Page 5 of The Catcher

“Scared?” he asked, and I couldn’t suppress a shiver.

“No,” I whispered.

Tanner bent closer and put the sharp glass piece on one of my wrists, drawing it up my arm, not deep enough to cut, but deep enough to leave an angry red scrape behind.

“Stop,” I gasped, the blood rushing in my ears.

“Don’t distract me,” he said mockingly. “Or I might slip.”

I felt my palms begin to sweat, my body wanting to sink through the table to escape him. He ran the glass all the way up my arm, then circled back down.

I pressed my lips together to keep the whimper inside. When he got down to my wrist again, he dropped the glass piece witha clatter. But I didn’t have a chance to relax, because he pulled my long honey-brown hair up in his fist, tugging painfully at my scalp.

“If you’re going to stay,” he hissed, his breath swirling all the little curls on the back of my neck. “I own you. You’ll do what I say. Got that?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just gave my hair another painful tug, making me yelp in pain, then he left the room.

3

Iwas given a cubicle in a big open office with a bunch of other employees, and on the first day I stayed as long as I could, taking my first few calls from reporters and researching different charities for Tanner to donate to. I struggled to control my voice, the panic at how Tanner had behaved taking a long time to dissipate. And when I finally began to breathe normally again, I saw him walk down the hall and I felt my heartbeat spike again, even though he didn’t look at me.

Suddenly the remaining glass crunches in my hair, on my neck, down my shirt, under my ass, and in my shoes were excruciating and I got up to leave.

On my way out, I noticed a tiny little turtle in the parking lot, making its way slowly across the hot pavement.

Worrying it was going to get run over by one of the players or team employees, I hurried over, encouraging it with soft clucks to get on a big leaf, and I carefully carried the turtle to the sidewalk and let it go in the patchy city grass.

I heard a derisive noise, and whirled around to see Tanner, leaning against the stadium smoking.

“You’re too fucking soft,” he said. “It’ll just get eaten by a hawk now.”

My heart started pounding again and I tightened my fist, trying not to look at the long pink scrapes on my arm.

“They’re stronger than you think,” I said.

Tanner laughed again. “A predator gets what it wants. If a hawk decides it wants something weak, it takes it.”

I turned away, feeling uncomfortable.

“See you tomorrow,” I said, hastily moving away, but I felt his gaze all along my back like a warning sign.

Danger

Run away

Do not move closer

Avoid at all costs

Back in my hotel room, I brushed myself carefully off on the balcony, still amazed at the amount of glass shards that came falling off me.

He was a dangerous psycho.

I should probably quit this job and go home. I already had half of the money just by sticking it out for one day.

But I kept remembering Noah’s voice in my head.

Get a better job. Your 401K looks ridiculous.

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