Chapter 15
D evi stared at her work proudly.
“It all looks amazing, Devi,” Michelle told her.
She had one more piece to make and a couple more to complete and then her collection was all done.
“I’m going to start packaging them up soon.”
Devi turned to the older woman. “You don’t have to do that. I can do it next weekend. We’ve still got nearly seven weeks to go.”
“You’ve still got several pieces to work on, dear. You’re running close to the wire as it is.”
She knew she was. And the urgency was riding her hard.
“I know you’re busy, Devi. Let me help. Please.”
Michelle was always so kind to her. Devi had always loved working with clay. Her mom had scraped together some money for lessons with Michelle. After her death, Derick had seen it as a waste of money. But Michelle had let Devi take lessons in return for cleaning up her studio.
Michelle was the closest thing she had to an aunt or grandma.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you overdoing things.” Michelle was getting older and she had to get a lot more rest lately.
“Don’t worry, dear. There’s still life in these old hands.”
“I know there is.” Devi hugged her old friend carefully.
“Now, it’s time for you to go home. Surely, you have other things to do than spend time in this studio.”
She really didn’t. However, she was exhausted and as she looked out of the window she saw that it had gotten dark. While she didn’t want to go back to the trailer and risk seeing Derick, she knew that Michelle was likely exhausted and wouldn’t leave until she did.
“I do. I’m going to head home and take a shower, watch some television, and go to bed.”
“Good. Make sure you eat too.” Michelle waved a finger at her. “You’re looking thinner than last week.”
“I will,” she said, crossing her fingers behind her back. There was nothing in the house at the moment and she didn’t get paid until Thursday.
At least when she was at work she ate two meals a day.
Well, unless Aaron was being an asshole.
And, generally there was some bread or something in the house. But Derick must have come home at some stage yesterday and cleared the place out of food.
Asshole.
It was weird that he hadn’t stayed, but when she’d gotten home from visiting Rohan, the place had been empty.
Of Derick and of food.
She’d found a few dollars in her handbag and grabbed a stale bun from the bakery on the way here. It always sold yesterday’s bread cheap.
After saying goodbye to Michelle, she headed toward the bus stop to wait in the cold. A shiver ran through her. Her coat was getting more and more threadbare with each year.
You could dip into your savings.
Buy a coat.
Get some food.
Ahh, those were some nice dreams. And one day, she’d be able to do that. When things were more stable.
But she needed that money to pay the company transporting her pottery to the gallery.
This was her future. This was why she worked so hard. To finally be free of Derick. To be free of Aaron.
Although she couldn’t move too far away. She would never leave Rohan.
That part was going to be tricky.
Getting off at the stop closest to the trailer park, she wrapped her coat around herself tighter. For some reason, she felt like there were eyes on her again.
What the heck? Since when did she become so paranoid?
“Cold out tonight,” a voice said from behind her.
Letting out a scream, she jumped and stumbled over her own feet. Shit!
“Not this again,” the person muttered and reached out to grab hold of her arm. Only he grabbed hold of her too hard and she let out a whimper of pain as he tugged her against him.
“Hello, Mouse,” he murmured.
A shudder of horror went through her and she felt her stomach pitch.
Shit. Fuck.
How had she not noticed him sneaking up on her? It wasn’t like he was a small guy.
Don’t show any fear.
“Have you been watching me?” she demanded as she attempted to wrestle her arm away from his hold.
To her shock, he let go of her immediately.
Of course she overbalanced and immediately started falling again.
Why? Why her? Why did she have to be born so clumsy? Why couldn’t she be elegant and graceful? Like a swan but without the long neck and feathers.
Rohan never tripped over his own feet. He also didn’t let bullies push him around. And that’s what Vega was.
A bully.
Who was really, really big.
Which was something she noticed rather keenly as he grabbed her once more by the arm and tugged her next to him.
Ouch.
Sure, she was grateful that he stopped her from falling over, but did he have to also bruise her?
Then again, a guy like him probably got off on leaving people with bruises.
“What are you?” she grumbled. “Like six-foot-ten and three hundred pounds?”
“I’m six-foot-three and two hundred and twenty pounds,” he replied dryly.
“You sure?”
“Last time I checked, yep.”
“Maybe the scales were off.”
“Are you calling me fat?” he asked in a low, dark voice that had her heart skipping a beat.
Right. She had to remember who this guy was. He was the creep who had been watching her.
“You’ve been watching me, haven’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied smoothly. “Why would I watch you? You’re literally nothing to me.”
Well, she guessed that was true.
And if he was a liar, he was a good one.
Of course he’s a liar!
She could not trust what he said. Her arm was still throbbing from where he grabbed her after he was the one who frightened her!
Come on, Devi! You need to be more careful than this.
“Well, ouch,” she muttered. “But I guess that’s true.”
“Are your feelings hurt, Mouse?” he murmured. “Did you want to mean something to me? I have to warn you, I have a habit of breaking my toys.”
“You’re a psychopath, aren’t you?” she asked in a high-pitched voice.
Great. She was stuck out here with this maniac and no one would come running if she screamed.
“I wouldn’t start screaming if I were you,” he told her.
And he could read minds? She had the worst freaking luck. A seven-foot three-hundred-and-fifty pound psychopath was watching her like some creepy creep!
“I am not seven feet tall nor am I three-hundred-and-fifty pounds!”
Jesus. He was really good at reading her mind.
“And if you screamed that would make you a bad toy. And bad things happen to bad toys.”
That sounded . . . terrifying.
“You know you sound like a villain in a Bond movie, right?” she told him, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
She thought she did a pretty good job, even if she was trembling like a leaf.
“Do I?”
“Uh-huh.” She nodded. “And, I notice that you didn’t mention you weren’t a villain just now, when I, you know, called you one.”
For some reason she thought she better take a step back. And then she took another step back . . . for good luck.
And because he was emanating a serious creepy vibe.
“What are you even doing here? It’s a Monday night, you know. Don’t creepers get Monday nights off or something?”
That would be nice to imagine. That she could have one night without worrying about some asshole attacking her.
And yes, she was including her father in that thought.
“Creepers? Are you seriously calling me a creeper?” he grumbled at her.
Yeah, two steps back this time. Three. Four.
She swallowed heavily. “I don’t know why you keep turning up, Vega. But maybe you should just go back to . . . wherever . . . you came . . . from . . .” she trailed off.
That was the end of her bravery. She was pretty sure she was done. Her legs were shaking and her palms were sweaty despite the fact that it was freezing out here.
Yep. So. Done.
She headed toward her trailer. It was difficult to turn her back on him and she might have started breathing really heavily. Especially as she felt him behind her.
Oh shit.
This was it. Vega was going to kill her.
“Is your father here?”
She screamed again and stumbled over the stairs up to the trailer.
“Holy shit, girl. Can’t you stay on your feet? You’re a fucking walking disaster.”
“It would be easier if you would stop scaring me,” she snapped at him. Turning to him, she leaned back against the door. “And of course he’s here. Why do you want to know?”
He placed his hands on the trailer on either side of her head. He was looming over her and she swallowed, trying to get rid of the dryness in her mouth.
“Are you lying to me, Mouse?”
Why did he have to be so fucking terrifying?
Wait. Could he still read her mind? Was he reading it right now?
Jesus. Devi. Calm. He can’t read your mind, you’re probably speaking out loud in your panic or something.
Okay. That was a much more likely explanation.
“Lying?”
“Your father isn’t in there, is he? Why are you lying? Are you afraid to be alone with me?” Vega asked.
Yes. Very much yes.
“I’m about to pee my pants.”
“What the fuck?” He stepped back and even though she couldn’t see his face, she could sense the disgust.
Good.
That’s what she’d been going for. Disgusting people was her superpower.
Not really, but when she was terrified she tended to blurt out whatever she was thinking and most people were horrified.
Hey, if it meant they left her alone, she was all for it.
Why wasn’t he leaving her alone? She’d done what Rohan had told her to and messaged Freddy. He’d assured her that he’d take care of things.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snarled.
“So, so much. I need to go now.”
“I know your old man isn’t in there,” he said.
“Well, if you knew that, why did you ask me?” she grumbled. She’d gone through all this for nothing?
“Don’t get smart with me, Mouse. It doesn’t suit you and I will be tempted to break you.” He slowly reached up and touched her face.
Cue terror.
“Of course, I will enjoy that. You won’t, though.”
Yeah, she got that.
“I also know that if he was in that shack you live in that he wouldn’t come running to save you. Hell, he wouldn’t even roll his ass out of bed and crawl.”
It was terrifying how well he knew her father. Knew about her life.
“I’m looking for him, Mouse. When he turns up, which we know he will because a rodent always returns home, I want you to call me.”
Well. She wasn’t so sure about that rodent statement. Did rodents have a home? Wait, rats made nests didn’t they?
So maybe that’s what he meant.
“My number is on this card.” He tucked a card into the back pocket of her jeans.
He had a business card? That was so weird.
“Mouse! Are you fucking paying attention to me?” He grabbed her upper arms and shook her.
Her head banged back against the door making her cry out in pain.
“Fuck, Mouse. You don’t know what those noises do to me. I want to hurt you more so you’ll keep making them.”
Oh God.
Oh God.
Why her? Seriously. What had she ever done that people thought it was okay to push her around and bully her?
She was so fucking tired of it and she’d had enough!
Without thought, she brought up her knee straight into his dick. He let out a groan and stumbled back.
Oh no. Oh shit.
What had she done?
Move, Devi!
Turning, she unlocked the door to the trailer.
Her hands were shaking which made it nearly impossible and she almost dropped her keys twice.
Now was not the time for her to be clumsy! Opening the door, she stumbled inside and turned to shut the door behind her, locking it. Then she backed away.
Devi was all too aware that it wouldn’t take much for him to break in here.
And punish her.
She was dead.
There was no way she was getting out of this. Why hadn’t she run?
Where would she run to? She didn’t want to drag anyone else into this.
She got the feeling that Vega wouldn’t hesitate to take out anyone who helped her.
Devi glanced around for a weapon just as there was a loud knock on the door. She screamed.
Shit. Why did she do that? If she wanted him to leave her alone, then she really needed to stop reacting. She had to pretend that she wasn’t completely and utterly terrified of him.
Because it seemed like he got off on scaring her.
He really was a freaking psychopath.
“Bad move, Mouse,” he said through the door.
Yeah, he didn’t have to point that out. She got it.
“Call me when he returns.”
Was that it? He wasn’t going to break in here and kill her?
Devi wasn’t sure how long she sat there, waiting for him to retaliate. But she finally realized that she was cold and cramped and that he had gone quiet.
Moving to the window, she drew back the curtain with a whimper and peered out.
It didn’t seem like anyone was there.
Still. There was no way she was sleeping tonight. She turned on all the lights in the trailer and made her way into her bedroom.
What she needed was a weapon. Some way to defend herself.
What you really need is to get out of here.
Yeah. No kidding.
She needed to get far away from Vega, from her father.
Speaking of no-hope losers . . . where the fuck was Derick? And what sort of trouble had he gotten her mixed up in now?