Page 5 of Monster's Edge
“Listen to me now, cupcake,” he says. His voice is pure venom. “You may think you’re untouchable. You aren’t. You may think you’re special. You are not. You may think that because your father is who he is that I won’t tear you apart. That’s a lie. Before the night is over, I’m going to do more than slap you, Rose, so you’d better get ready. Get ready to kneel before me. Get ready to tell me what I want. Most of all, get ready to respect me because if you raise your voice to me like that again, you’ll consider that slap nothing more than a caress. Tell me you understand.”
Breathe.
I need to remember to breathe.
This thing that’s happening right now is horrifying me.
Scaring me.
I don’t want to breathe.
I don’t want to move.
All I want to do is close my eyes and be back at the party with my dad and my stupid brother and all of the people they work with.
I’m not an idiot, though. I know the men who wander through my dad’s world well enough to know that Ian means business. One more deep breath, and then I speak.
“Yes, Mr. Salucci. I understand.”
2
It seems like hourspass as I stand there with Ian.
He’s juststaringat me like he wants me. Like he needs me. He’s staring at me like I’m someone and no one at the same time. I don’t know why he’s looking at me like this. I don’t know why he’s talking to me like this. Most of all, I don’t know why he’s taken me.
“You’re wearing entirely too much clothing.”
The assessment feels wrong and impersonal, but I stand still as he walks around me. I’m just glad he’s finally released my hair from his iron grip. I wonder if I’m going to have a bruise tomorrow and I hope to hell that I’m not.
What will my father think?
Well, he probably won’t think anything.
I don’t even know if I’ll ever see my father again.
Men like my dad and Ian are all the same. They’re vile. Vicious. They’re also calculating.
