Page 55 of Filthy Liar

Wow. It’s amazing what you can live off, or rather what you can live without for almost a week. I don’t remember getting any food while I was away, and in the recesses of my mind, I recall some water, but that’s about it. And even the water seems like a hazy dream.

“Okay,” I breathe.

“Dillion,” Rim calls out.

I turn toward him. He’s watching me, his eyes focused on mine. It doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable or anything like that, but I can tell he’s thinking about the fact that I want to be here and not with Humble.

He’s judging me, and that’s fine. He can judge away.

I don’t care.

“Rim?” I say when he doesn’t continue.

He dips his chin once, then lets out a heavy sigh. “You sure this is what you want? I’ll send a prospect over to watch your place.”

“You don’t have to,” I say.

He snorts. “Clink would have my balls if I didn’t. But, babe,” he murmurs, “you may want to show up to the clubhouse just to talk to him.”

Pushing the door open, I unfold from the car and stand up straight then look at him in the front seat. I’m glad that he isn’tgetting out to walk me to the front door. I don’t want anyone with me. I want to do this on my own. There’s no reason for anyone else to be with me.

I’m here on my own.

“Okay,” I say, although I don’t mean the word.

I move away from the car and head into the house. Closing the door behind me, I flip the lock closed so I’m locked inside. Then I take one step, then another, and then another before I pause.

The house is quiet. I suck in a breath, holding it for just a moment before I let it out slowly. I’m alone. Then my body begins to tremble… because I’m alone. I pinch my eyes closed, and my knees go out from beneath me as I sink down, my ass slamming down against the carpeted living room floor.

Bringing my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my shins, I rest my cheek against my knee and breathe. I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never felt this uneasy in what is considered my own space before.

Forcing myself to take calming breaths, I try to keep from having a full-blown panic attack. I know this is close, though. So damn close.In and out. In and out.I try to keep myself calm.

I was kidnapped, though.

Kidnapped.

I was taken, my body, mind, and soul completely stripped of my own control. It’s a million times worse than anything I’ve ever experienced before. Sure, they didn’tdoanything to me, even though they promised they would in the near future, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still feel violated.

I do.

Very much so.

Forcing my eyes open, I lift my head and rest my chin on top of my knees. As I stare across the room, my gaze moves across the space.

There isn’t much here that’s actually mine.

The only thing in this house that is mine is the headboard, mattress, and sheets. Everything else I haven’t had the money to replace, and I didn’t have the money to replace those either. I just did it because I couldn’t imagine what my brother did on that mattress and on those sheets. Nothing could have sanitized them.

Chewing on the corner of my bottom lip, I inhale and exhale slowly before I push myself up to standing.

“I cannot stay here and be a crybaby,” I announce to nobody but myself.

Instead of going to the kitchen to get something to eat, I decide I need a shower. If Rim is right and I was gone over a week, my food and water memories may be hazy, but my shower isn’t. And if it was, I can smell myself… so that’s gross as hell anyway.

I shuffle toward the bathroom, then open the door and avoid the mirror as I make my way to the shower. Starting the water, I strip out of my clothes, but I don’t leave them on the floor the way I normally would.

I throw them in the trash can—including my bra and panties.

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