Page 132 of Voracious

Chris laughed.

“Right, drink up. Time to go.”

The glass of wine Chris forces down my throat leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, or maybe it’s the unwanted kiss he smashes to my lips before telling me to go to the car – who knows? All I do know is that tonight is going to be brutal and I need to do everything he says through the earpiece he slides into place to make sure I stay safe.

I’m weighing up the pros and cons here. Who’s the lesser of two evils?

Chris, someone who’s been abusing me since I was a little girl, who’s raped me, killed my unborn baby and ruined my life? Or this psychotic woman who seems to be the devil in disguise?

I’m undecided.

Chris tells me he’ll get me out of there the minute anything looks dodgy.

I’m not sure how the hell that’s going to work with him not even at the party, and me being surrounded by Bernadette and her guards, but I have no other option. If I refuse to go, she’ll come for me regardless – and I’m still unsure which is the best option.

When we drive out of the woods and onto the main road, I feel deflated that Kyle hasn’t made it in time. If he had, he’d have punched the living daylights out of his brother, taken me somewhere safe and Bernadette would never get her hands on me.

“You’re killing me – I hope you know that.”

He narrows his eyes. “She gave me her word.”

I let out a “pffft” and look out of the window. “And then they’ll come for you. Or Tobias will. You’re screwed.” I look over with a fake smile. “I doubt you’ll see your next birthday.”

He audibly gulps and turns on the radio. “Shut up.”

The drive takes over an hour, and when we reach a long, narrow road through trees that open up to reveal a large manor, I can’t help but look in awe.

White bricks. Pillars. A driveway full of flowerbeds and party lights. Classical music is playing inside, and workers stand by the gates and ask our names.

“Christopher Fields. I’m here to drop off Miss Rhodes.” He shows the screen of his phone. “There’s the invitation email with my car registration.”

The man studies the phone. “Very well. You have ten minutes to drop off, then be back ten minutes before midnight.”

Chris drives around the large fountain and parks to the side, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song we can hear through the manor entrance. “Right, tell me the plan again.”

I huff. “We’ve gone over the plan thousands of times. I go in, introduce myself to Bernadette, hand her the USB drive, then you come for me when I say the code phrase.”

“Which is?”

I flatten my lips at the ridiculousness. “Stacey Fields. By the way, you’re a child.”

“Smart and beautiful,” he says with a smile. “I’ll be able to hear you, so don’t worry about trying to get in contact with me before that moment, okay?” He reaches forward and tries to tug the wire hidden between the cleavage of my pushed-up breasts. “I’ll be able to hear you and know where you are, so if anything goes wrong, I’ll find you.”

“That’s… unsettling.” I fidget my hands, cross and uncross my legs, and chew my lip. “I don’t think I can do this. Isn’t there another option? We can post it to her, or you could just let me go into hiding.”

“You were in hiding, and she still found you. These are her rules and terms, Stacey. We need to abide by them.”

My teeth chatter, and my eyes sting with a burning sensation. Fear. Bad adrenaline. Terror. Impending death and doom. I’ve endured trauma for years at the hands of this guy – I should be used to this. I should be able to zone out like I have millions of times.

But I can’t even fill my lungs without making a guttural sound. “I really don’t want to go in. I-I’m scared.”

I flinch as he cups my swollen cheek in his palm. “I won’t let anything happen to you, okay? Stay under the radar and don’t speak with anyone. Stay with crowds. Don’t go anywhere they can attack you without witnesses.”

“None of this is helping.”

“If I didn’t make this deal, she would have come for you. This is the only option left,” he says, stroking his thumb under my eye. “Be a good little lamb and listen to me.”

I manage a nod as I shake, unable to move or tell him to let go given how scared I am.

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