Page 40 of The Catcher

“Stop calling me pet names,” I said, trying to pull away. “We aren’t like that.”

“I’ll call you what I like,” he said, helping me roughly to my feet.

When I tried to turn away, I was surprised when he grabbed me again.

“I’m tired of running after you all the damn time,” he said, reaching in his pocket and handing me a key. “Be in my apartment when the game is over.”

“What is this?” I asked stupidly, staring down at it.

“My key, dummy,” Tanner said. “I’m tired of going to your crummy ass hotel room. Just put your stuff in mine.”

“I’m-I’m-I’m not moving in with you,” I said, finally goaded into speech. I had hoped he had forgotten about that.

“Are you disobeying me?” he snapped, reaching down and striking like a snake, grabbing my chin in his big vice grip and glaring down at me.

I looked up at him with big eyes, but Icouldn’tjust agree to move in with him. I couldnot.I’d have even less ability to escape him then, but he was tightening his fingers even further on my chin.

“OK, OK,” I said.

“OK what?” he snarled, stepping closer to me. It felt like there was a dangerous forcefield around him, something that would sting and consume me until I was ashes.

“OK,sir,” I said, silently gritting my teeth.

“Good girl,” he said, bending close and kissing where the big bruise on my neck was, flicking my hair away from it to look at it.

“Keep your hair off this,” he added, tapping my ass with the other hand for emphasis. “I want everyone to see it.”

“I’m not doing that,” I said, although my legs were trembling.

Tanner’s face looked angry, and he raised his big hand, sending my papers and files and phone clattering noisily to the ground.

“You’re a cunt for me to stick my cock in,” he said roughly. “I’m tired of your lip, Em. Do what I say and add a fucking ‘sir’ to it or I’ll drop you off at Noah’s house and let him do what he wants to you. Now be in my apartment after the game with your cunt in the air or you’ll be sorry.”

Then, without a backwards glance, he was gone.

And I picked up what he had knocked on the floor, left the stadium, went to my hotel room, hastily packed my bags, and drove out of town.

If Tanner was threatening to hand me over to Noah, he didn’t care at all. I’d call his bluff. He wasn’t going to do shit. He wasn’t going to tell my secret to anyone because he didn’t care.

And that was a good thing, I reminded myself as I wiped my eyes. Because it was dangerous to be the person Tanner wanted to mark up and fuck.

16

Get the fuck back here

Seriously, get the fuck back here or I’m going to tan your ass

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What the fuck are you playing at

Where the fuck are you

This isn’t cute

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Where are you

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