Page 52 of His Little Secret in Discretion
“Regardless of how I got the money, I paid you what you were due. I don’t owe you anything.”
“You thought money was the end of it? That the little debt your fucked-up uncle ran up was the only thing keeping you under my thumb?” he asked, closing in as I stayed rooted to my spot, my eyes still watching him through the mirror.
“Men like him?” He clicked his tongue. “They only live to disappoint. He’s in rehab becauseyouwant him there. The second they hand him his ticket out of the door and call him ‘clean,’ he’ll be sniffing out the next fix… the next bet, next scam, next fucking loan.” He tilted his head. “And when that happens? You’ll come crawling back. Same as before. You always do.”
My vision blurred. The pulse behind my eyes throbbed like a migraine, but I refused to blink. Ripping myself away from the sink, I turned sharply, my heels clipped against the floor as I darted towards my exit that seemed to be getting farther away as the seconds passed.
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it far.
His hand shot out and wrapped around my arm. Firm. Possessive… and all too familiar.
I froze in place. “Let go of me,” I hissed, trying not to let my voice shake. “I’m done talking to you.”
He let out a tired sigh that made my heart sink to my feet.
“Jesus, Maia. You used to besuch a good girl.”
I winced at his tone.
His fingers tightened around my arm, not hard enough to bruise, but just enough to remind me who used to be in control… who still seems to be in control.
“Now look at you. Dressed like a goddamn whore on Porter’s arm. God, you really have no shame.”
My eyes stayed locked onto the door, my throat burning as I said nothing.
“I could’ve made things harder for you,” he murmured, voice grazing my cheek like a blade. “Still could. I always liked you being a desperate little slut.”
His voice dipped to a whisper, venom-drenched. “You think he knows what you are? What you did?Who you begged?” There was a heavy, ear-shattering pause.“Should I tell him?”
His words snapped something.
I yanked my arm back, hard enough that he lost his grip.
In response, he laughed… like he was the one who let go.
Like it was nothing.
LikeIwas nothing.
I still hadn’t said a word, couldn’t even look him in the eye. Not when I would be feeding him exactly what he loved: my fear, my desperation, my realization… that everything he said was true. Or at least that's what was engraved in my mind and only brought to light in this moment. Blaine had a way of silencing those voices, I suppose… but they were loud. They’d always be louder.
I didn’t know if I should have cried or begged for his silence. That's what he fed on anyway… but instead of giving in, I did what he hated most.
I walked away.
Waiting for him to drag me back; but when he let me leave the room, I knew his letting me go was worse than the threat… it was his promise to me.
That not only would I never get rid of him, but he wasn’t finished with me yet.
Chapter twenty
Blaine
There she was.
My Sunshine came down the hall like she didn’t even recognize the world watching around her. Fuck, she was so sexy without even trying.How I’ve lasted the entire night without giving Blaine Jr. a sense of relief is beyond me.
She didn’t see me until I stepped into her path.
