Corrupting Her Heart (Owning Vegas 2nd Gen #2)

Prologue

FIVE YEARS AGO

Ishouldn’t be here. I always know when something bad is about to happen. Usually right before it happens and it’s too late to get out unscathed.

“I need to go home. My parents are waiting for me,” I tell Caleb.

Why did I let him lure me into a dark alleyway? I’m smarter than this.

He asked me to meet him tonight, said he had a gift for me. Who am I to turn down a Christmas gift from the hottest guy at school? I’ve fooled around with Caleb a few times over the last couple of weeks, nothing serious, and I’ve never let it go too far. But he’s always been nice enough.

“Already? You just got here. You don’t like my gift?” he asks.

“I like it plenty. Thank you. It’s really beautiful.” I finger the thin gold chain I let him put around my neck. I hate it, but I’m polite.

“Good, because I wanted to give you something that’s as beautiful as you are, Frankie.” Caleb steps closer, pushing me up against the wall. His hands land on the brick behind me. His closeness makes me uneasy.

“Thank you. I wish I could stay longer but I really do need to go.”

He doesn’t budge when I try to move him back.

“Not yet. You owe me at least a kiss.” His lips press against mine. Hard, punishing.

This is wrong. I need to get away from him. I push against him again.

“No, stop.” I try to get him to hear my words but it’s no use.

No matter how much I shove at him, he pushes into me harder. His hands snake up under my sweater and he cups my breasts, pinching my nipples.

“Ow, Caleb, stop.” I bite down on his tongue when he forces it into my mouth.

“Fucking bitch. You just bit me,” he curses. One of his hands wraps around my throat, holding me against the wall. “That wasn’t very nice, Frankie.”

“Let me go.” I’m trying my best not to panic. All the self-defense moves I’ve been taught evade me, because I’m frozen to the spot.

“Not until I get what I’m owed. You’ve been teasing me for weeks, leaving me with fucking blue balls. It’s time you pay up.”

“What? No.” I try to move but get nowhere. I close my eyes, doing my best to remember what I’m supposed to do in this situation. And then the weight of Caleb’s body is off me. Like a flash, it’s just gone.

My eyes spring open as Caleb screams in agony. “Argh, fuck, man. Fuck off.”

“You good?” Emilio’s eyes bore into mine.

I nod my head, unable to speak. He’s here. Of course he’s here. Emilio Lopez, AKA my very own white knight. Always there when I need to be bailed out of trouble.

“You touched the wrong fucking girl, asshole,” Emilio grunts at Caleb.

It takes a moment for it to register, the glint of the knife as it slices through the air, right into Caleb’s torso. The next thing I know, Caleb is on the ground and Emilio is stabbing him again.

“Emilio, stop. You’re going to kill him.” I reach for his arm, and he turns to me.

“That’s the plan, Frankie,” he says.

“No, don’t. Let’s just go, please. Take me home, Emilio,” I plead with him. I do not want him killing people for me. Caleb is an asshole, but does he need to die? I don’t know.

“You touch her again, I will finish what I started here,” Emilio says as he stands. Leaning down, he wipes the small knife on the fabric of Caleb’s shirt. Then he takes my hand and leads me out of the alley. “What the fuck were you thinking, Frankie?”

I pull my hand away and shove at his chest. “What were you thinking? You could have killed him.”

“Yeah, that was the plan.” Emilio shrugs.

“I’m going home.” I turn and walk in the opposite direction.

Emilio follows right along behind me. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.” He keeps walking next to me.

“Oh my god, stop following me!” I scream at the top of my lungs.

“Are you okay, miss?” An older man stops in front of me.

“She’s fine,” Emilio grits out.

“I wasn’t asking you.” The man looks my way. “This guy bothering you?”

“Yes,” I reply, and then regret it the moment the man tries to step between me and Emilio.

A fist comes up, connecting with the stranger’s jaw. I scream at Emilio to stop. He doesn’t listen. Emilio is a fighter. This other man doesn’t stand a chance.

“Stop!” I try again.

Blue-and-red lights flash, a siren blares, and then Emilio straightens and glares at me. “Happy? Have you caused enough chaos for one night yet?”

“I never asked you to help me,” I bite back at him.

“Yeah? How do you think your night would have gone if I wasn’t there?” he asks.

I swallow, because I don’t want to think about that.

Two officers approach us. “You, hands behind your back.” They point at Emilio. One of the officers snaps handcuffs on him while the other one helps the stranger up from the ground.

“Wait… Why are you arresting him?” I ask the officer.

“We saw what happened. We’re taking him in. It’s up to that guy if he wants to press charges, but I’ll be encouraging him to,” the officer explains.

“Frankie, call someone to come and get you.” Emilio’s eyes don’t leave mine.

“What? No, I’m coming with you,” I tell him.

“Miss, you can’t get in the car with him,” the officer says as he drags Emilio away.

“Excuse me? Would you like me to call my father and explain to him how you left me out on The Strip, on a cold night, alone?” I raise a brow. These cops know who I am. And everyone in this city knows who my father is.

“No, get in,” he says, holding the door open.

Emilio glares at me from the other side of the back seat. He doesn’t say a word. This is my fault. He’s only here because of me. I shouldn’t have said anything to that guy. I should have kept moving.

“You know who he is, right? You really think anyone is actually going to press charges against him?” I ask as the car pulls away.

“Frankie, shut up,” Emilio grits out.

“No. I got you into this mess. I’ll get you out of it,” I tell him.

“This isn’t your problem. I’ll be fine. You need to go home.”

“And you need to stop thinking you can tell me what to do,” I counter.

Once we reach the station, they take Emilio into a room while making me sit in the waiting area. No one will tell me what’s going on, no matter how much I ask or threaten to call my dad. I think they all know I’m bluffing. No way I want my dad to find out I’m here.

After about an hour, Emilio is walked out of the room. “Sit next to her. Don’t move,” a detective says while pointing to me.

“Are you okay?” I whisper to Emilio.

He nods his head. “You good?” he asks, and I nod back.

“Can we leave now?” I yell out to the detective.

“No,” he says.

“What the fuck did you do?” My father’s voice has me turning towards the door. Shit, they called him and he’s mad. I jump up out of my seat and block Emilio from his view.

“Daddy, it wasn’t his fault. It was mine,” I tell him.

“Nothing is your fault, princess,” Dad says in a much softer tone. Emilio stands next to me. He doesn’t say anything. “Both of you, in the car now.” My father glares at Emilio. “I’ll drop you home.”

As we make our way to the car, I mouth “I’m sorry” to Emilio, who just smirks at me and shrugs. And that’s when my stomach dips. That smirk, it does things to me I really wish it wouldn’t do.