Chapter 180Katie's POVEven when it gets worked out in the end, it sucks for long-term relationships.”It had to be even harder to find someone you could enter into the sort of long-term relationship most people were especially keen on with. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised Cephus had jumped at the chance to get me on board as a future wife.And speaking of my future husband, I had half-expected he wouldn’t be there when I returned. Then when I saw him sitting on the couch in front of the TV where he’d been when I ran out to get in Caroline’s car—where he’d probably slept for all I knew, he’d gone out the night before and hadn’t been back before I admitted defeat and crawled to bed—I half-expected to spot Angel somewhere in the room in the next moment. She didn’t have anything further to add to her roster of manipulations for the moment: we were alone.“What was your day like?” asked Cephus without looking at me. I let my bag slip by degrees from my fingers, frozen in place by the p
Chapter 181Katie's POV“I was seven or eight, in a regular primary school not far from here.” His right hand moved, grasping for his phone, then he left it alone and pulled my hand he was still holding onto his knee, placing both of his hands over it. If the ring I was wearing was digging in, he didn’t give any sign. “It might surprise you to hear this, Katie, but I was not the best of children.”“Shocking revelation.”“I was always targeting kids a bit younger, a bit smaller. The ones I knew wouldn’t be able to give me any shit in return. Except this one time, there was this kid—Billy Burke, I remember his name vividly—and he did give me shit. He told me he wanted me to stop pushing him around and trying to scare him, and no he wasn’t going to give me his lunch money, by the way. I’d never run into this situation before when I was running this scam, so I panicked a bit. I hit him in the face. Told me to his parents.”I didn’t know what to say to this. It took me all too quickly b
Chapter 182Katie's POV“I see it as more of a protective arrangement for both of us. There are legal protections for each of us… incentives to keep one another’s secrets.”I fixed him with what I hoped was the most vicious look I had in me. “I never went to the cops after you kidnapped me, didn’t go running to my parents begging them to find someone to break your kneecaps, and you thought you needed some other way of getting me to keep your secrets?”“It matters…” I can hear the anxiety in Mack’s voice. Something is very, very wrong.“Why does it matter? She was nothing before this whole incident and will be nothing after everything takes place. She’s clean. I know it.” Cephus sounds confident, and though I know I have done nothing wrong, if Mack convinces him I did something, I know I am as good as dead.“It matters because I know she’s not clean. After Jared called me and told me what Luccio said, I did a little digging on her and found some shit out.”Horror fills my mind. What i
Chapter 183Katie's POVAll I see is a blur of him as I try to get my mind and body to function so I can answer him. My legs hit the floor as he pushed me down, releasing me to walk away. His hand grips his hair as he stares at the gun in his other hand and back down to me.“No. No, it’s not true,” I whimper, tears still falling. “Don’t listen to him,” I plead, looking him straight in the eyes.“Silence,” he orders, walking over to me with his hand raised. Will he hit me? Will he hurt me?“That isn’t true!” I shoot back. “Nothing he is saying is true…”Silence ensues for a long second before Cephus speaks. “Get the ropes and tape!” he yells to Mack. I’m lying on the ground on my side when his face comes into my vision.“Was it all a lie, Katie? Was it all some fucked up lie so that you could get into my head? So you could get the inside job done and walk away unscathed?” His voice is so loud in my ears, I push away from him.“Was it?” he shouts, demanding a response, his fingers gripp
Katie's POV."Paul! I'm home," I called out to my boyfriend of three years in our home, but no response."Is he not home?" I wondered to myself as I wander into the house. That was when I started to hear strange noise coming from our bedroom, I hurried down the hall towards the bedroom door, it sounded like moaning.As I neared opened the door, it was indeed moaning. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should enter. But my curiosity and fear got the best of me and I pushed the door open, only to find Paul in bed with another woman.My heart shattered into a million pieces as I saw them tangled together, their bodies moving in unison. The woman glanced at me for a moment and smirked before returning her attention to Paul.I felt a rage boil inside of me as I stormed towards them, grabbing the nearest object - a glass vase - and hurled it at them. It shattered against the wall, startling them both."What the hell, Katie?" Paul exclaimed as he sat up, his naked body exposed. The wom
Cephus' POV."For the last time, Vincent, where is my money?" I pointed the gun to the trembling man who is owing me a hefty amount of money.Vincent's eyes widened at the sight of the gun. He stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse, but I wasn't having any of it. I needed that money, and I needed it now.I tightened my grip on the trigger, watching Vincent's every move. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. My eyes lit up at the sight of it.But then I noticed something strange. The bills were stained with blood."Where did you get this?" I demanded, my voice rising.Vincent hesitated before finally confessing, "I... I did a job for someone. They owed me money and paid me in this."I felt a chill run down my spine. Vincent was involved in something far more dangerous than just owing me money. And now I was involved too, just by association.But I didn't care, I wanted my money and everyone knew I was not a cool man to deal with.Vincent stuttered, "I-I'm
Katie's POV"Rıse and shine, stranger," came the deepest voice I have ever heard in my entire life.I woke up groggily, trying to fight the sleep off of my eyes as I rubbed my eyes, trying to take in my environment."Where are my?" I asked, sleep still deep in my voice as I peered at the shirtless man looking at me with murder in his eves from across the room."You're in my palace prıncess," he replied with a smirk, removing the huge tobacco from the parting of his lips as he played with a sharp looking blade between his fingers.I quickly scrambled from the bed, pulling the duvet over my body, but not before checking if my clothing was still intact."What did you do to me?" My voice shook, as I forced the tears away, seeing myself in another clothes.He chuckled evilly, "Don't worry pet, I did nothing to you," He suddenly stood up, his height scared me, so I pulled back on the bed and was about to scream.The look on his face scared me, but instead of coming towards me, he walked to
Katie's POV"What… What is this?" I stammered, as I rubbed my eyes, trying to see what was on the paperwork before me. My hand trembled as I reached towards it, and as soon as I got it, I took it over to my eyes, which widened in shock and fear after I had read it.It was a contract that would officially make me a sex toy in the club."No, please" I whispered, shaking my head as tears rolled down my cheeks. "I don't think I can do this. No, I can't!”The paper fell down my hands and laid on the floor."How dare you!" I heard his loud and cold voice which sent shivers down my spine."I apologize, but I can't do it. Give me another punishment or job, I will take it but not this" I said, shakily, my nose started getting so runny that it stained half of my face.He scoffed, and grabbed my chin which he took upwards to face him. "I gave you an option, but you weren't ready for it" He said, his deep voice resounding."I don't have the money," I said, shaking my head. "If I did, I would have