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His eyes are pits of justified fury, of a madness so deep and dark, nothing I say is going to make a difference.

“Your little stunt cost me my job.” He spits into my face. I feel the spittle hit my cheeks. “Getting arrested forassault ...assault, Everly! When did I fucking assault you? Huh?”

His fingers unravel from my hair to circle my neck. He squeezes just enough to send prickles across my lips.

“When did I assault you, Everly? Even when you fucking deserved it for being so fucking stupid, I never touched you.”

He shoves me. I crash into the door. My head bounces off the window. The crack disorients everything for only a second but it’s enough time for him to get out of the car and round to my side.

My door is yanked open and I nearly fall out. I might have preferred it to the clamp of his hands on my injured arm dragging me to the ground.

The wind is knocked out of me as I lie in the dirt, wheezing and choking on the tears I can’t stop. On the pain that keeps threatening to take me under, but I can’t let it; while I don’t think I want to be awake for what he has planned, passing out terrifies me even more.

The toe of his sandals catches the back of my thighs. The momentum shoves my body forward on my bad shoulder.

“I lost everything because of you.,” he snarls over my wail. “My dad kicked me out of my house because of you. I have nothing left of my inheritance because you conned my dad into giving you all my money. You stole from me. I lost my jobbecause of you. I lost my listing because you gave your house to Abram. Abram? That puke face? You knew how much this meant to me. I know you did it to spite me.”

I did.

I made sure to ruin everything he’s ever had. Not slightly. Not enough for him to rebuild. I burned his life in Jefferson to the ground and shit on the ashes.

As a consequence, I created this situation I’m currently in.

“If you hurt me, Lachlan will—”

His hands fist into my hair and I’m dragged up. Dirt and rocks cut into the naked flesh of my knees. Tears the skin on my calves. I feel strands getting torn from their roots. I’m blinded by tears that obscure his face when he shoves it into mine.

“Are you not listening? Because of you,Lachlan,” he spits Lachlan’s name the way he used to sayDad,“disowned me. Cut me off, gave you my money, all because he crawled between your legs!”

I think he was aiming between my legs, but his kick gets me in the gut.

I can’t even wheeze. What air I had in my lungs escapes in a squeak. A whimper that is lost in the war drums slamming into my skull as the entire world fades behind the torrent of fire.

It’s unlike any pain I’ve ever felt in my life. It washes away what humanity I possess so I’m no more than a shell of broken pieces I can’t clutch together with only one good arm.The air is ashes caked in my throat, burning, and still I inhale nothing. I can barely make a sound. Barely move. I might be dying.

Violent fingers press into my jaw and twists, dragging my face off the ground. Whatever he sees brings a satisfied smirk to his face.

“I have a secret.” His free hand dabs at the bits of dirt clinging to my tear-soaked cheek. “I fucked your bestie.” He snickers when I choke on my own sobs. “Right on your kitchen counter. Bent her over and railed her wet cunt.” His head cocks to one side. “Fucking boring. You’d think with all the practice she’s had, she’d have been better, but...” the smirk makes my queasy stomach churn. “I made it worth my time. Fucked the bitch raw. Should have set a time limit if she couldn’t handle it. Was almost satisfying when she begged me to stop, but after all the bullshit she put me through, all the insults, I wasn’t passing up this opportunity to finally make the bitch cry and bleed.”

My heart seizes around the implication. At the sheer joy lighting his face. The arrogance alone as he openly brags about hurting Lauren.

Raping her.

“Why?” I croak, not surprised to taste bile and blood on my tongue.

His vise on my jaw unfurls and he takes a step back. It’s not far. His need to lord his power over mestretches his shadow across my prone body. It forces my chin back to peer up into his cruel features.

“Because she’s a whore, Everly. I’ve been telling you that for years. Bitches like her beg for the cock. She begged for it. Went down on her knees like a proper whore and sucked me off before bending over and taking it in the cunt.” He blows out a breath. “Kind of like how you let my dad and Weaver pound your holes. Unlike Lauren, you took it like a champ. I was almost jealous that I didn’t take my shot when you were ready to spread your legs for me.”

Nothing he’s saying makes any sense, but asking isn’t going to get me any answers.

“What are you going to do to me?” I rasp.

His knees bend and he crouches until we’re eye level. “You’re going to tell everyone you lied. That you made it all up because we had a fight and you’re a conniving cunt who tried to ruin my life. You’re going to make sure my dad takes me back. You’re going to give me my money back. You’re going to fire Abram and give me your house to sell and you’re going to pay in whatever way I see fit until I get bored with you.”

The logic is irrefutable. I can tell him I accept. Go along with everything he says until we’re back in town.

“Okay.”