Page 29 of Brutal Game

Surprisingly, he let it go.

“Alright, Aviva. You can run away. I’ll find you later.”

With those foreboding words, I grabbed my bag and left the room, leaving Jack behind…

…for now.

11

Aviva

Iwas sweating by the time I got to The Stacks, the bar I worked at with Tovah. I dragged open the thick, wooden door with the tiny gold sign, aware that my hair was in complete, just-got-fucked disarray. At least I hadn’t put on makeup today. I was already enough of a mess.

And I hadn’t had a chance to go by the IT center and befriend a techie to help me hack into Joshua Jensen’s cloud account, damn it.

Tomorrow, I promised myself. It would be my first priority tomorrow.

Alex, the bouncer, looked up when I entered. He was a big guy, on the wrestling team, and Tovah and I couldn’t figure out if he needed the money or did the job for fun. Although I didn’t know how fun it was, checking IDs and kicking out drunk and belligerent college students.

“You better watch out, Dick’s on a rampage,” he advised.

“I’m only a minute late,” I said, sighing.

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Like that matters to the Weiner?”

I laughed, surprised anything was funny to me at the moment. But Alex had nicknamed Dick “the Weiner” one night when we were cleaning up the bar. Dick was the type to get as drunk and belligerent as our worst customers, often declaring himself a “big winner” and the rest of us “real losers.”

“He’s a ‘weiner’ alright,” Alex had told me and Tovah as we set the bar back to rights. The nickname had stuck, even though Dick had no idea.

“Aviva!” the Weiner yelled, startling me and bringing me back to the present. I gritted my teeth. It took everything in menotto call Dick out for being a lousy boss, but I caught Tovah’s wide eyes as she shook her head wildly.

Don’t,she mouthed.He threatened to fire you.

“Aviva, you’re late,” Dick said. “Your shift already started. And I don’t have time for irresponsible employees.”

Barely.

Tovah shook her head again.

I didn’t want to apologize, but I wanted to keep my job. Needed to keep it. My scholarship only covered tuition, and room and board. Books for class, food, transportation: all of that was on me. Not to mention paying the utility bills for Aunt Gladys’s house now that Asher was back at home.

“I’m sorry.” I forced out the words.

I was really sick of powerful men walking all over me. I was especially sick of the ways I gave in.

Like you gave in to Jack?my inner voice mused. I’d come today.Twice.Maybe even three times—that second orgasm lasted so long, it was difficult to tell. What the hell was wrong with me? My solo orgasms had never felt like that. What had made this so horribly pleasurable, when I hadn’teven chosen to do it? I’d been forced. I had no choice. Before, sex had been fully consensual, and I hated it. Now, it was non-consensual, and I liked it—and hated myself.

“How sorry?” Dick leered.

Alex cleared his throat. Dick’s face turned pink, but all he said was, “Go change and help Tovah.”

Grabbing my uniform—tiny black shorts and the high-necked, tight black tank top that Dick had compromised with me on, I went to go change in the back room, making sure the door was locked. As I changed, I glanced over in the mirror, wincing at the faint bruises I saw on my hips, remembering the way Jack had gripped me while he’d forced me up and down on his cock…

I shook my head clear of the memory. Jack, and everything to do with Jack, belonged in a box. I needed to focus on work, school, and getting justice for my brother. That was it.

Unlocking the door and exiting the back room, I headed back to the bar, where Tovah was stacking clean glasses. Dick had disappeared, probably into his office to watch porn. I shuddered.

“Aviva, what is going on?” she whispered. “You’re a mess—again. Did that asshole find you?” I glanced at her, biting my lip.

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