Chapter 36
36
Dr. Howard’s hand shot out, grabbing the sleeve of her blouse. He yanked her closer with enough force to make her stumble. Her bag fell to the floor, but she held on to her phone. Somehow she held on to her phone. She opened her mouth to scream again. Jordan—Jordan was in his office. And he would help her. She knew he would.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
His hand covered her mouth. And he yanked her even closer.
“You don’t screw with me.” He was so close she could smell his breath.
Aubrey tried to pull away, tried to fight. He wouldn’t let her go. He wouldn’t.
“You think you can ruin me and just walk away?” His hand tightened, the fabric pulling against her shoulder. “You think you’re untouchable? I’m probably going to jail because of you, and you just think you can strut around here, screwing your way to the top? Fucking whore. You’re going to get what you deserve.”
Did he think attacking her was going to keep him out of prison? She looked into his eyes, that’s when she knew: He didn’t care.
He didn’t give a damn what he did to her—because for him, it was all over. He had done something, something that Thor had found. And now… Aubrey was going to pay the price.
No. She wasn’t. No matter what.
Her fingers tightened around her phone. Her other arm—it was injured. Maybe broken, sprained, something—he’d hurt her. But she’d been hurt before. Even had that arm broken before, by a foster mother who hadn’t liked her bad attitude when she’d been nine. She kicked out. As he dragged her toward the stairwell just past her office. The one that led to the… basement.
“Go ahead and struggle,” Howard said, his voice low and venomous. “I like it when they fight me.”
“Stop!” she tried to scream, but the sound barely escaped.
She fought, and fought. None of it did any good.
She just had to hold on.