Page 6 of Bound By Threads
I remain silent, my voice trapped somewhere between my heart and my throat, where it’s been lodged since I realized it was safer that way.
Roman smirks, his eyes glimmering with a mix of amusement and challenge, “Nothing to say, Reyes?”
I shake my head and tighten my hold on my books, refusing to give them the reaction they want and hoping they’ll leave me alone.
They don’t. Roman steps closer, blocking my path. “Why don’t you hang out with us for a bit? We have something to show you?”
I glance around, looking for anyone to help me, but the hallway is practically empty, and anyone who is here prefers to look away, too scared to face the wrath of Roman and the others.
“Come on, Piglet. We won’t bite,” Crew chuckles, grabbing my elbow and dragging me toward an open classroom door.
I drag my heels, every instinct screaming that this is a bad idea, but I know I have no choice.
Once inside,they close the door behind us with a click.
My heart pounds as I realize that I’m trapped in here with them. I pull in a shaky breath, my eyes skimming over the windows to see if I could jump from them.
“Calm down, Reyes,” Roman sighs, “We just want to have a little chat.” He leans against a desk, studying me.
I quirk an eyebrow, waiting for them to carry on. Their pauses baffle me like they expect a response I have no intention of giving.
I thought they would have learned a year ago that it was useless.
Elijah breaks the silence with a chilling laugh, a sound that sends shivers down my spine. “What’s wrong, Mouse? Are you too good to speak to the likes of us?”
I shake my head vigorously.
Roman steps closer, pressing my lower back into the desk behind me. “Listen, your parents need to pay up, Reyes. My dad has a limit to his patience, and I don’t care how you get the message across to them, but make sure they understand that they have until the end of the week.”
I clench my fists, feeling the familiar frustration welling up inside me.
I don’t understand why I’m being made to pay for my parents’ debts. I’m not the one who takes the drugs.
Crew and Romanleave the room when I say nothing else, but Elijah stays, a smirk stretching across his face. “You going to scream, Scarlett? Just like you did when we locked you in that room?”
I stare him down, my chest heaving, my fists clenched at my side. His smirk is infuriating. His eyes trail over me, “Problem?” he drawls, leaning against the teacher’s desk, his voice dripping with the same cocky arrogance that always seems to make my blood boil.
I don’t think; my body moves on its own, driven by years of pent-up frustration and rage. I step forward, my head snapping up to meet his, and before I can even process what I’m doing, I spit right in his face.
Elijah’s eyes widen for a split second, and then his expression darkens, his smirk twisting into something far more dangerous. He doesn’t wipe it off; he just stares at me, his jaw tightening, and his eyes lock on mine. “You’re going to regret that,” he says, his voice low, almost a growl.
I should be afraid. I should back down, turn around, and walk away. But I’m tired, and I can’t bring myself to.
Elijah moves fast, faster than I expected. One second, he was leaning against the desk, and the next, I’m pinned, my back against the cold wall, his body pressing so close to mine that I can feel the heat radiating off him.
His hand grips my chin, forcing me to look up. “Get on your knees,” he commands.
I hesitate, my heart pounding in my chest. My mind screams at me to fight back, to run, to do anything but obey.
Slowly, I sink to my knees, my eyes never leaving his. He tilts his head, studying me like I’m some puzzle he’s trying to solve.
“You think you’re so tough, don’t you? The unbreakable Scarlett. The ice queen who shut us all out over a stupid prank.” I want to scream at him. Tell him that the stupid prank turned into my own personal nightmare that I can never escape, but I don’t because the silence is safer… for everyone. “You’re right where you belong. On your knees. Below me.”
I want to spit in his face again. To scream, claw at him, to make him regret everything they’ve ever done to me.
But I don’t.
I can’t.
