Chapter 13
Tempest Miller
Icouldn”t shake Amanda”s words from my mind as I wiped down the sticky bar counter, the smell of cheap booze and sweat hanging in the air. Could Corvus really be into me? And more importantly, did I want him to be? He was a fucking god among men, with that chiselled jaw and warm chocolate eyes that seemed to see right through me. He made me feel safe like I had some kind of protection for the first time in my hellish life.
The front door slammed open, and there he was – Corvus, drenched from the rain pouring outside, his white shirt clinging to his broad chest like a second skin. The ink on his arms seemed alive, the dark lines twisting and wriggling with each flex of his muscles. And fuck, did I want to lick those tattoos, trace them with my tongue until I knew every curve and edge.
His eyes locked onto mine his voice was like a whip, cutting through the noise. ”Tempest! Come find me when your shift is done, okay?”
I answered while still working, ”No worries,”
My shift dragged on, my mind wandering back to Corvus every chance it got. Was I really interested in him? How could I not be?
Rain pelted against the windows, but inside my thoughts raced like a storm. It was crazy - I”d never wanted to willingly touch another man, let alone kiss or lick one. But Corvus... He was different. Somehow, he made me feel as if I could do all those things and still be safe.
I couldn”t help but remember what my stepbrother had done when we were alone. The sick shit he made me do after my mother died. It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie - the kind that left you sleepless for days. I shook my head, trying to force the memories away.
”Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, feeling a wave of anger rising, and trying to shake it off.
The clock on the wall seemed to mock me with every tick, each second dragging on like an eternity. I focused on wiping down the bar, my hands trembling ever so slightly as I pushed away the memories that threatened to drown me.
”Alright!” Amanda clapped her hands together, breaking me out of my dark reverie. ”It”s 5 pm, girl. You”re off the clock. Go find Corvus and go home.”
”Thanks,” I mumbled, forcing a smile onto my face as I untied my apron and hung it up behind the bar. My stomach twisted into knots, I was nervous for the first time in my life over a man.
”Good luck,” Amanda whispered, giving me a knowing wink before turning back to the rowdy bikers clamouring for her attention.
”Fuck,” I muttered under my breath as I headed toward the door marked ”Private” in the back of the bar. With every step, I tried to steady my breathing, to calm the storm in my belly.
”Here goes nothin”,” I said to myself, knocking gently on the door before pushing it open. The sight that greeted me made my blood run cold.
Corvus, half-naked and leaning back in his chair, with Emily working her mouth up and down his cock. The image burned itself into my mind, hot as a branding iron.
”Shit, sorry!” I stammered, backing out of the room and slamming the door shut behind me. My heart raced in my chest, and I could feel the panic rising like bile in my throat. I race down the hall and back out into the bar.
”Tempest! What”s wrong?” Amanda called after me, but I barely registered her voice as I pushed through the crowd, each breath coming faster and more shallow than the last.
”Hey, you alright?” Killer”s gruff voice cut through my panic. He reached out for me, but the mere thought of anyone touching me made my skin crawl.
”Get the fuck off me!” I screamed, shoving him away. I could feel everything starting to crumble around me, all those carefully built walls tumbling down.
”Tempest!” Corvus” voice boomed from behind me, laced with concern and authority. It stopped me in my tracks, even as my body continued to tremble violently.
”Stay the fuck away from me,” I spat, tears streaming down my face, as I tried to keep control.
”Shhh...it”s okay, princess,” Corvus murmured as he approached me, his eyes softening with concern. It was like he could see straight through the panic and fear that overwhelmed me.
”Clear a fucking path!” he roared to the room, and suddenly everyone snapped into action, moving out of the way and leaving a wide-open space between me and the exit.
”Thanks,” I muttered under my breath, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other as I stumbled toward the door, grasping at the last shreds of control I had left.
”Tempest, just breathe,” Corvus called after me, but his words were lost in the chaos of my own thoughts, spiralling around me like a whirlwind and threatening to drag me under.
”Fuck, fuck, fuck...” I whimpered, each step feeling heavier than the last, my vision filling with white spots that danced before my eyes, taunting me as my world began to shrink and fade.
”Almost there,” I whispered, forcing myself to keep moving even as the darkness closed in around me. Just one more step...
”Shit,” I gasped as I finally reached the door, the cold night air hitting me like a slap in the face as I stumbled outside.
”NO!” I screamed, rage and frustration fuelling my defiance as I tried to push back against the black void that threatened to swallow me whole. But it was too late – my knees buckled, and everything went black.
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The rumble of a motorcycle engine disappearing into the distance sliced through the silence, dragging me from the depths of sleep. My eyelids fluttered open, and I found myself in Corvus”s spare room.
I sat up, clutching the thin blanket to my chest, trying to swallow down the panic threatening to choke me. That”s when I saw him - Corvus. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, watching me intently.
”Jesus Christ,” I groaned, rubbing my eyes. ”Why the hell are you watchin” me like some fucking stalker?”
”Because you passed out from a panic attack,” Corvus said, his voice low and gravelly. ”Killer barely caught you in time before your head hit the pavement.”
”What?” I frowned, trying to wrap my head around his words. Then, like a tidal wave crashing down on me, all the memories flooded back – walking in on Corvus with Emily on her knees in front of him, the overwhelming disgust that twisted my gut as I remembered being forced to do the same thing for my stepbrother Greg and the men he”d arranged for me.
I stared down at my trembling hands, feeling a chill spread through me as the memories continued to assault my mind. ”Oh... um, sorry about that,” I mumbled, my voice barely audible.
”You”re sorry about that?” Corvus stood up abruptly, his dark eyes boring into mine. ”Sorry that you had a panic attack and fuckin” passed out? What the fuck do you need to be sorry for? It”s me who”s sorry, Tempest. You shouldn”t have had to see that shit.”
My chest tightened, and I tried to push away the images that kept flashing before me. ”I shouldn”t have walked in on your office like that. I wasn”t thinking,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady and not let the guilt overwhelm me.
Corvus shook his head, running a hand through his messy hair. ”No, you were fine. It was Emily being Emily. She came on to me, and I didn”t stop her.” He sighed, his jaw tense. ”But that”s no fuckin” excuse. I”m sorry, princess. That”s not something you should”ve seen.”
I swallowed hard, trying to process everything he was saying. Part of me wanted to rage at him, to scream and cry and tear apart the room. But what would that accomplish? He wasn’t mine.
”Corvus, it”s alright. You can do whatever the fuck you want – it”s your damn office,” I said, my voice wavering slightly as I tried to sound nonchalant. But deep down, the whole situation gnawed at my gut like a ravenous beast.
”Tempest, I--” he began, but I cut him off. I didn”t need his apologies or explanations.
”Drop it, Corvus.” My frown deepened, and I thought I caught a flash of regret in his eyes.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, feeling the weight of my own body pressing down on me. The world seemed to tilt dangerously, but I gritted my teeth and stood up. Corvus lunged towards me, his arms outstretched, ready to catch me if I fell.
”Please, don”t,” I whispered harshly, holding up a hand to stop him.
”Sorry,” Corvus muttered, taking a step back and giving me some space. I rubbed my temples, trying to shake off the remnants of the fucked-up memories that crept into my head.
”Hey,” I said, looking at him with a weak smile. ”Would you mind if I took a shower? I smell like stale smokes and beer from work.”
”Of course,” Corvus nodded, walking out and coming back with a clean towel as he pointed down the hall to the bathroom. ”Take as long as you need, princess.”
”Thanks,” I mumbled, collecting my clothes and toiletry bag before heading into the bathroom. Locking the door behind me, I felt a small sense of relief in having a moment alone.
As I stripped down and stepped into the shower, the hot water cascaded over my body. It was the first real shower I”d had since leaving Australia, and it felt fuckin” amazing. Grabbing the soap, I scrubbed my skin, removing what felt like years” worth of dirt, grime, and memories I wished I could wash away.
But as I scrubbed harder, the flashbacks of Greg”s hands touching me invaded my mind, and I couldn”t help but let out a growl of frustration.
”Fuck off,” I whispered to myself, gritting my teeth and trying to push the memories away. ”You don”t control me anymore.”
The hot water poured over me, a torrent of cleansing heat that threatened to drown out the world. But no matter how hard I tried to escape, memories of Greg”s hands invaded my thoughts like a fucking virus. My meltdown at the bar had cracked open a door I”d worked so hard to keep shut.
”Get out of my head,” I whispered through clenched teeth as tears mingled with the shower spray. ”You don”t own me.”
My legs trembled, and I sank to the floor, letting the water wash over me while I hugged my knees tight to my chest. The shower”s roar muffled my sobs as I let it all out, every tear a piece of shattered armour I”d worn for far too long.
Fuck, why can”t I just end it? I thought, my chest heaving as each sob wracked through my body. I”m strong enough, aren”t I? Or am I just too fucking scared?
But every time that dark thought surfaced, I chickened out. What if I failed? What if I couldn”t even take control of my own life in the one way that mattered most?