Page 40 of The Protégé

Her journalism salary should allow her a comfortable lifestyle. But I’d learned not to assume or judge.

I dropped the subject. “You can use the company car for as long as you like. Use it until you save up for your own.”

“But that could be forever.”

“Then use it forever.”

She tilted her head, eyeing me like I was a crazy alien that just crashed into her home. If I didn’t leave her house right now, I’d probably do something insane that would make her back out of helping me.

“Are you like this to all your employees? Generous? Bossy? Demanding? Confusing?”

The last adjective stood out because it wasn’t every day I was emotionally confused. If I told her she was the first person who got a car from me simply because I didn’t want her driving that clunker or have a stranger pick her up, would she believe me? No, she wouldn’t. She’d probably think I was a psycho. What logical woman would want a psycho near her?

“I care for all my employees, Elena. I want to ensure they get to work safely to do their job. See you soon.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ELENA

I woketo exhaustion dragging me back to bed. I didn’t know why I was so exhausted. Well, actually I did. But I didn’t want to admit it. I’dbeen thinking about him all night.

Then I had a nightmare. It had been a long time since I dreamed about my childhood trauma.But the recent stress had brought up all the crap from the past. Sometimes I wondered if my subconscious mind was teasing me, testing to see how much I’d grown since I was thirteen.

Even now, as I lay awake in bed, the past came back to life fast and furious.

Fear surges in me as I grip the rope on the wobbly bridge for dear life. The bridge is the closest thing that will lead me back to the camp’s administration building.

“You should’ve gotten down on your knees, bitch.” JR2 smirks. I don’t know his real name. All the kids at the camp call him that. He’s only two years older than me, but he thinks he rules the campsite.

I hate him and his group of spoiled brats.

“That would have been a privilege for you.”JR2 laughs while standing on the ground, shaking the bridge.

“No! Please stop!” I glance down at the river below me, and my legs wobble even more. The muscles and bones in my body melt into fear.

“You’re a filthy slut. Youdon’t belong here. My family sponsors this camp and your scholarship. You need to repay me by doing what I ask.” He grabs his crotch and then shakes the bridge even more.

Tears stream down my face. I wish I’d never come here.I didn’t know I could get dizzy from fear until today.

I want to crawl over the bridge to the other side, where it’s safe. Elliot’s probably looking for me.

“If you tell anyone about today, you’ll regret it.” With all his body weight, he swings the bridge back and forth. I think I’m going to puke.

The force sends the bridge into disarray, and my foot slips through the wooden planks. I topple onto the planks, losing my grip on the rope railing.

I shriek, but he laughs and points at me. Why is he so evil?

Then he takes out his phone and starts recording. I hate him so much. If I die, my ghost will haunt him forever.

Somehow part of my body slips through. But I grab the planks with my arm, holding onfor my life. “Please stop!”

I’m going to die. I wet my pants as fear fully consumes me. The river below is going to swallow me.

He continues laughing at me. How can he be so cruel?

I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. He might shake me off the bridge. Is that what he wants? He wants me to die because I wouldn’t kneel and do?—

“There she is!” Elliot rushes onto the bridge. “Elena! Hang on!”

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