Page 69 of The Boy I Loved
He still cares about you.
But at what cost?
He raped women. Hecondonedthis. How could I care aboutsomeone who did those kinds of things? And I allowed him to touch me, to take my virginity, to touch me again afterwards. A shudder of despair rolled through me, and I tightened my arms around my knees, pressing them against my chest more firmly. The position had air brushing against my private parts, but it didn’t matter anymore. My ankles shielded me from their predatory gazes anyway.
“You underestimated me,” Dominic replied, confirming that he was one-hundred percent responsible for my captivity.
“I suppose I did.” He cleared his throat. “I’m heading out for a smoke. When I come back in, I’m probably going to fuck Nia. You want in on it?”
I clamped my eyes shut, dreading his response. I shouldn’t give a single fuck about who he smashed, but the fact of the matter was that these weren’t willing participants. They were in the same position as me.
“Nia?” Dominic questioned. “The one that just had the baby?”
Tristan huffed a laugh. “Yeah. It’s all bloody and shit. I’m also curious to see if it’s still loose or if it’s snapped back, yet.”
My stomach recoiled, disgust filling my veins. He could kill her doing that. There was a reason women had to wait a certain amount of time before having sex after birth. The woman was probably still in pain. I couldn’t imagine having to go through something like that right after having a baby and then losing my baby to a bunch of horrible, predatory men.
“I don’t know … shouldn’t you wait until she’s at least healed up a bit?” Dom suggested with reluctance.
Tristan scoffed like that was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard. “It’s either her or your little bestie over there.” I didn’t need to see him to know he was referring to me.
My stomach twisted and my pulse raced. Against my better judgment, I was moving before I could think it through. The barsvibrated when I clutched them, curling my fingers around the rusty metal.
“I’ll do it,” I called out, my voice echoing through the building.
The room fell deathly silent. So silent that I could hear my own panicked breathing. I knew we weren’t supposed to address them unless spoken to first, but if it gave that woman the time to heal properly after she’d already gone through so much, then I’d do it.
Tristan’s surprised gaze shifted to me; his eyebrows raised with intrigue. This was the same man who tortured and raped Stacy for being too loose—the same man who wanted to see how loose Nia was after giving birth. Why? So, he could torture her too?
“Her labs haven’t come back yet,” Dominic objected, sliding an angry glare in my direction.
I scoffed in response. “You and I both know I’ve only ever been with one person.”
Tristan glanced over at my former best friend for confirmation, but Dominic just clenched his teeth. “Do I?” he countered. “I was gone for over two fucking years. Who knows who you’ve opened your legs for during that time frame.”
Anger swarmed within me, filling my veins with a fire I was becoming way too accustomed with. He was the one who needed to be tested. My hands tightened around the bars, my knuckles turning white as a result.
“If he fucks her right now, he could cause permanent damage,” I explained, choosing to ignore his little jab. I shot him a pleading look, silently begging him to just spare her. I’d be okay. There was no telling if she would be.
Dominic shrugged. “Not really my problem.”
Despite the callous remark, there was a flicker of something that looked a lot like guilt flashing through his eyes, but it was gone before I could tell for certain.
“You don’t mean that,” I whispered, my voice cracking.
Tristan glanced between us, his lips twitching in amusement likethis was the most entertaining thing he’d witnessed in ages. The Dominic I knew and loved would never be okay with this. Then again, the Dominic I knew and loved wouldn’t even be involved in anything like this to begin with.
Dom took a step forward, his eyes hardening. “You wanna bet?”
I glanced over at Tristan, my heart racing faster now. I didn’t know what I was hoping for. He was the one who wanted to hurt the girl in the first place.
Dragging my gaze back to Dom’s, I nodded. He wouldn’t do that. Right? He said he was forced to be here, forced to do the things he had to do. He wouldn’t hurt an innocent person just to prove a point, not when there were other options.
“Go get Nia,” he told Tristan, barely sparing him a glance.
Panic seared through my chest like a noose of doom. My fingers gripped the bars tightly. He couldn’t be serious. He would really hurt her like that, another woman?
Tristan started across the basement, leaving Dominic and I alone once more.
