Page 63 of The Retaliation You Deliver
I sit there for the longest time looking out over the town laid out before me as the sun sinks behind the horizon and lights begin to illuminate the darkness.
I’m so lost in my own head that I startle when my cell pings in my purse.
“Please don’t be the freaking security alarm again,” I mutter to myself, opening the zipper and reaching inside. The last thing I need is to go back to that house any time soon. It was already full of bad memories, and now Leon’s only made them worse.
Knowing that was him that day makes me feel physically sick.
I never once forgot what I did that day—or what I didn’t do—and I often wondered what happened to him until the awful possibilities of how he might have dealt with what my uncle did used to hit me and I would shove it all back in the box.
I never expected that little boy to remember me, to actively look for me all these years later.
I certainly never expected to fall for him.
I drop my head, holding my cell in my hand as pain engulfs me, wrapping around my chest until I find it hard to suck in my next breath.
Needing a distraction, I turn my cell over and stare down at the screen but that distraction I crave never comes because the name staring back at me makes my heart jump into my chest.
Leon.
My hand trembles as I stare down at it, wishing I could read whatever he has to say without it showing that I’ve read it.
I sit there for long minutes telling myself that I don’t care what he’s said. That I’m just going to delete it and never know.
After all, he probably hates me for leaving like I did last night. From how tightly he was holding me, I got the impression he didn’t want me going anywhere.
In the end though, my curiosity gets the better of me and I swipe the screen, tapping on the app and opening his message.
Leon: The windows are privacy glass. No one but me saw you last night.
All the air rushes from my lungs as I stare down at his words.
The memory of being pressed up against the windows as he whispered all those wicked things in my ear about others being able to see me hits me and my skin heats.
I didn’t want to like the idea of being on show for everyone, but some dark and twisted part of me loved it. Loved showing the world that I was finally being punished for what I did. That karma was showing her hand and delivering me the retaliation I deserved.
I squirm on the bench remembering his hands on my body, the way he teased, licked and bit me.
Dammit.
No, damn him.
I hate him. But… but I can’t deny that I want him. That his dark and cracked parts don’t align perfectly with mine.
I want to help him, I want to show him that it’s possible to put my uncle behind him and live a life that’s not full of hate and anger but I’m not sure he’ll ever let himself do that.
Maybe once he’s got his revenge,a little voice in my head says as trepidation for what he’s planning races through me.
He knows where my uncle is now. What’s his next move? How is he going to get to him, if that’s what he’s even intending? That place is secured like Fort Knox. He’s not just going to be able to walk in, dish out whatever punishment he deems worthy and walk out again.
I startle when my screen lights up once more.
Leon: I’m sorry.
Pain pierces my chest as I stare at those two words.
Two words I never thought I’d hear—or see—from him.
The urge to reply is so strong it almost gets the better of me. But only seconds later, I realize I don’t have to.
