Seventeen
Dominic
S he was late. It was twenty minutes after midnight, and she hadn’t come to me with her answer.
“She did give you her answer,” Levin snapped as I pushed my feet into my shoes to leave. “No answer is an answer.”
“I want to hear her tell me no to my face,” I snarled.
“Man, just go tell Hail she met with us. Let him take care of her.” Vincent sounded let down as he stared at his hands on his lap.
I knew he wanted her on our side. Vincent was as dark and fucked up as the rest of us, but he had a sweet spot in his soul, and I was pretty goddamn sure Bianca D’Angelou had been stroking it for him.
“I’m going to her dorm. I’ll be back later.” I didn’t wait for them to reply. I left, walking fast to her building through the shadows. When I got to her door, I picked the lock and slid inside. I waited in the overstuffed chair in the corner in the dark.
Time ticked by slowly, making me more agitated. Then her door rattled and creaked open. She stepped into the darkness, and I was on my feet in a moment.
I wrapped my fingers around her delicate neck and pressed my hand over her mouth before pulling her back flush to my chest.
“You’re late with my answer,” I snarled in her ear.
She shook in my hold. Tears dropped onto my hand as she sagged against me.
I released her, and she stumbled away and flipped on a light.
Her face was red and blotchy from tears. A bruise colored her cheek. Some of the buttons on her shirt were missing, and her hair was a tangled mess.
“What happened?” I demanded, taking in her disheveled look.
Her bottom lip trembled as she stared back at me with tear-soaked eyes.
“Did he. . .?”
“I-I need a minute, OK? Please. I know we had a midnight deadline, but I need a shower. If you’re going to kill me, just let me be clean first. I don’t want anyone to see me this way.”
“Take a shower,” I said tightly, going to her door and putting the chain lock on it. I turned back to her. “I’ll wait.”
She nodded and went to her dresser and tugged out some clothes before going into her bathroom and closing the door with a soft click.
I sat on her bed and pulled my phone out to message Vincent and Levin in our group chat.
Dom: I’m with her now. Hail fucked up. Bad.
Vincent: What did he do?
Dom: I’ll let you guys know soon.
Levin: Can we say this bullshit is happening then?
Dom: Probably.
I darkened the screen and sat silently, waiting for Bianca to come out. Normally, I wouldn’t give a shit and would’ve burst in on her by now to demand she give me my answer, but I let it slide this time, not even wanting to contemplate this apparently new softer side of me.
The minutes ticked by. I listened to the water run. I listened as she vomited into the toilet. When I heard a soft sob, I got to my feet and stood outside the door.
I didn’t know what Ivanov had done to her, but it wasn’t anything good. If he’d fucked her, it would certainly put a damper on my plans, but I was resourceful and would work around it.
The water shut off and the sounds of her moving around filtered through the door. I went back to her bed and sat on the edge, waiting.
Moments later, she emerged with her wet hair brushed and a pink robe pulled tightly around her.
I watched as she approached and sat beside me on the bed.
“What did he do?” I asked softly. Dangerously. It was hard to hold back my anger.
She flinched at the sound of my voice, but to her credit, she didn’t move away from me.
“He held me down and tore my panties off and then dry fucked me before coming all over my crotch. Then he made me suck his friends’ dicks until they came.” Her words were soft but strong. “He shoved me around and hit me a few times. That’s why I’m late.”
I nodded tightly and balled my hands into fists. “And my answer?”
She twisted her hands on her lap for a moment then looked over at me. I locked eyes with hers.
“Yes. Whatever you want, it’s yours. I want to take him down.”
“You’re going to let me take your virginity to get back at him? To gain my protection?”
She swallowed and slid back along the bed. I watched as she undid her robe and closed her eyes, exposing her naked body to me.
Guess I had my answer.
I moved up her body and ran my fingers along the soft skin of her abdomen before reaching out and closing her robe. She opened her eyes to stare at me, worry clouding them.
“You can’t back out on me now,” she whispered. “I came here to get away from one monster only to be saddled to another. I can’t live like that. I need your help. I-I have to stay alive so I can find my dad.”
She moved to open her robe again, but I stopped her and held my hand over hers as I sat beside her.
“I accept your answer. But tonight isn’t going to happen between us. I’ll let you rest. Tomorrow, we’ll proceed.”
She squeezed her eyes closed and blew out a breath.
“I’ll meet you here at ten tomorrow night. You have Vincent’s number if something comes up. Text or call it if you need anything.” I moved my hand off hers and got to my feet.
“Dominic?” she called out softly.
I turned to see her sitting up on her elbow, her lush lips turned down into a deep frown. “You aren’t going to fuck me over, right?”
I offered her a tight smile. “Not right away. I like to give my prey a running start. It’s no fun if I get to devour them straight away.”
She nodded glumly. “OK. Tomorrow. Ten.”
“It’s a date.” I walked to her door and unlatched it.
“Dominic?”
I paused but didn’t turn back to her.
“Just us, right?”
“Of course,” I said, pulling open the door. “Get some rest. You’re going to need it.”
And with that, I left her room, all sorts of ideas running through my head.
But one I couldn’t shake was her writhing beneath me, moaning my name.
I never said I was one of the good guys. In fact, I was a very, very bad guy. Bianca D’Angelou would learn soon enough.