Page 13

CHAPTER 13

ARIELLA

"Y ou did what?" Journey's voice scraped between her clenched teeth as she followed me through the rows of lockers.

I dropped my towel on the hook. "I punched him in the face." The shower curtain rings screeched against the metal rod. "In front of Mila and Sterling."

"You are playing with fire," Journey warned. I recognized her fear, but I wasn't sure if it was for her or me. "He's going to make that video go viral, and who knows what will happen. You could lose your scholarship." I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. "What if he has videos of the rest of us, too?”

I glanced over my shoulder and kicked on the water. "He's not going to share that video. It's his only leverage." I stepped toward the shower. "Once it's out there, his power is gone." Steam began to rise. "And his beef is with me. Not you. Not the other girls."

I didn't really want that video to go viral, but there was only so much one person could take before they said 'fuck it' and let him show the video. "He's probably going to share it once he's done with me anyway."

"Let's hope not," she frowned. "I really need this scholarship, and if they shut down the dance team, who knows what will happen."

"They may take away my scholarship, but they have no reason to take away everyone else's."

"We have dance scholarships." Journey twisted her bracelet around her wrist. "If we aren't dancing, there is no scholarship."

I nodded, hoping the cold feeling in my stomach was wrong.

"We need to figure out why he's angry with me and fast."

She nodded. "I'm heading home now, but I'll meet you at the party around ten." I nodded. "We'll come up with a game plan when we get there, but you're going to want to avoid Zaiden if you can."

"I'll stick close to EJ tonight. He won't try anything with the whole team around."

Journey's face darkened. "I think you underestimate him."

She was right. I always did. And I always paid for it.

"Expect everything," she whispered.

"You're right. I'll see you tonight."

She left, and I stripped down and slipped into the shower. The water hitting the tile floor echoed through the silent locker room, and steam filled the space, escaping through the openings in the curtain. I stepped forward, letting the hot water wash away all the stresses of my day for a brief moment before coming up with a game plan for tonight.

I needed a list of everyone who was at the party the night Kacie died, and then we could split up and casually question everyone to see if we could find out why Zaiden thinks I had something to do with her death.

A dark shadow slid under the curtain. I froze. The roar of water seemed distant, muffled by the blood rushing in my ears. A footstep. Then another. Everyone but Mila should be gone by now. The shadow grew larger. Closer.

"Mila?" I called out. No answer.

My heart crowded my throat, making it hard to breathe. Zaiden wouldn't dare come into another team's locker room. It was forbidden.

"Mila?" My voice cracked this time.

The shower curtain ripped open, and I screamed. Not because it was Zaiden, but because it scared me.

"What the fuck, Zaiden?" My arms flew across my chest, a pointless shield. Water dripped between us. "What are you doing in here?"

"I want to know what happens when your Coach calls your name at the end of practice," he said, his tone deep and dark as he reached in and flicked off the water.

"Seriously?"

He moved fast, too fast; he stepped forward, wrapping his large hand around my throat and shoving me into the wall. "Seriously." He pressed into me, dropping his face to mine. His grip tightened around my throat in warning. "I asked nicely. Now I'm telling you I want to know what is happening in that office."

"I don't know."

His grip tightened, and my hands wrapped around his wrist. "I have no problem burying you next to my sister."

"I really don't know," I gasped, and his grip loosened. "My name hasn't been called yet, but if you must know, I imagine it's similar to what is required to make the team."

He stepped back, and his hand dropped. "So you do whatever he tells you?" I nodded. "If he tells you to bend over his desk and take it in the ass, you do it?"

I shrugged. "You can't tell anyone or interfere, Zaiden."

"You think I give a fuck if your Coach fucks you," he laughed. "I don't. I just wanted to know."

"Now you know," I said. "So, can I finish my shower?"

He shook his head, and he narrowed his dark, intense eyes on me. My heart sank, and my stomach turned.

"Get on your knees." His finger stabbed downward, marking a spot on the wet tiles.

I shook my head, hip cocked to one side. "I'm not sucking your dick." My arms formed a barrier across my chest, more for defiance than modesty.

"Yes, you will, but not today," he smirked. "Get on your knees, or I will text Mommy dearest this video of you blowing your coach to make the team."

Fuck. My lips twisted with disgust like I tasted something gross. Why did he have to bring her into this? Because he knew she was the last person I wanted to see that video. I told him that without saying a word, the night of our family dinner.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, I dropped to my knees, squeezing my thighs tightly together and sinking my ass onto my calves.

"That's a good girl." His face said he was pleased with me, and my stomach churned.

My gaze lifted, meeting his as my lip curled. "Fuck you."

He laughed. "I wouldn't fuck that dirty pussy with my worst enemy's dick." That was meant to cut deep, but it didn't because we both knew I was a virgin, or at least he knew I was all through high school.

"Then I guess we are done here," I smirked, moving to get up.

His hands curled around my shoulders as he held me down. "Give me your hands."

"How about a finger?" I scoffed as I lifted my left hand and flicked him off.

His large hand caught my wrist. "Other hand." I didn't move. "Now. Ariella."

My jaw clenched, but I lifted my hand, and he grabbed it, pulling my wrists together. Before I knew what was happening, he slapped a metal band around one wrist, pulled the chain through the metal shower safety bar just above my head, and slapped the other end of the cuffs on my other wrist.

"What the fuck, Zaiden?" He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black and white handkerchief. My eyes widened as panic clawed at my insides. "No." I shook my head as he knelt, bringing the material closer to my mouth. "Zaiden."

"I need you to shut the fuck up." He raised his brows as his gaze dropped to my lips. "As much as I'm going to enjoy using this pretty mouth. I don't need it today." I jerked my face away from the cloth. "Open." I shook my head. "Open your fucking mouth, Ariella. Or I'll make you."

I thought about it for a minute, and being gagged definitely didn't sound as bad as him using my mouth for other things, so twisting my head back, I slowly opened my mouth. I didn't want him to change his mind if I continued to refuse because he got off on the fight.

He slid the soft material through my lips and tied it behind my head. His heated gaze raked down my body, and an explosion of goosebumps spread over my skin when he forced his fingers between my knees. "Spread your legs."

I squealed through the gag, shaking my head no.

"We both know I'm going to win, and as much as I love a fight, I'm done now. Spread your legs."

I was at his mercy. I didn't know what he was going to do, but I was one hundred percent sure it could always be worse. I let him push my thighs apart, spreading me open. "I bet this pussy is so fucking wet for me right now."

I wanted to say yeah, we are in the fucking shower, but I imagine those types of responses were why he'd gagged me.

His gaze lifted, locking on my lips. His throat flexed on a hard swallow, his nostrils flared, and the muscles in his arm tightened as his hand raised. He pressed his thumb to my bottom lip, tugging it. "This sassy little mouth is going to look so fucking pretty wrapped around my cock."

The hungry look in his eyes and his dirty words did something to my insides that sent a heat through my stomach straight between my thighs, making me want to squeeze them together to alleviate the pressure. It shouldn't do anything to me. I hated him, but it did.

He pushed to his full height, his greyish blue eyes never leaving mine as he flicked open the button on his jeans and lowered his zipper before reaching into his pants, and my eyes squeezed closed.

"Open your eyes, princess," he ordered, his tone low and commanding. I didn't want to open my eyes, but I couldn't fight my curiosity. My eyes eased open and widened as his hand wrapped around his thick cock. Fisting his dick in his hand, he stroked himself slow and steady as his gaze dropped, raking over my wet naked body.

My stomach fluttered, and I couldn't look away even if I should. He was long, thick, and rock-hard, the complete opposite of the only other dick I'd seen. I blinked, and my mouth went dry as he worked his hand over his length, increasing his speed. Precum beaded at the tip of his head, and he used it to quicken his strokes.

My heart rate kicked up, and I was practically panting as the muscles in his arms flexed and the veins bulged. He bit down on his bottom lip, and his abs tightened.

My nipples pulled tight, and it felt like torture, not being able to touch myself. I whimpered through the gag and thrashed against the cuff, begging to be released, but that only seemed to turn him on more. "Does this turn you on, princess? Do you like watching me?"

Way more than I'd ever want to admit.

His grip tightened. "Do me a favor, make that sound again."

I didn't want to, but I really couldn't help it. It was like I no longer had control of my body.

"Oh fuck," he groaned as his head fell back and his lips parted. He stepped forward, and he exploded, splashing warm sticky ropes of cum on my face and chest. "Fuck," he panted.

He quickly tucked himself back in his pants before stepping back and taking in his cum covered canvas smiling like he was proud of his work.

He stepped forward after a long moment and untied and removed the gag.

"You look so pretty covered in my cum." He swiped his thumb across my cheek, dragging the sticky substance across my lips.

"Please let me go now."

"Yeah, I don't think so." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "I'm headed to the party." He backed away. "Sleep tight, princess."

The distance between us grew with each step. My options shrank just as quickly.

"If you leave me here—" My voice cracked. I forced steel into it. "I will tell everyone exactly who did this." I yanked at the cuffs. Metal bit into my wrists. "This is worse than any stupid video going viral."

The corner of his lip lifted into a crooked, sadistic smirk. He leaned forward, dropping his body so we were face to face.

"You won't."

His finger and thumb pinched my chin, forcing my gaze to his. I tried to twist away.

He tightened his grip. "Do you want to know why?"

My jaw clenched. Silence seemed safer than words.

He leaned closer. His breath was hot against my ear. "Because if you do?—"

A pause.

"I'll make your two little friends go viral."

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. "You may not care about your video, but my guess is you don't want your friend's videos to go viral because of you."

My gaze flicked back and forth over his face, searching for truth. Had he been listening to Journey and me? Had he been in this locker room the entire time?

"I call bullshit." My voice echoed against the shower walls. "You don't have videos of them."

He laughed, the sound bouncing off the tiles. His shoulders rose in a casual shrug as steam swirled between us. "Then try me. I'll release Journey's audition for the dance team first."

"I want to see the video."

"You will if you're stupid enough to tell anyone who left you."

"What if Coach Palmer finds me?" I was grasping at straws, thinking maybe he would care.

He pushed to his feet, staring down at me with zero emotion. "Then I hope he fucks your throat like the little whore you are." He turned, dropped the key to the cuffs outside the shower stall, and disappeared.

I opened my mouth to scream, but stopped myself because I knew it wasn't going to be him who came back for me. My gaze lifted to the handcuffs, checking to make sure there wasn't a safety release on them like the pair he'd used when he'd cuffed me to the shower rod, but there wasn't. I was stuck unless I could reach the key.

Why did he always have a pair of handcuffs on him?

Anger boiled in my veins as I stared at the key, willing it to move closer. If he hadn't threatened Mila and Journey, I would have told him to show everyone that video, but I couldn't let him ruin my friend's scholarships because he was mad at me.

"Ari," Mila whisper-yelled. "Are you still here?"

"Mila." The name burst from my lungs. My shoulders sagged. Not Coach Palmer. Not the football team. Just Mila. "I'm here."

She rounded the corner of the shower, and her eyes widened as she froze. "What the fuck?"

Swallowing hard, I shook my head, letting her know I didn't want to talk about it. "The key is right behind you. Can you please uncuff me?"

Her gaze dropped as she shifted around until she spotted the small silver key on the floor. She knelt and picked it up before rushing to uncuff me.

"Can you grab me a clean towel and let me shower?" She nodded and left. If I had to guess, the towel I'd left on the hook was gone. I flicked the shower on, scorching my skin with scalding hot water to wash away any exterior evidence that he was there, but the burning anger in my gut reminded me.

"The towel is on the hook," Mila said outside the blue curtain. "What happened, Ari?" When I didn't say anything, she added. "I saw him leave the locker room. I know it was Zaiden."

I ripped the curtain open and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around me. "You can't say anything."

"If you tell EJ, they will handle this."

I shook my head, fingers tightening around the towel's edge. "He doesn't just have videos of me." My gaze dropped to the floor. "He has them of you and Journey, too."

Mila's breath caught, her pupils dilating to dark pools.

"He threatened to use them if I told anyone."

"Oh," she frowned. "Look, it would suck if that video got out of me, but I don't need this scholarship. My family will cover me, but Journey and some of the other girls?—"

"I know," I cut her off. "The only way out of this situation is to figure out why he thinks I'm responsible for Kacie's death. If I can prove he's wrong, maybe this will end."

"So, I guess we are getting ready for a party?" She asked with a wary smile.

"Yeah." I nodded. That party would have tons of people from the high school party. "Just try to be low-key about it. We don't want Zaiden getting word that we are asking around."

We exchanged a knowing look, and she nodded. I didn't need to tell her that Zaiden would ruin me if he knew we were asking around and trying to clear my name. I wasn't sure that finding the truth would stop him, but I knew it was my only chance.