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Y ou would think being the coach’s daughter would have some perks or at least keep you protected from bullies.

Sadly, that’s never been the case. Not at high school, nor at college.

Somehow, I have something that lures bullies closer, something that says, ‘Hey, you, tough guy, come be mean to me for no reason.’

I used to wonder why, but with growing up comes some wisdom. So, here’s what I’ve learned about bullies and why they do what they do.

There’s no reason.

I couldn’t find it. Tried, though.

They just do whatever they want because they can. There’s no one to stop them, no one daring enough to step up to them.

There’s one thing I do know, and that’s not to ask for help. Don’t be a snitch, because it will only get worse. Way worse.

“Dad, please, do they have to come here for dinner again?” I ask as I slump on the couch, my chest tightening at the reminder of my father choosing his precious football player above his own daughter.

It’s not even one player…

I wish it were just one player.

“Don’t be like that. You know how his home situation is. He needs to have some better food in his system to up his game.”

Right, his home situation… but what about mine? No one ever hears me complaining about my dad’s… habits.

“I just thought…” I sigh as he wanders off into the kitchen, not even aware I was still talking to him.

The doorbell rings and a chill runs up my spine. The thought of being in the same confined space as them makes my heart pound heavily. If only I could run and hide.

“Get the door,” my dad bellows from the kitchen, and I hurry. Hearing the annoyed nag at the end, I don’t dare to bring it up again that I don’t want his star player—star players—at our house for dinner.

I swing the front door open and there they are.

“What are you doing here?” Dimitri snaps, his eyes piercing mine as he steps inside .

With their intimidating gazes, those cocky smirks plastered on their annoying faces, I have to remind myself how to breathe, gathering up all the strength and courage that I have to face them with a defiant glare.

“I live here, idiot,” I hurl back and move aside as Jaxon stomps ahead, his body grazing across mine with a sharp look on his face warning me to fuck off.

I meet his narrowed gaze with a glare of my own, doing my best to stand my ground until he follows Dimitri and walks away.

But they aren’t the dangerous ones. No, it’s the one at the back, staring at me with a smug smile on his face. His head dips low as he peeks up though his dark lashes. His teeth rub over his lip and he glides closer.

“Such a daring little thing,” he whispers as he hovers by my side, the warmth of his body seeping into mine as his leather jacket clings to his body. “Always smelling so sweet.”

I stand frozen to the spot, my hand wrapped tightly around the doorknob, waiting for him to take one more step so I can close it. But he already knows what he’s doing.

“Hope, close the fucking door!” my dad bellows, and I take a sharp breath, my hip still bruised from my last… lesson.

Knox chuckles and moves slowly, too slow . Every second that passes by grows more and more intense, and it doesn’t help that he’s so close to me. So close that the hairs on my arm rise.

“For fuck’s sake,” my dad curses and stomps our way, his footsteps closing in and only a simple kitchen door standing in his way .

“Knox, move,” I seethe as my gaze flickers to the kitchen door and back to Knox’s smug grin.

“Maybe I like to see you get hurt,” he muses as he glowers at me. I swallow as tension presses on my chest, realizing he knows what will happen next, but he doesn’t know everything, even if he acts like he does.

I close my eyes. The kitchen door flings open and Knox steps ahead, leaving me alone with an open door and a fuming dad.

“Are you fucking deaf?” My dad yanks the door from my grip, slamming it shut, and then his raged breath fans over my skin.

I squeeze my eyes shut as my body quivers, almost curling into itself as I become smaller.

“Look at me,” he snarls, and my eyes flutter open, carefully dragging up until I meet his as the smell of cigarettes wafts over me. “Be grateful the boys are here. Go wash your hands and behave!”

I don’t dare to flinch or cower further since that fuels him even more. In my mind, I constantly question what I’ve done wrong to deserve such a hateful man as a father, but I get no answers. I’m always left with no answers .

Is it because my mom is gone? Is it because I’ve disappointed him? I’m sure he’d prefer to have a son over a daughter, but how’s that my fault? All I’ve done is try to be a good person and a good daughter, but that’s not enough.

Nothing will ever be enough for him.

He walks away without another word, flinging the door open to the kitchen to finish up dinner .

Tears prick at my eyes as I hear all their muffled voices coming from the kitchen and I hurry toward the hallway that leads to my bedroom. How can I feel like a stranger in my own house?

It’s wrong that these three football players feel more at home in my house than I do. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Wherever they go, they rule over everything.

Knox, Jaxon, and Dimitri fill any room that they’re in. Their presence is dominating. Suffocating. No matter how far away from them I am, I still feel them lingering.

I’m so distracted by my own thoughts that I don’t even hear quiet footsteps behind me until goosebumps trail over my skin, warning me of the predator behind me.

Large hands cover my eyes, my breath hitching as a strong chest presses against my back.

His warm breath fans over my skin as he speaks. “Guess who.”

My heart pounds heavily. The sound fills my ears and complete darkness obscures my vision. Adrenaline races through my veins. The warmth of his hands. The deepness of his voice. The strong smell of his cologne.

“Knox.”

Knox chuckles softly, his breath tickling my ear. He just can’t seem to leave me alone, but I also can’t get them and their torment out of my head. “Good girl.”

His words make me swallow hard, my entire body going rigid. As much as I want to, I can’t pull away from him or shove him off. He’s far too strong anyway, and like with my dad, fighting back just spurs them on .

They want me to fight back just to have an excuse to torture me further.

“Taking a while to ‘wash your hands’, don’t you think?” Dimitri’s amused voice sounds behind me, followed by Jaxon’s chuckle.

“Her dad is too busy getting another six-pack from the garage to notice,” Knox replies as he turns me around to face the others, his hands grabbing my upper arms from behind.

A cold sweat threatens to break out as I know nothing good happens when my dad gets his hands on beer, but there’s no stopping him. Like there’s no stopping these three from taking whatever they want.

They live to torment me, and I have no idea what their obsession is with me. What have I done wrong?

“Let me go,” I say, my voice coming out weak and breathy.

“What was that?” Dimitri asks as he steps closer to me. His frame might be a bit shorter than the others’, but he’s all muscle and still towers over me.

My mouth goes dry as he glares down at me. “I want you to let me go and leave me alone,” I say.

Jaxon moves to Dimitri’s side, reaching over to grab my chin in his hand. He smirks as a soft whine leaves me. “It’s cute that you think you can tell us what to do.”

My eyes uncontrollably train on his tongue piercing, my gaze skimming over the additional snake bite piercings and eyebrow piercing.

“What do you want from me?” I ask them, sensing Knox leaning closer to my ear from behind me .

“We know what you do at night, sweetheart.” Knox’s voice comes out husky and teasing, threatening to make my knees weak.

My eyes widen as my ribs tighten. No, they can’t know. How? Do they think they can do the same?

With my chin still in his hand, Jaxon leans close, the air growing thick around us. “We’ve always known what a dirty little thing you are. We’ve seen what you like. How you moan when you ride Coach’s cock.”

Seen? No… They can’t know what happens in this house behind closed doors, how my father touches me every time he gets the chance. How the fight in me has gone away as all it has done was entice him further.

“Then you know how wrong it is, what he does to me!”

Knox smiles. “We’ve heard the moans, how you come when he fucks you.” He takes a sharp breath, closing the gap between us until his hard cock presses on my back. “We’ve heard and seen enough to know what’s going on here. You might pretend you don’t want this, but you’re just a dirty little slut.”

My heart stammers in my chest, and I whimper as Dimitri takes a strand of my hair between his fingertips, his voice hitting me hard and heavy.

“He told us how you liked it, bragged how you crave his cock so much as if it wasn’t enough.

But we know how to fix that for you. You just need more, don’t you? ”

“He lies!” I spit out as Dimitri’s finger brushes over my cheek. “Don’t touch me.”

They laugh as if my words don’t mean anything. “I only see one liar here,” Jaxon murmurs, and I realize how much my dad has twisted their minds, made them believe everything he says to them, even if it is something so foul as raping his own daughter. Again and again…

They idolize him in a way that made them blind for what is wrong and what is right. And now I know why they never said anything when my dad pulled me onto his lap, his hand brushing over my legs as if he were showing off for his precious players.

“We want to have a taste, sweetheart,” Dimitri whispers. “Coach doesn’t mind sharing with his top players.”

Tears well in my eyes as I try to shake my head. “Don’t do this, please.”

Knox chuckles darkly as his hand glides down my body and lingers on my hips. “We’re going to show you what happens to whores just like you.”