Page 42 of Hold On

I’m sofuckingdead.

“I’m only here to grab my purse,” I say calmly, though my trembling body is a dead giveaway that I’m lying. “I need my keys so I can have my place cleaned.”

He levels me with an all-knowing stare and smirks.

“It’s in my office,” he says, an evil glint in his eye.

“Funny. I left it in my locker,” I growl as he drops the happy facade and shoves the dancers behind him in his anger. One trips over the other and falls, smacking her head on the back of the couch behind her. I go to help her up, but Luke pushes me back by my ribcage until my spine hits the bar.

“That locker belongs to me ultimately, so I can do whatever the fuck I please with the shit that’s left in my establishment, Alina,” he says to me as he closes in on my face. We look deeply into each other’s eyes. “You also fled during your shift and left it here while you allowed yourself to be harbored by a junkie loser, former musician. So, I took the liberty of searching it to make sure you weren’tpackingany secrets within it I didn’t know about.”

“If I had a gun, I’d keep it on my person for thesespeciallittle chats we get to have,Luke.Not in my goddamn locker,” I seethe. His eyes widen at my disrespect, and I know I’ve earned myself one of his famous punishments. I hate him so much, and with Bash around, I can’t keep my fucking mouth shut anymore. Luke sees this. He can’t let it stand. Especially while in front of his other employees.

Squash the rebel uprising before she realizes her power and wages war upon her dickhead overlord.

“How about we visit my office, so I can remind you of your place here. Then you can leave with yourgoddamn purse,” hegrits out through his teeth as he grabs my shirt at my shoulder and throws me forward.

I text Bash one word.

Leave.

Sebastian:

I throw my phone at the dashboard after her text comes through.

Leave.

Like hell I’m fucking leaving her in there all alone. I unbuckle my seatbelt and rip myself from the car, my steps steady and sure as I begin to approach the stupid fucking bar that serves as Alina’s business front.

I think it’s time I meet this fucker, Luke.

Alina:

I feel like I’m in a daze as Luke parades me to his office. I’m barely registering the people around me. There aren’t a lot. But I’m scared. Because before when Luke would use me, I had nothing to live for. I’d block it out. It didn’t matter because I knew how to disassociate. And I just can’t now.

I’m seeing Sebastian in my mind, hearing his promise to me that it’ll be my choice from now on. I get to say who enters my body and who doesn’t. I had believed him. And I know he meant it. But right now, that promise is crumbling around me. And when Luke closes the door to his office and throws me on his couch, it feels like a whisper in the wind. Something I must’ve made up because this is happening regardless of what Bash said. Luke is going to hurt me, and it won’t be consensual.

I don’t get to have a say.

He slaps me across the face and my vision blurs with tears from the sting as he rips his black jacket off and throws it on top of his desk. His outfit of choice today is a purple silk, short-sleeved dress shirt with black tiger’s stripes and black slacks. He wears no socks with his loafers, tassels hanging from the gold embellishments. The lights above glare off the shined leather. They’re so fucking ugly. I wish with everything that I am that I was staring at Bash’s dirty, used Converse instead.

A gold chain glitters at his neck as he lights himself a cigarette and takes a long drag. “Alina. Alina, Alina, Alina,” he says as he shakes his head, his gold rings glittering as he pulls his cigarette away from his lips and exhales. “You really showed up with thatfuckertoday.”

“You’ve got me there.” I admit it, my attitude apparent as fuck. Itwasstupid to bring Bash anywhere near here. “Just take it out on me and get it over with,” I demand, not in the mood for his games or stretching this out any longer. I just want to get back to my man.

“You know I’ll kill him,” he warns me. I stare up at him with daggers in my eyes. My anger peaks and I snarl as I answer his threat.

“You can fuckingtry,” I smile maniacally. His nostrils flare as he stiffens before me. Luke doesn’t do back talk. “I’lldiedoing everything I can to save that man, you fucking prick.” I spit at his shoes before he’s on me.

His hand flies to my face again, slamming it sideways with the force of his hit. I feel my clothes being torn from my body. But fuck that, I don’t just take it this time. I kick and scream and fight. I fight for myself, and I fight for Bash, and I fight for the future I want for us. I kick my leg out and catch Luke in the jaw, shoving him off of me while reaching for something, anything heavy around his office to knock him out. There’s a gaudy candle on his desk poured into heavy glass and I grab it before smackingit down on his skull with all my might. He’s able to swipe at my feet before he goes down and I stutter, falling just after the blow I gift him. But it’s done the trick and he’s out cold, his temple gushing blood onto his stupid silk shirt, the candle lying haphazardly by his head.

I say a prayer hoping he’s dead.

Knowing I’m not that lucky.

I get up as fast as I can and run behind his desk, searching all the drawers for my purse. I find it after a few seconds and then I’m running out the back, trying not to alert any attention my way. I fly through it and smack hard into someone’s chest. Bash grabs me, steadying me as he looks over my face, then notices my tattered outfit.

“Are you ok?” he shouts. I nod, stuck now. “Alina!! Let’s go!!” he urges as he pulls me forward. I fall to my knees, still in a daze that I got away from Luke and stood up for myself in the process. He picks me up forcefully and pulls upon my arm again, making my legs move.

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