by B. B. Reid
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lake
TWO WEEKS LATER
THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Becoming a high school dropout would have never seemed appealing to someone who never met Keiran Masters. More accurately—to someone who had never slept with Keiran Masters. Then to be foolish enough to fall in love with him. School and home were both unbearable. School for obvious reasons. After my aunt found out I had been kidnapped, and almost killed, she pretty much shut the door on trusting me.
After crying and holding me for hours, she grilled me endlessly.
Why was I there?
How did they know me?
How did I know them?
Jackson was there. He watched me lie about leaving my textbook in the gymnasium, and for a moment, I thought he would call me out. When I was finished, he didn’t have to—my aunt didn’t believe a word I said and that’s when the yelling began.
I was grounded indefinitely and only allowed to go to school. I didn’t offer up any typical teenage rejections because being forced to see Keiran in school was bad enough. I didn’t want to run into him anywhere else.
The entire school and the whole town were still alive with talk of what had happened Saturday. This was the most excitement they had ever seen, and it all came from my dark prince.
The entire world was now privy to Arthur Phalan, who had been confirmed as the leader of one of the world’s largest child slavery rings. After the gunfight, an officer lost his life as well as two of Arthur’s men. The other two were facing serious charges, charges they weren’t willing to do the time for. Federal agents were brought in, and in no time, they were singing.
The case against Keiran for the murder of Anya and Trevor was dropped. Keiran held up his end of the deal with the detectives and with a video confession of their murder, his possible involvement was considered inconsequential.
I was both relieved and devastated. Throughout the years, when Keiran became more and more sadistic, I always wondered what would have happened if I had gone to the police. Keiran getting off for a double murder charge quickly reaffirmed my belief that the police would have cared little for a young girl and her bully.
But then… I also had to admit that what Keiran did wasn’t easy. He almost died to catch Mario and Arthur. Nothing about that is ever easy. Even when you’re Keiran freaking Masters.
The doorbell sounded, breaking me out of the depressing orbit where my mind had been spinning. Sheldon and Willow had both opted to skip the game tonight. Sheldon couldn’t bring herself to cheer and Willow avoided being in the same vicinity as Dash whenever she could.
Aunt Carissa was opening the door by the time I made it downstairs. “Hello, girls,” she greeted as she closed the door and retreated back into the living room.
We escaped up to my room, and I turned to a movie channel.
“So I was able to get the juiciest burgers since everyone is at the game tonight.”
“Do you think we’ll win?” Willow asked.
“I’m sure we will.” With someone who played as ruthless as Keiran did, I had no doubt but Keiran was still recovering from his gunshot wound so he wouldn't be playing.
“I’m not so sure,” Sheldon answered slowly, and for a second, I thought I saw regret in her eyes.
“Why?”
She shrugged and looked lost in thought while she nibbled her burger instead of digging into it. “Dash said he doesn’t seem into it anymore. I’m surprised they even considered letting him play. It’s ridiculous. He rarely leaves the hospital except for school anyway.”
“How is Keenan?”
She took a deep breath before answering. “The same. He’s never awake for long anymore. They were talking about putting him in a coma soon to help with the pain.”
“When?”
“In another week or so. The doctors are grasping for straws to keep him alive because they believe he has a good chance of getting a lung. He’s young, healthy, and he’s reaching a critical stage.”
“He’s holding on, Sheldon. He’ll make it. He has, too.”
* * *
Victory had been ours. We took the championship thanks to Dash and Buddy because, as it turns out, Keiran didn’t play.
In the middle of French, I felt the pressing need to pee so I excused myself for the bathroom, forgetting my cardinal rule of never going to the bathroom alone.
I didn’t remember until I was in the deserted hallway and my anxiety kicked in. I considered going back in until I told myself I was being stupid.
The closest bathroom was right around the corner, but when I made it, there was an Out of Order sign hanging. I should have taken it as a sign, but my bladder was not to be ignored. The next closest bathroom would be the one in the gym, and at that moment, I knew fate was against me.
With a swift kick in the ass, I made my way to the gym. By the time I arrived, I could barely walk and realized I would have to go through the gym floor to make it to the bathroom in time. When I opened the gym door and peered inside, I let out a breath of relief that no one, mainly Keiran was inside. Maybe fate wasn’t so cruel after all. Besides, Keiran had class this period anyway.
When I entered the bathroom, I made a point to pass the stall Trevor had attacked me in and made quick work of relieving my bladder. Satisfied, I hurried out of the bathroom and collided with a wall. I bounced straight through the door and landed on the tile floor of the bathroom. My legs kept the door from closing, and when I looked up, I saw startling gray eyes staring back at me.
I quickly stood up, not liking the way he towered over me, but even on my feet, he still made me feel small… and helpless. The door swung close, and I waited a beat, hoping he would be gone when I opened it. I didn’t get the chance. The door burst open, and he swaggered in, but the look on his face was anything but casual.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I’m sorry. I thought this was a free country.”
He scrubbed his hand down his face. “Tell me.”
“Well, for obvious reasons… I had to pee.”
“And you couldn’t use the bathroom closer to your class?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the wall. To him, I may have appeared casual, but I was anything but. I needed to keep my legs from giving out. I was right back at square one. We hadn’t been this close since he woke up in the hospital and humiliated me for the last time.
I looked at his chest and thought about the wound that was still very much fresh. I wasn’t even sure he should be in school. I was more than relieved the rumors weren’t true and Keiran hadn’t played while wounded.
“It was out of order. Anything else you would like to know?”
“Stop pushing me, Monroe.”
“Big surprise—I’m Monroe again, and I’m not pushing you. You are the one cornering me in the bathroom. Why are you out class, anyway?”
“I keep my promises.”
“What the hell does that even mean? What does it have to do with me?”
“Watch your mouth.”
I dropped my casual stance and stood up straight. “Or what?”
His arm shot in between my legs and lifted me up the wall bringing me to his level. I could feel his arm pressing against my center as my legs straggled his arm and could do nothing but wrap my legs around him to keep from falling. He leaned in and whispered, “Or I’ll shut you up.” A crooked smile appeared on his daring face. “Or at least I’ll keep you from talking.”
“Put me down,” I ordered. When he didn’t move, I tried another tactic. “You’ll open your stitches.”
I could see a sweat forming on his forehead and knew he had to be in pain, but he was intent on proving a point.
Well, so was I.
“Are you afraid, Lake?
“Why would I be afraid of you? I’ve learned all your tricks, and I’m no longer impressed.”
“But I think you are. Scratch that…” He ran his teeth down my neck. “I know yo
u are.”
“There’s nothing left between us to make me afraid.” He lifted his lips from my neck so I could see the storm brewing within the depths of his eyes.
“You’re afraid you’ll want it, and you’re afraid you’ll miss it.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I?”
“I’m not afraid of that,” I pressed. “I’m afraid you’ll walk away again. And you will. It’s what cowards do. But you want to know what I do know?” He dropped my legs and stepped back, but it was too late. I wouldn’t back down.
No mercy.
He taught me that.
“I know you were afraid of me, too.”
The room disappeared into a black abyss much like my mood.
“For ten years, you controlled me, hated me, tortured me.”
I clocked every misstep, hitch, and falter as I advanced on his retreat.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
I learned something in what might have been our darkest hour…
“But I was the one who actually held all the power.”
My fearless predator…
“And you knew.”
Was nothing more…
“So what scared you more?”
Than a wounded…
“That you weren’t truly in control?”
Cornered…
“Or that you had no clue of what I could mean to you?”
Animal.
“You can hide behind your anger and use your past as a shield, but you can never pretend I didn’t know you. You opened the door enough for me to see. I know you, Keiran, but do you really know me?”
Confliction.
That’s what I saw in his eyes. It reminded me of something important Keenan once told me:
“I’m afraid for him because every day, he has to fight the person he is to be the person he wants to be.”
“What happens if he loses?”
“People get hurt.”
“What makes you think I want to know you? I may not hate you, but you’re still nothing to me. Don’t make the mistake of thinking otherwise.”
“I’ve made so many mistakes where you are concerned, Keiran. What’s one more?”
I forced myself to walk away with my head held high.
He wouldn’t get another piece of me.
* * *
There was no better feeling than finally standing up to your childhood bully. When I walked back to my classroom, I was on cloud nine and had chosen to ignore the pull that demanded I turn back.
I should have turned back. I should have gone in any direction other than the one I took.
Instead of taking the shortcut through the gym, I unknowingly took the long way through the hall where no one ever goes because everyone with common sense would have cut through the gym unless there was a class.
Not me.
I could never make the smart decisions.
Waiting for me had been Trevor’s father and former police officer.
I didn’t have time to scream, run, or fight. A cloth had been placed over my face, and the next thing I remembered… was nothing.
Now, here I was, scared and alone in the hard, unforgiving grip of Mr. Reynolds.
After Trevor had assaulted me in a public bathroom, Mr. Reynolds lost his job thanks to his son spilling the beans of his involvement. The only good that came out of being nearly beaten and raped was finally being able to clear my name and essentially, Keiran’s name.
“I told my son to leave you alone, but he didn’t listen and look where it’s gotten him,” he spat. “Cunts like you are always causing trouble.”
“Mr. Reynolds, please,” I begged for the hundredth time or maybe it was the thousandth. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Shut up, girl.” His hand brutally slapped my cheek, causing me to fall backward. At least, I’m out of his hold. The smell of his rancid breath alone made me want to puke. “You beg when I tell you to.”
“Cecilia! You can come in now. She’s almost ready to perform.”
Heels clicked against the wooden floor, and then the door opened to reveal a blonde woman in a dark blue, expensive pantsuit. My blood felt as if it had been drained from my veins when I recognized her instantly.
“Mrs. Risdell?”
“Hello, dear. I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I simply cannot let Keiran Masters go unpunished for what he did to my daughter.”
“Mrs. Risdell, please listen to me. Keiran did not kill your daughter. This is all a misunderstanding.”
“Do not dare lie to us to protect him. It will only make things worse for you.”
She set down the bag she held and pulled out a camera. When she turned it on and pointed it at me, I asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Mr. Reynold’s hand dropped his belt and began unbuckling it. Mrs. Risdell stepped forward with the camera. “You, my dear, are going to put on a show for your little boyfriend, and then we are going to do to you what he did to our children.”
The leers that appeared on their faces made me shudder in revulsion. “And what will you do when I’m dead? Where do you think you will go? There is nowhere you can run and no one who will be able to help you.”
“Don’t kid yourself, little girl. This is the one time he will lose.”
“Enough talking,” Mr. Reynolds snapped. I was tossed on the bed, and when he immediately followed behind me, I kicked out. He effectively dodged my flailing feet until he managed to capture them in a tight grip. “Stop fighting or I’ll dislocate every bone in your body, starting with that pretty face of yours.”
He sat on my chest and grabbed my wrist, squeezing them between his large hands, and for a moment, I was afraid he would make good on his threat. My chest burned from my fleeing air supply as I was helplessly pinned to the bed under his weight. Handcuffs appeared, and he quickly used them to bind my hands. Panic surged, making my heart race, and my breathing fluctuated dangerously. The heat scorched every inch of my skin before my body turned ice cold, flitting from one extreme to the next.
“Paul?”
“What?”
He lifted from my chest and quickly gagged me before scooting down to the foot of the bed where my feet lay. My ankles and feet were spread apart roughly.
“What’s wrong with her? I think she’s seizing.” Alarm was evident in Mrs. Risdell’s voice as violent trembles wracked my body.
“What do you care? The little bitch is going to die anyway.”
“And what are you going to do? Fuck a corpse? We need her to suffer first.”
Her sick reasoning seemed to get through to Mr. Reynolds because he paused from tying my feet to the bed to study me with his beady, blue eyes.
“There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s faking it, and yeah… I’ll fuck a corpse if I have to.” His smile widened as he stared at me.
Oh, God. I closed my eyes and pictured myself anywhere else but here. I didn’t know how long I had been out, but I knew someone had to know by now that I was missing. Willow would know.
Keiran would know.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Keiran
There were only so many times you could hurt someone before they decided to fight back.
For ten years, I waited for the moment when Lake would finally fight. There were many days I would become frustrated to the point of violence, but instead of hurting her, I would start a fight. I would fight, and then I would seek her out only when I was sure I wouldn’t physically hurt her.
I knew that now.
No matter how much I threatened to kill her, deep down I didn’t want to hurt her.
But the hatred… that was real.
I hated her with everything I had because it was the only emotion I had to give. I realized, even then, I was giving her everything.
She was the bane of my existence, and at the very same, the reason I cared to exist.
I wanted her like the rest of the world. Like me.
Her innocence.
> Her bravery.
Her selflessness.
I wanted it all gone.
She. Just. Wouldn’t. Fucking. Break.
I left the bathroom only when I knew she was gone. I wouldn’t stop to consider that maybe she was right. I am a coward.
Before heading back to my class, I took a detour to her class. I peeked inside the window of the door—when I didn’t see her, my first reaction was anger.
I immediately began to tear the school apart looking for her, hoping she had gone to hide, but when I couldn’t find her, anger transformed into panic.
I retraced my steps and burst into her classroom, startling the teacher, who immediately began to scold me in rapid French.
“Where is she?”
Willow shot up from her seat, tears immediately forming. She must have sensed something was wrong, too. “She went to the bathroom, but she didn’t come back. What happened?”
“Mr. Masters!” the teacher yelled in outrage.
“How long did she need to be gone for you to fucking notice?”
I walked over to her desk and grabbed up her bag. I quickly searched through it but didn’t find her cell phone, which meant she at least had it on her.
As I stormed out with Willow on my heels, I dialed the detectives.
“Is he out?” I demanded as soon as Detective Wilson answered.
“Excuse me?”
“Arthur. Is he fucking out?”
“No. He’s not out. What is this about?”
“Lake is gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“She’s fucking missing, dipshit!”
I ran down the last time I had seen her, and when he assured me they were on it, I hung up. I wasn’t about to wait. I would paint this fucking town red if I have to until I found her.
* * *
I pulled Sheldon, Dash, and Quentin out of class, ignoring the shit I got for it. None of them had seen Lake. It had only been a small amount of time since I had last seen her, but I was grasping at straws. By the time I was done grilling everyone she knew, the entire school was aware of her missing, which also meant her aunt would be called soon.
