slave. I’m a human being. Get that through your thick skull.”
“Out for a drink,” Pete sneered. “More like you were drinking and whoring. Is that what you’ve been doing since you left me? Trust me Claire, ain’t nobody gonna give you what I did. Nobody got what I got, and I know you love it.”
“How did I ever think you were attractive?” she said, shaking her head.
Pete stepped forward, one arm coming up.
“What are you going to do?” she snapped. “Hit me? I’ll call the cops. I’m not afraid anymore, Pete. That’s why you’re here trying to blackmail me. You know I won’t come willingly, and so you have to try and force me. I’m not dumb. Not anymore.”
“Who was the other guy?” Pete said, ignoring her comments. “He had some muscles. Were you trying to bribe him with your body into fighting me or something?”
“Oh my god,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He approached me, you moron. If Jones was actually doing his job, he’d have seen I was sitting at the bar alone for ages until that random showed up and plunked himself down. I did not invite him or anyone to come sit with me. Just like I didn’t invite you to come follow me to my hometown!”
“Bullshit,” Pete snapped. “You’re mine Claire, and you need to remember that. Nobody else can have you.”
“I. Am. Not. Yours!” she shouted, her voice raising her. “I am allowed to make my own choices. You don’t get to make them for me. I’ve made some bad ones in the past, yes, but guess what Pete? You’re one of those. But that’s over now. I’m done. I’m out. Now go away! This is why I left you in the first place.”
“You fucking slut,” Pete hissed. “You’re fucking him, aren’t you?”
Claire caught herself as her hand came up to slap Pete across the face. She stopped herself, stunned at the anger she was holding back.
He’s doing this on purpose. Trying to get under your skin. If you hit him, he’ll hit you back. You know that. Then, he’ll just grab you and take you now and blame it all on you.
“You’re not worth it,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Not at all. Go home Pete. Find someone else. Like Kerry. I know you were trying to get with her anyway. Now you’re free too, so go to her if you haven’t already since I left.”
Pete’s face grew scarily dark, and he took a step closer to her. Claire knew he wouldn’t be alone either. Others would be nearby, like Jones and Lyle at least. If not more of his thugs.
She didn’t stand a chance. Suddenly, her back-talk didn’t seem like as good an idea. They were in a residential area, houses nearby. If she started screaming, someone would hear her. Probably. Hopefully. She didn’t know if they would be able to do anything in time though.
All of which meant she was on her own. Against at least three large men.
Suddenly feeling stupid and terrified, she swallowed nervously and started looking for a way out of the situation. Something that would appease Pete, persuade him to let her go.
“Just do whatever you want to me,” she said dully, her body going numb.
She was done. Just done with it all. Done with caring. Done with trying to convince Pete that she didn’t like him anymore. “I don’t care anymore. Hurt me, whatever, and then just go away.”
Pete laughed, a soft, ugly thing that sent tremors of fear through her body, coalescing into a tight knot in her stomach. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
“You’re not?” she asked, confused.
“No,” he said, moving closer, his lips pulling up into an evil grin. “I’m going to take you.”
One hand clamped around her arm, and he spun her around, his other hand covering her mouth before she even had a chance to scream.
“You’re going to come with me,” he hissed into her ear. “Back to Kennewick Falls. Then, I’m going to show you exactly what you’ve been missing. Remind you why you were with me in the first place. I know what you like.”
Claire wanted to vomit as Pete started to drag her away.
There was a cracking sound, and something moved in the shadows under a tree at the same time a voice spoke sharply.
“That’s far enough.”
Chapter Six
Pietro
He stayed hidden in the shadows of the giant maple tree, hoping against hope that he could somehow intimidate this unpleasant character enough to get him to leave. The last thing Pietro