you chances—”
“Chances?” I cut him off. “Chances such as in kidnapping me from my home?”
“You caused that to happen—”
“Spoken like a true abuser.”
His lips pressed together, then he nodded at someone behind me, and before I knew it, the bald asshole had his hands all over me.
“Don’t touch me!” I punched his arm as he removed my phone and handed it to Henry. I wanted to cry. Not in a million years did I think I would be face to face with these people again. The last time I spoke to Frank, he said things were fine and it was all taken care of.
If I thought for even a moment that Henry was still after me, I would never had agreed to take Ellie out. Let alone meet up with her and her mom or even go on this trip. I still struggled internally with what happened back in my apartment.
“Unlock it,” Henry commanded.
“You think I have anything worthwhile in my phone? You know I work with criminals, right?” I dragged my eyes up and down him just to make my point.
“Don’t push my limit, Sloane. You may be hot, but I like my women submissive.”
Rage burned through me like never before. Here came my father’s temper.
“Well, good thing for you, I loathe everything about you. You assholes disgust me,” I spat.
The bald guy behind me chuckled and mumbled something that sounded like “She cat,” and Henry glared at him.
“Okay.” He rubbed his chin then threw my phone on the ground and stomped on it. And before I could react, he sucker-punched me in the stomach.
My entire body folded on impact as it drove me backward. I had never been punched in the stomach before, and I instantly knew I never wanted to again. Hot, blinding pain scorched my insides and made my head go fuzzy. Suddenly, I was hauled up straight and pushed against the dirty wall while his men formed a circle around me. Henry bent down to my eye level and proceeded to hike up my shirt as he kissed my cheek with his gross lips.
“No!” I tried to knee him, but he blocked the blow. “Get your fucking hands off me!”
“I don’t know, Sloane,” he moaned in exaggeration, “maybe I’ll change my mind and go for the feisty chick after all.” He chuckled as he came in for another peck.
“I’m glad your son is going to rot away in prison.” I spat in his face. “The longer he’s away from you, the better!”
“The fuck you say?” His eyes went from those I knew to someone completely different. “You little bitch. You think you’re so brave, do you?”
“Braver than you,” I challenged.
He leaned in and pressed his weight into my arms so I was pinned to the freezing wall. “I was brave enough to pull the trigger on a family who wouldn’t pay their debt. I was brave enough to wait you out until you came home, and I was brave enough to find you here alone with some rent-a-friend.” He pointed to the door of the theater, and I saw red thinking of Ellie inside.
Be an asshole to me, but don’t you dare mention the ones I love!
“Now I’m glad the judge listened to me.” I smirked through my lie. “I knew your son was guilty, just like I knew you