Page 70 of Toxic Things I Love About You

This was going really well.I hid behind a couch as someone shouted. The alarm cut off abruptly, and I could hear Vinny yelling. I was a few steps from a sliding door, and they weren’t in here.

I pulled open the door and slid through it, but instead of making it out, lights flashed on, and someone grabbed me from behind.

“Where the hell do you think you're going?”

How in the hell?

“Oh, Vinny, I was just going for a walk. Nice night and all.”

I stomped on his foot but my barefoot on his shoe didn’t inflict much damage.

I grabbed his arm and twisted to get out from under him. He howled in anger and pain, getting me a few more steps.

“You really think that a little stunt like this wasn’t expected? You think a little pain will stop me?”

Someone poked their head through the door as Vinny grabbed me by the hair.

“Go secure the doors and windows. I will teach this bitch a lesson.”

I tried scratching him and met an arm. The hiss in his voice as he yelled at me said I probably did something, but he yanked my hair again and I grabbed for it.

“You’re hurting me. Stop it.”

I’d practiced with Parks for years, but it wasn’t ever like this. I tried to twist around and realized that, although some pain was okay, I didn’t like my hair being messed with.

He yanked me to look at him and I swung hard, hitting him somewhere, but I couldn’t see where with the tears in my eyes.

“Let me go and I will see what we can do to share the company.”

My neck tried to cushion the blow as he slapped me across the face, but his hand in my hair held me there.

My nose watered, or maybe it was bleeding, and my eyesight wavered into focus as I blinked away more tears.

“You will give me respect. I can drug you like I did your aunt. Just keep you in a complacent state of mind. I can tie you up in the basement and starve you until you listen to me. I can make your life a living hell. The second you’re married to me, Roman won’t have many options. He doesn’t have many options now, if he ever cared about you.”

Vinny yanked me forward, throwing me off balance, and I tried to fight against him as he pulled me onto the couch.

“I was trying to be nice. I didn’t want you to hate me, but it looks like it won’t matter.”

I felt the sharp puncture before I felt the burn of the drug entering my system.

I kicked out at him and got him in the stomach, or maybe the balls.

“Fuck you, Vinny. I won’t ever give you my company or my family or myself.”

The laughter that filled the room was devoid of any emotion. I had anger issues and a list a mile long that gave me the fuel to want control and vengeance. Vinny seemed devoid of humanity.

I tried to push my way up and run, but whatever he gave me had my limbs feeling heavy and I fell to the floor.

“Your mind will remain completely aware of everything around you. You’ll even be able to talk, but you won’t be able to fight me. Scratching your nose will look like a fucking exercise. Enjoy this feeling or figure out how to comply. For now? I think I’ll take what is mine.”

He flipped me over, my stomach pressed into the floor as he yanked at the skirt I’d been stuck in since he’d taken me off the street like the dumb little girl I was.

There was no fighting the tears that ran down my face onto the carpet. He was right. I could manage to move enough to make me think I was in control, but it was like being buried and the weight of the air was too much.

Someone walked in, and Vinny screamed at them to leave. I didn’t care. This was what it really felt like to be out of options.

“You’ll leave Parks and Roman alone if I do what you ask?”

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