“Aw, c’mon,” Travis chuckles, catching up to me in a few long strides. “You don’t want to get away from me that badly, do you?”
Actually, that’s exactly what I want right now– but if I tell him that, tell him why I’m wandering around this building when I should be in class at the next one over, then I’m afraid everything will just spill out. My morning confessional with Bryce was one thing, but nobody else needs to know how the full extent of how bleak my life has become.
Not to mention the fact that I’m nowhere near emotionally equipped to have that conversation again.
“Seriously, though,” Travis urges, nudging me with an elbow as he falls into step beside me. “How have you been?”
Since it doesn’t seem like he’s giving up, I grind to a halt and pivot to face him. “Good,” I breathe, not surprised how easily the lie rolls off my tongue.I’ve gotten way too good at lying lately.
“Good,” he repeats, nodding as his gaze rakes over my form, slow and deliberate, before finally meeting mine again. “And have the Kings been taking care of your needs?” he murmurs, arching a brow.
“What?” I choke, flinching back.
I may be furious with the Kings at the moment, but the necklace I’m wearing still means something. Travis shouldn’t even be talking to me right now, let alone asking about my ‘needs’.
I shake my head before he can answer, pivoting to start down the hall again.Conversation over.
His hand clamps down on my waist like a manacle, the edge of it riding just a little too low on my hips. “Where are you running off to?” Travis laughs, tugging me back in playfully.
I’m not playing, though. I’mdonewith games.
He leans in, pulling me tighter against him and giving me a long, hard look that’s more curious than threatening. He must think he’s flirting, but it’s just coming off as creepy.
“Let me go, Travis,” I grit out, swatting at his hands as I try to wriggle away.
In the face of my refusal, the curious look on his face twists into something colder, his grip on my body suddenly edged with demand. One hand digs into my ribs, another snaking its way to my collar, pulling at the front of my shirt. I try to jerk away, but the more I struggle, the more his weight presses down on me like a metal trap. I open my mouth to scream, but his hand clamps down over it, muffling the sound.
“Let’s see how the Kings like their Doll after I’m done with her,” he snickers, shoving me toward the wall.
My pulse takes off at a gallop, blood thumping in my ears as terror takes hold. The seams of my sweater strain as he claws at the fabric, trapping me between the wall and his much larger body. He’s so much stronger than me, and all I can do is squirm and bite at his fingers like a trapped animal. Panic spreads through me like ink in water, growing darker and harder to breathe through, until an achingly familiar voice cuts against the static in my brain.
“Get the fuck off her.”
It’s low and menacing, not a request but a command. It’s Wes, appearing from out of nowhere like an evening angel, fisting the fabric of Travis’ shirt and ripping his body away from mine. He slams him up against the wall next to me, fist swinging out and cracking against Travis’ jaw. Blood sprays, splashing my neck and shoulders as his head whips to the side.
“I already told you what would happen if you came near Kings’ property again,” Wes snarls, raining punches down on Travis as he frantically tries to cover his face, bobbing and weaving to dodge the furious blows. “You’re a fucking dead man!”
Suddenly terrified that I’m about to witness an actual murder, I grab at Wes’ shirt, feebly yanking and screaming for him to stop. By some miracle, he actually listens– with a final parting punch in the face, he backs off Travis just enough for himto slip free and stumble away, coughing and spitting a glob of blood onto the floor.
“This isn’t over, asshole!” Wes calls as he watches my attacker scramble to retreat, limping down the hallway and turning the corner.
The moment he’s out of sight, Wes turns his furious gaze on me, the angry lines in his face melting away into something softer when our eyes meet.
“You okay?” he asks, brows drawing in.
The terror still hasn’t faded, but there’s something sharper bubbling beneath it now, and I can’t tell if it’s betrayal or relief. He rescued me, but not because he was actually concerned for my safety. It was a matter of pride; of protecting the Kings’property.
“I’m fine,” I grit out, shaky hands reaching up to smooth my rumpled sweater.
“You sure?’ Wes presses, reaching for me with something that looks a whole lot like genuine concern.
I know better, though. In rapid succession, all three Kings have shown what they truly think of me, and I can’t hide behind my own delusion anymore and deny it. They see me as a possession, not a person. I’m nothing to them but a body to use and discard.
“I said I’m fine!” I snap, knocking my shoulder into his as I push past him to flee.
He doesn’t even let me make it a single step before his arm bands around my waist, reeling me back in.
“The fuck, Ava?” he growls, manhandling me until my back’s against the wall again, his body caging me in. “I’m trying to help, would it kill you to show a little gratitude?”
