Page 61 of Submission

“Tell me you haven’t wondered how the two of us came from the same mother.”

“Okay, maybe I’ve wondered a little.” I pick up the oranges that have escaped from their bags into the car. “But… he’s trying in his own way. I mean, the man shows up to the apartment for breakfast every day. That’s dedication.”

“Let’s be honest.” Lena makes a doubtful face. “He comes over to suck your face every morning, not to see me.”

“Sucking my face, as you so eloquently put it, is a nice side benefit for me, but he mostly wants to get to know you, plus he’s showing interest in your cooking skills. He’s trying to meet you where you’re at.”

“It’s hard to tell when all he seems to do is grunt through the entire meal,” Lena says. “But I suppose he’s trying.”

“Exactly.” I tuck everything into the paper bag, and we start walking toward the elevator in the parking lot.

The security detail enters with us into the elevator when Lena blinks. “Oh, damn, my phone. I think I left it in the car.”

She places her bags down and quickly backs out of the elevator. If there’s another thing I’ve noticed is that Lena does not like to be parted from her cell phone.

“Stay with her.” I give the two men a curt order. “There’s nobody in the parking lot.”

“What about you, Miss Taylor?”

“I’m fine. I’ll head up first. I don’t want the ice cream to melt.”

The security team sees me as an extension of Hunter, per his instructions, so they do as they’re told. After they exit the elevator, I notice a familiar car in the lot and figure Hunter is back early from the club. I wonder if he’s planning to have dinner with us.

The elevator doors close and I press the number for my floor. Living with Lena is turning out to be a good deal for me. She’s a great cook and I’ve never been this well-fed in my life. If Naomi keeps on shutting me out like this, I’ve got an idea to move Lena into her bedroom and move Naomi to the couch.

Getting off the elevator, I approach my door. I’m about to insert my key into the lock when I notice something odd. There are slight scratches around the edges of the lock, and I’m about to take a closer look when the door swings open. My eyes lock on a man with a malicious expression, and all the blood drains from my face as a rippling fear overtakes me.

Chapter 23

Full Blown Terror

Megan

“You sure took your sweet time,” Samuel says before reaching out and grabbing me by the hair. He pulls me inside and then throws me down hard as I gasp in pain amid the dropped groceries scattered across my living room floor.

“You should have had the courtesy to tell your parents that you changed your address,” comes another voice, which escalates my fear into full-blown terror.

The woman who strolls out of my bedroom is a pear-shaped beauty with an ugly expression on her face, which is full of fillers, my stepmother Veronica. It’s only then that I notice Rachel sitting at the island counter, swinging her legs back and forth lazily. I was so shaken by Samuel that I totally missed she was in the room. She gives me a casual smile as she eats some red grapes out of a bowl.

My favorite damn bowl.

“Why the fuck are you here?” I hiss at my father, who narrows his eyes at me. “And how the hell did you break into my apartment?”

“Rachel was right. You’ve grown pretty bold in these last two years, and you’ve got a nasty mouth on you now.”

How did they even get in?I think frantically as I try to get to my feet.

“Answer my question!” I spit out.

I don’t want to be scared. I don’t want to be frightened. I spent the last two years rebuilding myself from the ground up, and I’m not going to let it go to waste because they've decided they want to pop back into my life.

I have to stand my ground, terrified as I am.

And I have to buy time.

Because Lena and the security team will be here any minute to help me, I just have to hold my own.

This time, the person who grabs my hair is my stepmother, and she yanks my head back in a vicious manner, making me scream.

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