Page 40 of Wild Pitch

I don’t hate the sound of that.

TWENTY-SEVEN

MONROE

“You don’t haveto worry if you don’t have tons of followers right off the bat,” I say into the camera. “TikTok is just like the platforms we’ve discussed in the previous videos. It takes time to build a presence, but as long as you’re using trending sounds and not overdoing it on the hashtags, you’ll slowly see your views rise. Don’t get discouraged, and make sure to download the free social media content creation kit on my website for ideas on how to get started. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you in the next one!”

“Aaaaand cut!” Riggs yells through his cupped hands as if we’re on a full recording set, instead of in our living room with a crew of zero, other than us. He stops the camera and runs over to where I’m sitting by the window, scooping me up into his arms and pressing his lips to mine. I squeal in response, throwing my head back with laughter as I wrap my legs around his waist. “You’re a fucking natural at this, baby. I’m so proud of you.”

I’ll never get sick of hearing him say that.

I got word last week that my LLC was approved, and immediately went live with my website. I opted to do a rapid release of my instructional video series so potential clients can see examples of my work before deciding whether or not I’d be a good fit for them. Today, I’m recording the third video, which I plan to edit and upload in the next few days. Web traffic has been better than I expected, and I even have a few consultations set up for next week. The encouragement I’ve gotten from Riggs has lit a fire inside me to make this business succeed, and I’m beyond grateful to have him in my corner.

“I was hard through that whole thing,” he says, burying his face in my neck. I sigh, tightening my legs around him and feeling for myself that he’s not lying. He walks us over to the couch, gently laying my head onto the soft cushions before lowering his body between my parted legs. Sparks go off behind my eyes as he grinds his erection against my throbbing clit, and suddenly, I’mfamished.

I reach down, yanking at the waistband of his sweats, attempting to push them past his ass. “I need to suck your cock,” I say on a breath, feeling like I might die if I’m not gagging on him within the next ten seconds. I’m frantic, bringing my feet into the mix and using them to assist in removing his pants. But much to my dismay, he stands, putting me face-to-face with the tented material. I go to reach for it, but he backs up, making me whine in frustration.

“Bring him back here!” I yell, kicking my heel into the couch like a child having a temper tantrum.

“Calm down, killer,” he says with a snicker. “I wanted to get home to help you with this, so I skipped my post-practice shower. I can assure you that you don’t want any part of me in your mouth until I’m clean.”

I sit up, pushing my bottom lip out in a pout. He leans down, nipping at it before hurrying toward the stairs. “Give me fifteen minutes. If Tim stops by, hand him the tickets in the envelope on the entry table. I’m still secretly trying to buy his silence from when he found us almost fucking in the elevator.” I cringe, anxious about the thought of looking the poor kid in the eye again after what he saw.

“Fine, hurry up,” I say loudly, crossing my arms over my chest and throwing myself back into the cushions as I hear the door to his ensuite bathroom close. Unlocking my phone, I commit to doom scrolling until he returns, but not even five minutes later, there’s a knock on the door. I stand, walking over to the table and picking up the envelope so I can get this over with. Damn Riggs for making me interact with this kid.

I’ll be demanding extra orgasms for the inconvenience.

I don’t bother looking through the peephole, swinging the door open and stopping in my tracks when I see who’s standing in front of me. I flinch, fighting my instinct to slam it in his face while I try to figure out how he even found me.

“Dad?” I choke out. “What are you doing here?”

I haven’t heard from this man inyears. He cut off all contact the day I left, froze my bank account, and I’m pretty sure the only reason he allows my mom to talk to me is because she tries to get me to come home every time she calls. She’s his way of keeping tabs on me now that he can’t control my every move.

“I’m here to bring you home,” he replies. “You’ve hadyour fun, but these games are over. I’ve just put in my bid to run for governor. It’s time to come back to California and fulfill your duties to the Decker family.”

I huff a laugh, because he’s out of his mind if he thinks I’d ever return to that hell hole. “And what are those? Go back to Rolling Hills, marry some douchebag that isn’t capable of love, and hate my life until I die? That might be good enough for Mom, but I deserve more.”

Holy fuck, I can’t believe I just said that.

“You ungrateful brat,” he seethes. “After everything we’ve done for you. We set you up for a successful future, and you took off to blow it all on some shitty career that’ll never get you anywhere. You think you’re going to live a different life here? You think this guy gives a shit about you? He doesn’t. He’s probably fucking someone thinner, prettier and classier as we speak.”

A devious grin pulls at his mouth as he steps forward, making me cower slightly. “Face it, Monroe. You’re not enough on your own. At least we were raising you to be a woman who knew her place. Now look at you.” He looks me up and down, his top lip curling in disgust. “He might be happy to have you as his whore, but it’ll take more than a set of fake tits and a bad attitude to make a man like that love you.”

“What thefuckdid you just say?” Riggs booms, running down the stairs at full speed wearing only a pair of sweatpants. He puts his large body between me and my dad, and I can hear the bones in his hands crack as he clenches them tightly at his sides. I peek out, wrapping my fingers around the rock-hard muscles of his bicep, practically able to feel the blood flowing through his protruding veins.

My dad lifts his chin, but I can tell he’s terrified as he attempts to look unaffected. “I’m here to speak with my daughter. She doesn’t belong here. I’m taking her back home.”

“Like hell you are,” Riggs replies, his entire body vibrating with rage. “Thisisher home. She belongs withme.”

My dad scoffs, rolling his eyes. “You’ll get bored with her. You’ll cheat, break her heart, and I’ll be back to get her. So, why don’t we just make the exchange now before you realize she’s nothing more than a warm hole to stick your dick i?—”

He’s cut off when Riggs grips him by the collar of his shirt before shoving him to the ground. I stand there, unable to move or see through the unshed tears in my eyes as I watch it all happen like a horror movie on a screen. My dad scoots backward across the hallway, stopping when his back is against the opposite wall as Riggs prowls toward him, crouching down and speaking quietly.

“You’re lucky I have neighbors, otherwise I’d beat your ass right here,” he grits out. “If you ever try contacting Monroe again, I’ll fucking kill you. I promise that nobody would miss your sorry ass—least of all, this angel of a woman you don’t fucking deserve,” he says, pointing a finger back in my direction but never taking his eyes off my father. “Now, get the fuck out of here before I call the cops, you piece of shit.”

He stands to his full height, and my dad hurries to his feet before taking off toward the stairwell. It isn’t until I hear the quietsnickof the door that I break from my stupor, choking out a loud sob. Riggs turns and rushes my way, catching me just as my knees wobble and give out. Iclaw at his bare chest, desperately trying to grab hold of something to ground myself. Swollen tears flow down my face as I attempt to catch my breath, but I feel like my whole world is caving in.

I knew deep down that my dad felt that way, but part of me hoped I was wrong. Now that I’ve heard the words, there’s no denying that my own flesh and blood never saw me as anything more than a bargaining chip to become richer and more powerful.

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