Page 187 of Dirty Damage

I probably should leave well enough alone. Ignore him. Block him. Delete the fucker from my phone and my life.

But since that hasn’t worked for me so far, I try a different approach.

SUTTON:You didn’t mean to hit me? So your hand just slipped, is that it? Or maybe my face was just in the way?

DREW:Don’t be a child. You were goading me. My anger got the better of me.

It’s classic Drew. An apology with a side of blame.

DREW:The least you can do now is forgive me.

SUTTON:Uh-huh. And while we’re at it, what else would you like from me?

He swerves around the sarcasm, his response coming as fast as his getaway back in the alley.

DREW:I’m not a petty person, Sutton. I still want you back. But I’ve thought about it and I have conditions.

The man must genuinely be a few screws loose in the head. He seems to think, even after everything that’s happened, that I’m the one in need of saving.

Thathe’sthe knight in shining armor, ready to make sacrifices to save me.

I sink to the sofa as the three little typing dots keep running in quick succession at the bottom of the thread.

At this stage, I’m genuinely curious about what conditions he’s going to ask for.

My undying loyalty, perhaps?

My life’s blood?

A massive tattoo of his face?

DREW:It’s really simple, baby, and it’s in your best interests to comply. We can have everything. We can be happy. All you have to do is get rid of the baby.

I go cold the instant I read those horrifying words.

DREW:You can live with me, in our townhouse. It’s where you belong. We can finally have the life we always planned on having. I want you to move in there as soon as possible. Today, in fact.

He’s insane,is all I can think.

But his messages are coming in fast now, sending shock after shock ripping down my spine.

I can explain away his madness, call him insane, laugh in his face. But every single word of his texts resonates with seriousness.

I may laugh—but he sure as hell isn’t joking.

DREW:I’ll give you an hour to get your things together.

SUTTON:Or what?

DREW:Or I will go straight to Pavlov Industries and demand to speak to that scarred beast you seem to care so much about. I will give him the sex tapes I made of us during our time together.

Goosebumps riddle my body. He’s lying; he has to be. There is no way he has sex tapes of the two of us.

SUTTON:You filmed us? Without my consent?

DREW:Don’t worry, baby—your performance is excellent.

SUTTON:What is wrong with you? What is the point of this?

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