Page 59 of Riot

“Because I fucking can,” she sneers. “Because I want to. Because I’m so fucking tired of all of you playing the victim, and maybe because I’m sick of hearing my father’s name on their lips like he is their savior when he was my damnation. You were there. You might not have taken part, but you facilitated raping and drugging as well as abuse of not only me but every woman at those parties. You don’t get to get away with that and have a happy life.”

“Happy? Look at me.” He throws his arms wide.

“It’s not enough,” she warns him. “Not nearly enough. I want you all to feel every inch of the pain we did. I need it. Now, make your decision. Do I keep digging and ripping your life apart until you can’t stand it anymore and have no choice but to come forward, or will you work with me and destroy yourself?”

He looks from her to me, feeling both lost and trapped. He knows he would lose if he stood against her. “I never should have fucking taken that job as their manager.”

“But you did, and you did nothing to stop what happened. You made a choice, and you don’t get to play the victim now. You have two seconds.” She flips up two fingers and slowly lowers one. As she starts to lower the second, he grabs the file and slumps into his seat.

“Fine, fine, whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

“Good boy.” She shoves her shades down. “You can keep that. We have copies. We have to make sure you are behaving. Isn’t that what you used to tell me?”

He swallows, staring at her. “I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Good. Now where’s the evidence? I want it. I don’t trust you not to destroy it out of spite.”

He laughs bitterly. “I’m not that dumb. I might have done stupid shit, Fallon, but I know better than to go against you. You are your father’s daughter.”

Unwilling to stand by and let him land a blow, I step around and smash his face into the desk as my mouth meets his ear. “If you say one more word, I will start cutting, and I know exactly where I want to begin. Do you understand me? You will be silent unless she speaks to you. You will wait for her every fucking call, and if you so much as look at her wrong, I will carve out your eyeballs.”

He shudders under me, nodding rapidly. “Sorry, sorry, it’s there.” He points at an old cupboard in the back, and I press his face harder against the desk in warning.

“Go get it.” Releasing him, I step back and watch with a sneer as he rushes over, not even looking at Fallon. She smiles at me in thanks and to let me know she’s okay, but I see the hit landed.

She is nothing like him, no matter what she or anyone else thinks.

She might have collected fame, wealth, and power, but she did it all without hurting others—unlike her father.

We watch him scramble through the cupboard, uncovering a hidden safe. He quickly puts in the code and pulls out a black hard drive, handing it over to Fallon with a scared look.

She holds it up. “If this isn’t what I want, I will come back. You might think he was crazy, but I’m much fucking worse. Do not test me.”

“The whole family is fucking crazy,” he mutters as she turns away. She stops, and I’m about to grab him when she holds up her hand, her eyes landing on him.

“You’re right, we are, and I don’t think I’m satisfied with just this anymore.” His breath shudders out of him as he exhales. “Get on your knees, kiss my feet, and apologize until I believe you.”

“What?” he whispers.

“Did I fucking stutter?” She arches a brow, one hand on her hip. “I’m waiting.”

He looks at me, and I snort. “Trust me, you don’t want to deal with me. I’d make you do more than apologize—I’d make you bleed.”

He turns back to Fallon, and she taps her watch.

Heading around the desk, he steps toward her when she tuts. “I didn’t say walk. Crawl like the animal you are.”

He freezes, closing his eyes for a moment before he sinks to his knees, his shoulders round with humiliation, and then he starts to crawl toward her in his suit. She watches him with a satisfied expression, and when he reaches her shoes, he goes to touch them, and she lifts her foot. “Eh, this is worth more than your entire life. No grubby hands. Apologize now. Beg for my forgiveness.”

His head hangs for a moment before his words come. “Fallon, I’m so sorry. I’m really so sorry. Please forgive me. I was a terrible person. I did terrible things. I deserve this and so much more.”

“Hmm, I don’t believe him. Do you, baby?”

“No,” I reply with crossed arms. “Want me to motivate him?”

“No, wait, please! I’m so sorry!” he shouts. “I really am. I’m so fucking sorry.” His body shakes as he begins to sob in earnest. The situation he’s in must finally be hitting home. I can’t help but grin at his pathetic sniveling. Fallon steps back in disgust. “I’m really so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. I wish I weren’t so stupid and desperate. I’m just so sorry. I’ll do anything, please. I’ll do anything you ask. Please, please don’t kill me. I want to live.”

Leaning down, she tips his chin up so he looks at her. “Never forget this is where you belong. You are nothing, just a bug under my shoe to crush whenever I feel like it. You live and die when I say so. Now stay here, on your knees, where you belong.”

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