Page 44 of Freestyle
“You okay?” he asks, his voice strangely soft despite the chaos still buzzing around us.
Rowyn exhales, nodding once, but I know her well enough to see the lie.
Nix watches her for a beat longer before looking at me. “Let’s get her out of here.”
“I can’t leave,” she argues, holding her cheek. “Can’t you see I’m working?”
Without a word, I grab her arm tightly and pull her to a secluded area of the bar, pushing her against the wall, pinning her in place. Her eyes widen in surprise, then narrow in anger. She struggles against my grip as I lean in, my lips brushing against her ear, the heat of my breath causing shivers to race down her spine.
“Another man just put his hands on you, sweetheart,” I whisper, my voice low and possessive. “I won’t allow that.”
She scoffs, her eyes blazing with defiance. “Are you crazy? You don’t own me. I’m not yours.”
Nix chuckles, a low, dangerous sound. “Oh, baby girl, you are. Don’t you remember anything from last night?”
“Yeah, it was just another hookup, so fuck you,” she hisses, squirming in our grasp.
“No, fuck you,” I growl, pressing my body against hers, the heat of my frustration mixing with desire. “We own you, Rowyn. Your body is ours.”
“Whatever. Just get out of here before my boss sees you two. I need this job, and shit like this happens. It’s no big deal.”
“What the fuck? This has happened before?” Nix growls beside us.
“Comes with the territory. Now, let me go.” She pushes against my chest, but I don’t budge.
“We aren’t leaving here without you, sunshine. So, do you want to do this the hard way or the easy way?”
“I’m not going anywhere with either of you. You’re fucking crazy to think I would. Just leave me alone.”
Her voice softens, desperation creeping in. “Listen, I have to pay my tuition in a couple of weeks. I can’t afford to lose this job. Please, just let me work.”
I exchange a glance with Phoenix, whose expression remains cold. “You’re not coming back here,” he states firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“I can’t just quit! I need this job!” Rowyn pleads, frustration and fear mingling in her voice. “You don’tunderstand what this means to me!” she cries. “You can’t just kidnap me. I’ll-I’ll call the cops.”
“Oh, little juvie, do you really want to involve them?” I smirk.
Her eyes widen, and she clamps her mouth shut.
“How do you know about that?” she asks, her voice laced with panic.
I smirk at her, enjoying the power I hold over her.
“Sweetheart, we know everything about you. We have our ways.” My words are laced with a hint of threat, and I can see the fear in her eyes. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into, Rowyn. But trust us, by the time we’re done with you, you’ll be begging us for more.”
She tries to hide the fear in her eyes, but I can see it clear as day. I lean in close to her, my breath hot against her ear. “And we’re not afraid to get our hands dirty to make sure you stay in line.” I grab her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes. “You’re ours now, and there’s nothing you can do to escape us.”
“Fuck off, Gray. I’m not afraid of you.” She spits, her eyes blazing with defiance. I chuckle, leaning in closer until our lips are just a hair’s breadth apart.
“Oh, baby girl, you should be.” I whisper before pressing my lips to hers in a bruising kiss.
She gasps, her lips parting in shock, and I use the opportunity to deepen the kiss, my tongue exploring her mouth. When I finally pull back, she’s breathing heavily, her eyes glazed over with a mixture of fear and desire. “You’ll learn to submit, sweetheart. And we’ll enjoy every moment of your struggle.”
Her eyes fill with tears, and she shakes her head. “No, you can’t do this.” She protests weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. I gently brush a stray hair away from her face, my touch surprisingly tender.
“We can, and we will, baby girl. You’re ours. We protect what’s ours,” I say as my smile darkens, relishing the chaos we’re causing.
I look to Nix, and he nods in agreement. I lean over, grabbing Rowyn by the waist and tossing her over my shoulder.
