Prologue
Spencer
“Dude, did you see Hannah today?”
The hairs on the back of my neck raise as Tyler’s voice comes barreling into the locker room.
The metal door slams against the wall, rattling me further.
I peek around the corner, holding my breath, listening to the heavy footsteps pound on the cement.
Trying to count how many of them are here, but I can no longer tell what’s a footstep and what’s the pounding of my heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
They aren’t supposed to be in here. Coach made it a rule that all football players were banned from the locker room during off periods since guys were bringing girls in here for sex. This is the one place I was safe. The only place he’s never thought to look for me.
“She’s one fine piece of ass,” Connor agrees.
That makes two of them. Please let it just be Connor and Tyler. Please tell me their ringleader decided to stay back and hold down the fort in the cafeteria. Sit on his throne while his harem of girls begs for his attention.
“But Dawson said she doesn’t put out,” Connor adds.
The footsteps stop, and I keep the sigh from parting my lips. Hopefully, they came to grab something from their locker and will leave as soon as they get it.
“I’d wager a thousand dollars that I can get her to spread her legs. She may have not put out for him, but I’m sure I could get her to hand over that cherry.”
Cold fear runs down my spine. My nerves launching into flight mode at the sound of his voice, but there’s nowhere for me to run.
I try to tuck myself tighter into the corner, make my tall, lanky frame as small as can be, but it’s nearly impossible.
If he finds me in here, he’s going to beat the shit out of me.
“I’m not taking that bet,” Connor states. “If you even look in Hannah’s direction, she’ll offer it up on the spot.”
God, they’re such assholes. They talk about girls as if they’re just holes.
And Hunter is the worst one. He thinks that just because he’s the hottest guy in school and the captain of the football team, he owns the place.
He uses girls for sex and then breaks their hearts the next day.
He doesn’t care about them. I don’t even think he has a soul. The guy is pure evil.
“How come you’ve never dated Hannah?” Tyler asks. “Figured she’d be your type. Tall. Blonde. Athletic fit. Small chest.” The chuckle at the end of his statement is followed by a thump and a pained groan.
“Fuck. What was that for? You just dead-armed me, man.” Tyler’s voice is strained.
My hand rubs over my arm as if feeling a sympathy pain.
I know exactly how much it hurts. I’ve had enough bruises in the same spot over the last four years that I’m not sure my nerves in my upper arm will ever fully recover.
“I don’t have a thing for flat-chested chicks. You’re making it seem like I’m into guys.”
Hunter sounds pissed now, and I pray to God that he stays on that side of the locker room.
“I haven’t gone for Hannah because I didn’t want to waste my time chasing a prude. But I think I could use a little bit of a challenge to get me through these last few months of school. I’ve been bored as shit ever since football ended.”
My jaw clenches. Hannah is a person, not a means to end boredom.
She’s not some trophy to collect and put on his shelf.
But everything’s a game to Hunter. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself.
Entitled, arrogant, so fucking selfish—the list is endless.
Man, I can’t wait until I no longer have to share the same airspace as him.
In just two months my sentence in hell will be over.
“You want to wager on how long it will take you to pop that cherry?” Tyler asks.
I hate them all. Hannah is such a sweet girl.
She’s one of the few pretty girls who’s actually nice and doesn’t look at me like I’m a peon.
And I’m positive the reason she’s still a virgin is because of her religious beliefs.
She doesn’t need this asshole coercing her into having sex with him.
Especially when it’s merely just to win a stupid bet. A game of capture the virgin flag.
“I say a month,” Connor chimes in and my hands clench into fists. They’re seriously wagering on this. Hannah is going to be Hunter’s next victim.
“Ye who have little faith.” The monster clicks his tongue.
“I think day two my fingers will be buried deep between her legs, diddling that little button. Day three, my tongue will be giving her virgin cunt a kiss. Four, that pretty little mouth of hers will learn how to give a man a blowjob. By day seven, she’s going to be begging for my cock. ”
My stomach tightens. The anger bottling up inside with no release. I’m such a fucking weakling. I should punch him in the face and fight for the poor girl’s honor, but I don’t stand a chance up against the asshole. He’ll beat me to a fucking pulp. But maybe I can warn Hannah about his little wager.
And if Hunter finds out, he’ll kill you.
The sound of a locker closing has me tensing. I’m hoping they’re going to leave now.
“I think two weeks,” Tyler states. “I think you’re going to have to go to church with the girl first.” He chuckles.
Nothing about this is funny. This is sick and twisted and fucking sadistic.
“So, what are we betting?” the monster asks.
As if he needs anything. His family is the wealthiest in town. His dad is some bigwig attorney who’s never lost a single case. Hunter drives a Bentley; the last thing he needs is more money.
“I think loser pays for prom night,” Tyler suggests. “The limo, hotel, booze. Those stupid corsage things we have to get our dates. What do you think, Connor?”
“Damn, I may rethink my guess,” he chimes in, and my stomach twists up tighter.
Hannah’s going to be left with a memory she’ll never be able to erase.
She’ll always remember how she gave her virginity to Hunter Sorent, and how he ditched her the following day for his next trophy.
She’ll be left with guilt and regret, and shame.
And the monster will go on thinking he’s the king of the world because he got another girl to give up her cherry.
I can’t let that happen. I have to put a stop to it.
When I get home, I’ll type up an anonymous letter warning her of his plan.
He doesn’t know I’m in here so he’ll never know it came from me.
He’ll probably think it was one of his buddies trying to sabotage him so they don’t end up having to foot the bill for prom night.
“Nah. You can’t go back on your guess now,” Hunter states. “I’m at a week. Tyler two. And you who must forget who the fuck I am said a month.” He sounds peeved by the fact. “We’ll see what happens. And no one better tell a soul, or you will fucking pay.”
A shudder runs through my shoulders. I know what that threat means, and the ache in my body is proof they don’t want to be at the end of his wrath.
But that’s why they’re friends with the jerk in the first place—for fear of finding themselves on his bad side.
Why else would anyone want to be friends with a guy like that?
“Fine. It’s a bet,” Connor states, sounding a bit on edge. He knows he’s going to lose, because Hunter is going to get exactly what he wants. And Hannah is going to end up being the biggest loser of them all in this wager. “Got my glasses. You guys ready to go to lunch?”
“Yeah. I need to get started on my wooing.” Hunter’s smug voice unnerves me further, but it’s a relief to know that they’re leaving now. “Let me just grab a football so we can scrimmage after school.”
A cold sweat breaks out over my body as I look at the storage closet where all the footballs are kept. The panic sets in as the footsteps start to draw closer. My heart rate pounding in my ears again.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I can’t tuck myself in any further. I can’t make myself invisible. I should’ve hidden in the shower. They never would’ve found me in there. They weren’t supposed to find me back here either. They aren’t even supposed to be in here.
“Well, look at what we have here.”
My mind starts racing as the panic sets in.
The pair of three-hundred-dollar sneakers have stopped right by my side.
Sneakers that may look clean to the observer but have my DNA hidden in the crevices.
The monster’s shadow shrouds me in a haunting darkness as I feel him practically breathing down my neck, looming over me, ready to unleash his fury.
I’m nearly crippled by the fear. There’s nowhere for me to run.
No one here who will hear me crying for help. No one to stop him from attacking.
I lift my head, trying not to show the fear that’s got me locked in its clutches, but my voice reveals every rattled nerve shaking through me.
“Hey, guys! I’m just in here trying to get ahead on some work that’s been assigned in our class,” I lie, hoping Hunter will go easy on me if he thinks I’m trying not to get caught doing his schoolwork for him. “What are you guys doing in here?”
Hunter cocks his head. His eyes casting a terrorizing glare. “This locker room is our domain, you little shit. You don’t belong in here. Little book nerds belong in the library where all the books are.”
The sudden burn of my scalp as I’m yanked from the ground has me shouting out in pain.
“It gets noisy in there at lunch.” I struggle to gasp out another lie.
As soon as Hunter found me hiding out in the library, he started waiting for me outside the doors, ready to launch his attack.
Always pinning me up against the lockers, his arm braced around my neck, cutting off my airways.
Making sure I haven’t forgotten who’s boss in this school.
I’d end up headfirst in a garbage can, spending the rest of my school day covered in slime. So, I sought out a new place to hide. But now I’m regretting my decision. I should’ve gone to the library. At least I know what’s in store for me there.