Page 12 of The Heart Stealer
I clenched my jaw, refusing to speak a word to him.
We were through.
My heart let out a pitiful whine, a different kind of pain coursing through me.
I thought I loved this man. I thought he was my forever guy.
But he sat there and let his friend beat me. He shoved me into this room and ordered me to stay, like I was his dog or something.
I never wanted him near me again. The thought of him touching me, trying to “celebrate” with me, made my stomach convulse. Bile burned the back of my throat.
I wasn’t joining him on the bed. I’d rather eat fly-infested horse shit.
“Cutie? You comin’?” His voice started to fade, and like the miracle I needed, he passed out, his snores reverberating across the room.
Forcing my stiff body up, I crawled to the edge of the bed, double-checking that he was asleep before wrenching out the first suitcase I could find. It caught for a second, and I let out a desperate whimper before pulling it free from under the bed.
Every movement hurt, but I ordered myself to grab what I could and shove it into the small suitcase. I grunted when the zipper fought me, then stilled, hoping the noise wouldn’t wake Theo.
He slept on.
It was a small show of mercy, and I took it, carrying the suitcase down the hall and into the living room.
The guys had all gone, so I snatched my purse off the counter, glared at the fridge one last time, and headed for the back door.
Stopping by the table, I stared down at the pile of money Theo had won. The bills were clumped in the middle, a mound of fresh and crumpled. Everything from Washingtons to Jacksons.
A big pile of green that made Theo so fucking triumphant.
He was sitting there winning all that money while I lay terrified on our bedroom floor.
And in that moment, I hated him.
I didn’t realize that love could turn to hate so quickly, but there it was.
A black vibration like I had never felt before coursed through me in waves so thick and strong, I could barely see straight.
And it made me act on impulse.
It made me become someone I never thought I could.
CHAPTER 4
LIAM
Sleeping on Asher’s man cave couch was bearable. I mean, it’s pretty comfy, I guess, but there are so many fucking lights in this room. From his big-screen TV to the gaming console and all the special pieces of tech in here, the buzz and flickering LEDs were enough to do my head in.
Thankfully, I managed to drift off and eventually sleep like the dead.
I felt kind of groggy when I woke up, but nothing an early-morning workout and breakfast smoothie can’t fix.
Jumping up, I fold the blankets and make it neat, because Ashman is not the slob the rest of us are. Then I realize I need to grab some running shorts and a fresh pair of socks.
Hopefully Rachel will be sound asleep, and I can just sneak into my room and gather my stuff without disturbing her.
Unless she’s locked the door.
Padding up the stairs, I avoid the creaks and tiptoe to my bedroom, only to find my door wide open.
