Blackmailed by Her Bully Read online

  Don’t be petty.

  What? He doesn’t want me to talk.

  Don’t be petty. Fight the battles you have a chance of winning.

  Still, she didn’t speak. There was no way after his threat she’d give him the satisfaction of winning.

  “Are you curious about where we’re going?” Logan asked.

  He typed on his cell phone before putting it away.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she waited.

  “You’re playing that game?”

  Again, she didn’t say anything.

  “You can talk, you know?”

  She pressed her lips together and stared out of the window. As suddenly as her anger appeared, it dissipated. There was nothing there but a deep overwhelming sadness and pain. She didn’t want to think or do anything.

  “I know you’re upset.”

  She closed her eyes.

  “I didn’t want it to end that way,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

  Ava turned her head, resting it against the seat and stared. “Do you know what it’s like to have people laugh at you? For people not to believe you?”

  “Yes.”

  She laughed. “Of course you do. You think I’m the cause of all this, and I’m not.” She released a sigh. “One day I hope you see the truth, I really do. I may even forgive you.” She rested her hand on her stomach. “You’ve pretty much said if I’m pregnant, I won’t be around long enough to even see my baby.”

  “It’s not what I meant.”

  “It’s what you said.”

  “I’m an asshole.”

  She smiled. “I don’t like fighting with you. I hate it.”

  “I don’t want to fight with you either.” He reached across the seats, taking hold of her hand. “It’s the last thing I want to do. I care about you so much, Ava.”

  “You do?” Tears filled her eyes, and she didn’t want to give way to hope.

  “I do. It’s what makes everything so hard.”

  “You still don’t believe me?”

  He didn’t say a word, and she knew she spoke the truth.

  “Fine. It’s fine. I understand. Why would you believe me when your best friend has told you the truth, right? I’m not that important. Luke has been with you your whole life. I get it.”

  She’d never made friends easily, often preferring her own company. Even back in high school, it had always been that way.

  “Let’s move on. I don’t want to dwell on boring factors.”

  Ava had noticed they were moving away from the center of the city, going past some run-down warehouses. She noticed cars coming and going. Expensive ones. They completely stood out.

  “What is going on?”

  “We’re going to have some fun.”

  Hunter parked the limo, and Logan climbed out. She didn’t want him to go, and she had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what she saw.

  Logan opened her door and held out his hand.

  She took it, seeing no point in fighting with him, not now. Not on situations that really didn’t matter right now.

  He lifted her out, and she offered him a smile.

  There’s a chance he could still believe you.

  “How do you like a little blood?” Logan asked.

  “I don’t want to see a whole lot of blood. It’s scary.”

  Hunter laughed.

  “Come, we’ll see.”

  Once again, his hand was at her back. They moved toward a secluded entrance, and Hunter typed in the code to open it.

  “You own this place?”

  “Oh, Ava, one day you will learn, I pretty much own everything.”

  The moment the door opened, screaming, crying, and the heavy beat of music filled the air. The lights were dim, and the noise was too much.

  She squinted to try to see what was going on.

  Logan led her toward a balcony, and glancing down, she saw where the light was coming from.

  Two men stood in a circle made out of chalk, surrounded by men and women, screaming and fighting for more.

  Money was everywhere, and even though they were up high, she saw the blood spatter.

  One of the men looked like he’d already been ten rounds with a bus, and was still going strong. The other, he was on his last legs, and looked ready to drop.

  “What is this place?” she asked.

  “This is where it really all started for me. This right here got my name noticed. My reputation sealed, and more money than I knew what to do with.”

  “Even I’d heard of him, and I had nothing to do with the underground fights. They were beneath my previous boss,” Hunter said.

  “Interesting conversation. I’ll be back,” Logan said, leaving her with Hunter as he talked with someone else.

  “You’re loyal to Logan now.”

  “I am. He saved me when he could have ended my life. He gave me a chance, and I will forever serve him.”

  She looked toward Logan. “I wonder if it’ll be him who gets to kill me.”

  “Don’t talk about death right now. I’m not interested in killing you.” Hunter looked toward the fight and Logan returned to her side, looking happy. Hunter stepped away, giving them both space.

  “Watch them. See how they want his death.”

  “Whose? There are two of them.”

  “It doesn’t matter who they want. They only crave and wish to see someone fall.”

  She looked toward him. Now her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she saw the happiness in them.

  “You like this.”

  “Like this, it brings the real heart of a person out. This here, is where real pain truly begins.”

  “Do you like pain?”

  “No one likes pain, Ava. We all deal with it differently. Pain helped me when I didn’t think I could handle it myself.”

  “Down there, they’re all champions. Some just take a few more hits than others.”

  She gasped as the one who looked like he’d taken on the buses and won, lifted the other man and slammed him to the ground.

  This wasn’t like on television. When the man was on the ground, the guy started to pummel him even more, not giving him a second to come around. This was brutal.

  The other man tried to crawl away, but the other put his booted foot on his back and started to slam it down.

  Once.

  Twice.

  The male scream had her covering her ears.

  The violence, it was all too much.

  Without waiting for Hunter or Logan, she rushed outside, bent over, and very unladylike, threw up.

  She tucked her hair behind her ears and vomited. She couldn’t stop.

  During the process, someone had come out and was touching the base of her back, rubbing, offering her comfort.

  When she wasn’t going to be sick anymore, she swatted at their hand, stood up, and shook her head.

  “No,” she said.

  “Ava?” Logan held his hands up. “Come back inside.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Do you know what we just witnessed?”

  “A victory.”

  “That guy may have just had his back broken, and you don’t care.”

  “They know the risks when they come here.”

  “Do they? Or are you just so consumed with making money and being this big bad man, that you can’t even see the truth of what the hell is going on! This was something you had to do as well?” She screamed the words, unable to contain her pain or guilt even though she had nothing to feel guilty for.

  Her entire body shook. She felt disgusted, sickened, and in need of something to calm her turning stomach.

  “Why did you bring me here? Is that going to be my end? Fighting?” She pointed toward the door.

  “What is your sudden fascination with the end?”

  “Why not? I don’t know the point in all of this, Logan. You come back to Crow Valley to do what? Make my life miserable? You think I haven’t had a pretty bad life the past twelve years?”

  “No, I
don’t.”

  She burst out laughing.

  “You’ve had it rather cushy. A nice little life. A house. The dream come true, right?”

  She shook her head. “I was raped in the school locker room after I finished swimming. Not long after our little episode in the classroom. No one believed me. Sure, you and Luke, and the others left. I figured you’d all done something bad. I didn’t pursue it. I thought Luke had gone to jail.” She pressed her lips together, the tears falling down her face. At least she didn’t wear any makeup. “No one in town believed me. They all … they all thought I was lying. Look at me, Logan. I didn’t know why they blamed me for you, but for Luke, I’d hear the whispers and I thought it was about him. Why would he rape her? Why would he even touch her? Clearly, she’s a slut and doesn’t know how to handle herself. I worked at the library. I couldn’t go away to college. My parents died. Relationships were a no because no one wanted me, and I struggled. I couldn’t afford therapy so I handed everything as best as I could, and at times, it still wasn’t enough. I’m not even comparing my life to yours. I’m just saying, it hasn’t been easy, but I can’t go back in there. I can’t see any more of that. It’s too much, Logan. I can’t.”

  “Hunter, take her home.”

  Logan spun on his heel, and it broke her heart to see him walk away from her.

  Hunter grabbed her arm and moved her toward the car. She climbed inside without putting up a fight. There was no reason to fight him or anyone else.

  The car door slammed, but Logan was nowhere to be seen.

  “Does he enjoy it?” she asked.

  Hunter started up the limo, pulling out of the parking lot. “This is his world. It’s what he knows, and he takes care of it.”

  “It’s so … bloodthirsty.”

  “Logan had his way of dealing with his past, and so do you.”

  She curled up against the window, watching the city go by.

  “I’m sorry. When you go back to him, tell him I’m sorry.”

  “You can tell him yourself.”

  ****

  The fight brought in a lot of money. The warehouse was empty, and Hunter waited for him outside. He had nowhere else to go for the time being, so he sat in a chair in the center of the ring.

  The man Ava ran out on had indeed broken his back. He’d been too weak and shouldn’t have signed himself up for a fight. He still earned money, just not as much as the victor of the night.

  Running fingers through his hair, Logan waited for something. He didn’t know what the fuck had gotten into him.

  Seeing Ava throw up, it was the first time he’d felt like he’d pushed too far. She didn’t need to see this, any of this, and yet, he’d forced this on her, and he hated himself for it.

  The door opened, and there Hunter stood.

  “I didn’t know if you’d decided to leave.”

  “Did Ava get home safely?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded. “Good.”

  “What’s going on?” Hunter asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “You don’t look like you’re thinking about nothing.”

  “I’m not really thinking, Hunter. I’m just processing.”

  “Tonight was a good fight. I heard the stakes were higher than ever. People wanted more blood, more everything.”

  “Of course they want more blood. More everything. It’s the way they are. Everything is a power trip for them. They always want more, and we always give them what they want.”

  “You’re not happy?”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t fucking know. All of this, it’s fucking bullshit. I know that.”

  “You didn’t expect Ava to have that kind of reaction.”

  “I don’t know what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t this bullshit. Fuck. What the fuck am I doing?”

  “This started out as revenge. You finally have some sort of closure, and you no longer know what it is anymore?”

  “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, and I haven’t known for a really long fucking time. Shit. This wasn’t supposed to be so hard. Why the fuck does it feel hard?”

  “Because you’re having doubts. It was simple when you believed she was the woman responsible for sending your ass to prison. Now it’s not so simple. Have you ever considered you may have feelings for her?” Hunter asked.

  He glared up at Hunter. “Don’t even fucking start.”

  “Your friends. Luke, Marvin, and Riley, you treat them well. Better than well, why?”

  “They’re my friends. They stood beside me.”

  Hunter snorted. “When I first met you, it took them over six months before I even met them, and I was by your side all the time. They’re not your friends anymore and I’m guessing they haven’t been for a long time, but you, you’ve been fighting, drawing on your past experiences. What if everything you know is wrong? If the sheriff gives you different answers, what are you going to do then? What if Ava is telling the truth and Luke did in fact rape her, but no one has ever believed her?”

  “I don’t want to think about that.”

  “You’re scared she is.”

  He looked toward his friend and shook his head. “This is not up for discussion.” He got to his feet and headed outside.

  The cleaning crew would be by in a couple of hours to take care of the mess. He climbed into the back of the limo as Hunter took the driver’s side.

  “When will the sheriff be arriving?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Saturday night is when I want to find out the truth. I’ve got to check on Pieces, and I’ll take Ava there. Have her in the office and waiting for me,” Logan said.

  “You have what you’re going to do all planned out?”

  “I have something planned, yes.” He leaned back in the car, staring up at the roof. He was so fucking tired.

  The scent of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and for some reason he felt death clung to him.

  “Would you also like me to get a pregnancy test?” Hunter asked. “There is a chance she could be pregnant.”

  “You know I won’t take her baby away or have her killed?” Logan asked.

  “I know a great many things, but I’m not an emotional woman who has having a great deal of revelations and soul-searching thrust upon her. I think so far, she’s handling it all well, but I imagine it’s not easy for her.”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “What do you want to happen, Logan? Do you love her? Do you want to keep her? Do you want to end this charade of pain and humiliation?”

  “I don’t know what I want to do,” he said. “I can’t think right now, in all honesty. Just get me home.”

  Hunter was right. Unless his friends wanted something from him, he rarely saw them. He was aware of them visiting places he owned. Like the whorehouse. Using his women, never paying for the services they offered, or using their connection to him to get into bars. He’d not been clubbing with the boys in years. Not since he’d taken over and ruled the city.

  Running fingers through his hair, he didn’t like the way his thoughts were going or what any of it meant. None of this was how he wanted his life.

  Closing his eyes, he thought about the past. One of his favorite memories was going back to the classroom where he first kissed Ava.

  It was such a fucking teenage cliché.

  He’d been asking around after her. He had a few guys he paid to keep an eye on her, to make sure she was fine. One of them, he couldn’t even remember the kid’s name, told him she was working in English class to finish a paper.

  When he arrived, he stood in the doorway. She’d not heard him arrive, and he simply watched her. She was so achingly beautiful.

  She was everything.

  He loved to watch her, to bask in seeing her, and he wanted everything with her. He’d never spoken of his desires to have the fat girl as his friends called her.

  To him, she’d never been fat, just perfect.

&
nbsp; Hunter arrived at his place, and he climbed out. Logan walked inside, going straight to the elevator, clicking for his suite. He didn’t look at his reflection, and as he got to his floor, he stepped off.

  Keying in the code, he let himself inside.

  There was no sound.

  Removing his shoes, opening his tie, taking off his jacket, he made his way toward the main sitting room. There was no sign of her there, or in the dining room, or kitchen.

  He went to his bedroom, and there she was, curled up. A book had dropped down beside her, and he smiled.

  She was completely fast asleep. One of her hands was held up against her cheek, while the other down beside her. She looked so peaceful.

  He watched her. For some reason, he felt there didn’t go by a day when he wasn’t watching her in some way or another.

  Even as he’d tried to hate her over the years, he’d been curious about her. Letting Grant go to her, he’d been torn between murdering the bastard and asking so many questions about how she was doing.

  He moved toward the bed and sat down on the edge. The moment he did, she let out a moan, and finally opened her eyes.

  “Logan?” she asked.

  “Hey.”

  “It’s really late. You’re only just getting back.”

  “I am.” He took her hand and locked their fingers together. She held onto his hand, giving him a little squeeze.

  “I must have nodded off. I was suddenly so tired.”

  “Hunter’s going to get us a couple of tests. Have you skipped a period?”

  “Not yet. I can’t think right now. I don’t even know when I’m due a period. I’m sorry. I’m all a bit ugh up there.”

  He smiled. “I wanted to apologize.”

  “Logan, you don’t have to do that.”

  “I do. I’ve been around this world for so long, it’s hard for me to see the flaws.”

  “Your world isn’t flawed—it’s a little bright, you know. A little scary. I don’t think I can handle that kind of violence. It made me feel sick.”

  He reached out, pushing some hair off her face. “I won’t take you again.”

  “The guy? What will happen to him?” she asked. “Do you just kill them if they’re no good?”

  “They’re not animals. He’s been taken to the hospital. They sometimes work for me. Hard times push them into the fighting ring, and I offer them a job. They show loyalty, and I reward them for it.”