Chapter 27
Shannon
Present
Shannon switched on the radio, her hips swaying to the rhythm in a mood that screamed ‘just had amazing sex recently.’
Glancing down, her phone screen lit up with another message. A selfie... Damn, the man had his grin perfected.
A smile danced over her lips and little flutters burst inside her chest. Her mind drifted to Friday night and what she’d wear.
She wasn’t exactly the sexy kitten type with lacey undies and titty tassels, but anything would be better than those comfy, parachute-sized knickers he seemed to get off on.
If all went to plan and he actually showed up as promised, they probably wouldn’t make it out the door. Letting her mind sink to the filthy depths, a grin curled at the corners of her mouth.
Maybe she shouldn’t wear anything at all, except for the tan cowgirl hat she bought last year at the country festival.
She set her phone down on the kitchen counter, taking a moment to think about her reply. It had to be just right. Flirty without being overdone, sexy without seeming desperate.
Lost in thought, she spun around, startled, when the front door flung open. Niall marched in with his usual sanctimonious air, looking like he’d just stepped out of a catalogue for clueless cowboys.
His pale denim jeans were spotless, and his gingham shirt under an olive fine-knit jumper looked more like something her grandfather would wear, rather than a guy who was supposed to be helping with horses.
“What’s got you smiling like a bitch in heat?” he snapped, dragging the back of his hand across his nostrils.
Shannon let out a deep breath, puffing her cheeks out in frustration. Talk about a mood killer. Niall was like a wet, dripping cloud of negativity, ready to ruin her joy with his sour attitude.
“Let yourself in, why don’t you? Maybe you should learn to knock, or is it too late to teach an old dog manners?”
She planted her hands on the counter, using it as a shield between them.
“Why would I need to knock, Shannon? Are you afraid I’ll find out your dirty little secrets?” He sniffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Shannon rolled her eyes. “It’s called privacy. This is my home.”
Niall inched closer, that smarmy smile creeping up his face. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. Maybe I’d like to walk in on you sometime. I bet you think about me when you’re touching yourself, don’t you?”
What a fucking joke. This guy had just let himself in and now he was implying she fantasised about him? As if.
She’d rather slam her fingers in the door than imagine Niall’s naked body.
Her phone lit up again, and she knew Jamie had sent another text message.
Niall’s gaze dropped, his hand shooting out to grab the phone before she could reach it. His brows rose when he saw the name.
“Jamie McGrath is texting you?” he asked, his usual arrogance taking on an even sharper edge.
Shannon held out her hand. “Give me the phone.”
“I always knew you were a fucking slut. Unbelievable. You and McGrath, huh? Is that why he was sniffing around here?”
His voice twisted with disdain, eyes narrowing into something darker. “I mean, it had to be for your ass, because he sure as fuck wouldn’t be interested in anything else.”
“The only one sniffing around here is you, Niall.”
His expression darkened, a flash of venom in his gaze. “Excuse me?”
“Are you so deep in a cocaine haze that you can’t even hear yourself?” she shot back, her voice cool but cutting.
Niall’s lip curled, his eyes flashing with rage. “Quite the little goody-goody, aren’t you? You planning on running to my da and squealing like the snitch you are?”
“You need help, Niall. I always knew you had anger issues, but this…” Her voice trailed off as she shook her head, disbelief creeping in. “Drugs? Really?”
“It’s recreational, you uptight little fuck. I party because I can. Something you wouldn’t understand, considering all you do is ride horses and play the good little country girl.”
His sneer deepened.
“McGrath’s probably laughing at you, you know. A boring, frigid little nobody. The kind of girl rich guys like him put bets on to pull. And we all know Jamie’s a betting shark.”
Her stomach twisted, thoughts of Jamie using her as a pawn making her falter, but she pushed them away. Niall was fucking with her head, as usual.
Shannon moved around the counter and snatched the phone back. “Get the hell out, Niall. And shut the door on your way out.”
He didn’t move, but his face contorted with an ugliness that matched the darkness inside him.
“You’re such a fool,” he spat. “A pathetic little nobody who really thinks a McGrath would actually be interested in you. Is that what you’re into? You like rich cock, don’t you, Shannon? Do you enjoy being humiliated?”
His laugh was cruel, filled with a sadistic joy.
This was going nowhere. Shannon spun on her heel, striding toward the door and yanking it open, letting the cold air slice through the warmth of the room.
“Get out. And stay away from me. Up here is my personal space and you’re not welcome.”
A dangerous glint flickered in his grey eyes, a thin sliver of rage sneaking through the cracks. His eyes narrowed into slits, his breath coming in shallow, angry bursts.
Niall stormed forward, shoving her into the wall of hanging coats. When she lost her grip on the door handle, he kicked it shut, the deafening crash echoing through the loft.
Loud noises were nothing new on the farm. Heavy gates slammed, hooves pounded against stable doors. Bangs were just sounds swallowed by the noise of everyday life.
Niall’s face dipped to hers. “You and I need to have a chat, Shannon. You need to learn some fucking respect.”
A muscle in his cheek twitched, and dread churned in her belly.
“You’re nothing but a cokehead, waste of space,” she snapped, her voice filled with contempt. “Your dad will see it soon enough. One day, you’ll slip up, Niall, and I’ll be there, watching. I’ll be clapping and cheering the day he cuts off your money. Now, get the hell out!”
His head tipped back, and a low mocking laugh vibrated from deep within him.
“I’m his legacy, Shan. All this will be mine one day. We both know you can’t afford to live anywhere else. You’ll still be here, even then. And I’ll own the fucking ground you walk on.”
His eyes narrowed as he tapped her cheek. “Haven’t I told you already, Shannon? You’re a nobody. You don’t own a thing—not even this loft. What have you got going for you?”
Her hands balled into fists, and she shoved him backward.
“I only regret two things in my life, Niall,” she shot back. “The first was agreeing to be your girlfriend back then. The second was tolerating your pathetic excuse for sex. You couldn’t even satisfy a week-old corpse.”
The room darkened with his rage, and for a brief, terrifying moment, panic gripped her chest. Before her next breath, he dropped to his haunches, his fury explosive as he snatched the whip propped at their feet.
Niall’s grip was white-knuckled around the handle, his muscles bulging with effort as he raised it high, his eyes burning with something darker than she’d ever seen.
Sucking in, she tried to dart sideways as the first crack of the whip landed across her shoulder with brutal force, searing through the flimsy fabric of her top.
A second strike followed without a pause, blazing fire lashing through her.
Shannon screamed, a choked sound scraping from her throat as she threw herself at him with fists and years of pent-up anger. Desperation fuelled her fight as she wrestled to win the whip from his hand.
But Niall wouldn’t let go. His other hand shot out, wound through her hair, and yanked her head. With the harshness of it mixed with the burning pain across her scalp, she struggled to keep her balance.
Before she could recover, his knee crashed into her ribs, the impact like a head on collision that sent her crashing to the floor.
“I’ll fucking show you, Shan…”
Out of instinct, she curled into a defensive ball, the wind knocked out of her lungs and the whip still lashing down.
Fiery pain blistered through her muscles, leaving her breathless.
The pain crashed into her like a tidal wave, sucking every ounce of strength from her body, rendering her powerless to escape.
Her lungs screamed in raw agony, each breath a jagged, burning intake.
She tucked in her limbs, pressing her body into a tight ball, surrendering one side to the full brunt of his brutal assault.
Even through her clothes, each strike of the whip was molten metal searing into her flesh. The slaps exploded into searing flames, each one igniting her skin as he unleashed his fury on her defenceless, curled form.
The last crack seemed to reverberate through her body like the hundredth. Niall held it high above his head, his shallow breaths and low growl the only sounds in the room.
The whip hung in the air, its threat still lingering as a dangerous silence fell.
“You say a word about this to anyone, and I’ll ruin you. And that precious fucking horse of yours,” he sneered. “I’ll visit her in the dead of night, tear her apart until she’s fit for nothing but dog food. You think I’m joking? Take a good look at yourself right now.”
The whip sped through the air again, the lash biting into her lower back. Her body shuddered, a visceral jolt of pain radiating from her core.
“And keep that asshole McGrath away from Meadow Dawn. Stay the fuck away from him or things will get messy.”
When he let go of the whip, it dropped to the floor with a light patter. The door opened and a blast of icy air licked at her wounds.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she swallowed a sob and stayed locked tight on the floor while he left.
A soft melody from the radio played, an eerie interlude to the horror she had just endured, its tuneless hum creeping into the edges of her mind.
Shannon stayed frozen, hugging her knees to her chest, still, silent, almost as if she were afraid to breathe.
After a few racing heartbeats, her wet lashes peeled open and the first thing she saw made more tears fall. The whip sat inches from her face.
The very thing that had been her awakening.
And now her ruin.