Chapter 2
T wenty months later
Indie snuck into the apartment.
Please don’t let him be home.
It was late Friday afternoon and Billy didn’t usually get home until late in the evening.
“Well, I wondered when you would get home.”
She froze in the living room as his voice washed over her. Fear struck her hard.
They’d moved into an apartment together a couple of months ago and there were just some . . . teething issues. That was all.
“Where have you been, Indie? Have you been with them?” He stood up from the sofa and turned to face her.
Indie winced. She knew who he was talking about.
Slade, Spencer, Quaid, and Rock.
For some reason, Billy hated them. Thankfully, they were so busy lately that they hadn’t noticed how tense and uncomfortable her relationship with Billy had become.
She didn’t get to see them much anymore. She hadn’t even been to Club Slade since she’d moved in with Billy two months ago because it upset him.
Everything upset him.
She wished she could talk to Maggie about it. But Maggie was busy working for her uncle. They traveled a lot and Maggie couldn’t always talk for long when she did call.
“Well? Where have you been? Have you been to that fucking perverted club again?” he yelled, his face turning red.
“The club? Of c-course not.” Bollocks. She was stuttering. He hated when she did that.
The thing was, she only did it around him.
“Are you lying to me, Indie?” He strode toward her and she backed up against the wall of the living room.
Suddenly, Billy smashed his fist into the wall by her head making her flinch in fear. She slid down the wall, trembling.
What was happening right now?
Take a breath.
Keep calm. Don’t rile him up.
What had she ever seen in Billy? She wished she’d never met him.
Then she wouldn’t be stuck in this nightmare.
Not that it had always been this way. No, he’d been charming in the beginning of their relationship. They’d started as friends before they’d begun dating.
He’d taken things slow. He’d been so gentle and sweet. Although, there had been signs, things she’d brushed off or dismissed. Like when his anger would flare up over something small.
Then a few months ago, he’d asked her to move in with him. Indie had thought it would make them stronger. That it would help her want him more.
And want them less .
But she’d been trying to force something that wasn’t there. And it was guilt over using him which had kept her with him.
Not any longer, though.
He had no right to threaten her. To throw punches near her face.
To scare her.
“Get away from me,” she ordered.
He reached down and drew her up onto her feet. Then he leaned his hands against the wall on either side of her head. He looked slightly manic.
This wasn’t good.
“I know you want them.”
Her breathing grew faster. He couldn’t . . . there was no way he could know that.
She’d never told anyone. Not even Maggie.
“I see the way you lust after them. It’s not right. Your brother and his friends. Fucking disgusting.”
Stepbrother.
“I . . . I . . . you don’t know a-anything.”
“Oh, Indie. Of course I do. I know it all.” He cupped the side of her face. “I know I’m second best.”
“That’s not . . . that’s not true.”
Guilt swirled tighter in her stomach. Maybe this was her fault.
“It just upsets me so much because I love you.” He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “I love you so much. But I’m a fucking asshole, aren’t I?”
“No, no,” she said immediately. Even though she didn’t really mean it.
What was she doing?
She needed to get out of here. Away from him.
But was it her fault that he was acting this way?
“You just tie my feelings and emotions up in knots,” he told her.
“I feel . . . used. Am I not good enough for you? I know I could be there for you more. I’m so busy at work, making a name for myself, so I can get us a better place to live and nicer things.
I know how you grew up, how you need that sort of stability.
I work so fucking hard for us, babe. Is it really too much to ask that you are here when I get home? That you don’t go out with other men?”
“I’m sorry,” she told him, even though she wanted to tell him that they were her friends, her family. Even though she wanted to point out that she’d had a job which he’d asked her to give up when she moved in with him.
That she didn’t care about where they lived or how much he could buy her.
And that she hadn’t even been with them this afternoon.
“I’m really sorry. I won’t . . . I don’t want them. I want you.”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Y-yes. Of course.”
He stepped back and held out his hand, giving her a seductive look. “Then come show me.”
No, no, no.
Internally, she screamed. She should run. She should use the self-defense moves that Rock had drilled into her years ago.
Instead, she took his hand and followed him into the bedroom.
Indie lay on her side, staring at the wall as she felt Billy climb out of bed.
She could hear the sounds of him getting dressed again.
All she wanted was to rush into the shower and get clean.
She felt so . . . dirty.
It wasn’t like you said no.
He’s your boyfriend.
Right. A boyfriend that seemed to be growing increasingly volatile.
Indie never thought she’d stay with someone who hurt or abused her.
He’s never hit me . . .
Urgh. But she knew that abuse wasn’t just physical. Her mother was proof of that. She’d never raised a hand against Indie. Why would she when she could ignore her most of the time then threaten her with a few nasty words?
And now Indie was in a relationship with a guy who could be kind one moment and scary the next.
So leave.
She had a law degree. She’d graduated top of her class. She’d had her pick of internships.
But Billy had pressured her into cutting down her hours. Then he’d promised her a job in his firm if she quit her job.
Something she now knew he’d never planned to go through with.
A shudder ran through her.
Why did you follow him into the bedroom?
Leave. Him.
Go to Slade, he’ll take care of you.
But Slade had his own life. He had a girlfriend—a tall, stunning brunette. Indie had seen them together at the club several months ago.
She hadn’t been back to the club since. She missed it, even though she’d never really played. One condition of her membership was that one of the guys had to vet any Dom she wanted to scene with.
She’d gone to the club for a year and they hadn’t once approved of anyone Topping her. In the end, she’d given up trying.
“You didn’t use a condom,” she said.
“What?” he asked.
“A condom. You didn’t use one.” She rolled to look up at him. This could be a risky topic. It might set him off.
“I told you, babe. You need to get on birth control. I’m sick of having to put a rubber on my dick.”
“My body doesn’t like being on birth control,” she explained.
He knew this. She got continuously sick or bled most of the time on birth control.
He shrugged carelessly. “I’ll remember next time. ”
Would he, though?
“You’re going out?” she asked as he finished dressing.
Suddenly, he grabbed her, rolling her onto her back and straddling her hips.
Oh hell.
She didn’t think she could take any more. Her breath sobbed out of her.
“My beautiful, sweet Indie. Did you not have enough? Did I not please you? Is it because you need four dicks, is that it?”
“No-no.” She shook her head. “I don’t want them.”
He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. “I know that you do. But you can’t have them. Because you’re mine.” He placed his hand over her neck.
For a moment she really thought that he was going to strangle her.
Was this it?
But he drew his hand away and ran a finger down her cheek. “You should go to sleep now, babe. You look tired. I don’t want my girl getting wrinkles.”
Right. Sure.
Like she could even think of her appearance when her life was a complete and utter train wreck.