Page 31 of Havoc

I clenched my jaw and nodded, but inside, something had snapped. I was done playing nice. He had no idea he’d just declared war.

Unaware of the fire he’d lit, he gave me a greasy smile. “Good girl.”

He turned, taking his time walking to his cruiser, then turned back to me, his voice dropped into a snarl. “You think he can protect you from me? You think any of those animals would lift a finger if it meant putting a target on their back?”

“Are you threatening to kill me now too?”

He gave me a look that was both cold and oddly amused. “No. I’m offering to protect you—from them.”

I glanced behind me. My neighbors with bats were still nearby, hovering in case he decided to lunge again. But with Slater backing off, they kept their distance.

“I don’t need you to protect me,” I said flatly.

His face twisted into something almost pleasant, but his eyes told another story. He was pissed. Livid. Dangerous.

“Naive little girls always think they know better,” he said softly. “They’re all strong, smart, and independent. Until they’re alone. Scared. Bleeding in the dark.”

His words sent a cold shiver down my spine.

“Sounds like maybe you have firsthand experience with how people react to being brutalized.”

That earned me a smile so predatory it made my stomach turn.

“Are you trying to terrify me into submission?” I whispered.

“Why yes,” he replied. “Yes, I am. Is it working?”

His tone was casual. Detached. Like we were talking about the weather.

And then he walked away, calm and deliberate. No shame. No guilt. Just confidence that he could do whatever he wanted—because he wore a badge.

As he drove away, the bile rose in my throat. I turned and ran for the stairs, with Dae already rushing to meet me halfway.

Slater wasn’t done. I knew that in my gut.

He was just getting started.

My knees buckled, and I dropped to the ground without meaning to. The next thing I knew, Dae was kneeling beside me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I didn’t even realize I was rocking back and forth until she tried gently to help me up.

We walked together to the apartment, her arm around my waist. Dae unlocked the door with shaking hands, and we stepped inside. I stumbled over to the sofa while she slammed the deadbolt into place with a solid, final click.

The reality of what had just happened settled in, hard and cold, making me want to run—anywhere but Griffinsford.

Dae was full of questions, but the one that cut through everything, the one I didn’t want to think about, let alone answer, was the most important.

“He’s not gonna stop, is he?”

“No.” My voice cracked. “He tried to rape me, Dae. And he talked about killing us if we don’t take the video down.”

Her breath hitched. “I didn’t actually livestream it,” she admitted quietly. “I just said that to scare him off.”

“But you have the video, right? Maybe I can use that as evidence.”

She shook her head, “I’m sorry, Riley. I couldn’t get my phone camera to zoom properly. I just thought if he thought I was streaming it, he’d be scared away.”

“Thanks for helping, but I don’t how much good it will do,” I said, my voice hollow. “Now you’re in his crosshairs too.”

She nodded but didn’t back away. “Do you think he meant it? The part about killing us?”

---