Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“Fuck. I don’t have any money. I can’t even—“ I stop before I say, I can’t even leave my room.
“Don’t play around.” Brad’s voice gets serious. He sounds almost regretful. “Seriously Angie, just pay. It’s easier. Please.”
“You’re such a bastard. This is vile.”
“I know. But it’s happening. Just pay and move on. I swear, I’ll delete everything.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. Tears well out and roll down my cheeks.
We dated for years. I thought Brad was the one. We had good times together too. We laughed, made plans, kissed and snuggled. He cooked me pancakes and I made him homemade fries. It wasn’t perfect, but I thought it might be for real.
Now he’s using me for money. Using the naked pictures I sent him. Blackmailing me.
I feel so violated and I want to get sick.
“Fine. Five thousand.” My head works in circles. I have access to my money still through my phone, and I have over six in savings. It’s everything, but I can cover this. “Swear you’re not lying.”
“I wouldn’t.” More muffled talking. “Oh, and Lavender says you should take up streaming. She says you’d be really good at it.”
“Tell Lavender she’s a disgusting bitch.”
“I’m not gonna do that.”
“Go to hell, Brad.”
“Ten tonight. Heart and Stone, in the back. Later, Angie.”
He hangs up. I look down at the phone, numb and horrified.
How is this happening?
And how is Brad so goddamn stupid?
It’s bad enough that he’s doing some revenge porn shit, or at least threatening it.
But if I go to Connor, what’ll happen?
My husband came home covered in someone else’s blood.
There’s no way Brad will walk out of that room alive.
Which means I have to pay him. Not because he deserves it, but because there’s still a part of me that doesn’t want to see him and his piece-of-shit girlfriend get murdered.
God, am I really this twisted? I’m trying to protect my blackmailer.
It’d be easier to tell Connor. He’d make all this go away. No doubt in my mind.
But he’d do it with blood and pain.
And what’s the point of money now, anyway?
I’m wiping my face off when there’s a knock at my door. I hurriedly get myself together, only to find Rowan slipping inside. She’s wearing black sweats and a tight tank, dark eyeliner around her pretty eyes. Her bright smile fades.
“Hey, are you okay? I came to see if you wanted to have breakfast with me.”
“I’m fine. Honestly.” I dry my cheeks. “I wasn’t crying.”
“Wow, so convincing. Is it my brother? Was he a dick again? I’ll talk to him—“
“No, no, it’s not Connor.” I chew on my lip, thinking fast. Money’s not the problem here. What I really need is someone who can get me out of this place. “I’m in a little trouble.”
Her eyebrows raise. “Are you sure it’s not my brother?”
“No, it’s someone outside of here.” Against my better judgement, I blurt it all out. Rowan’s too young for all this and she’s properly scandalized when she learns I took dirty photos of myself, but she laughs it off and admits she knows girls at school who do it. “He wants five thousand in person. You see my problem?”
Rowan pulls at her hair. “You know my brother can just kill him, right?”
“That’s what I’m trying to avoid.”
“He’d deserve it, that fucking scumbag.”
“Probably. But still. Rowan, please. Can you help me?”
She checks the hall behind her, chews on her thumbnail, and brightens. “Hell yeah. I got an idea.”
“Really?”
“I can get us out of here but we’ll need a ride. You know anyone on the outside who can help?”
“Actually, I have just the girl.”
“Great!” Rowan leaps to her feet. “Give me a bit to set it all up. We have to leave at like nine, right?”
“Right, but hey, please don’t get in trouble for me.”
She waves that off. “Don’t worry about it. Connor never stays mad at me. Just be ready to go, okay?”
“Okay, but—“
“No more questions! I got this!” She stalks off. “We’re gonna pay that blackmailing dickbag and then I’m gonna punch him right in the throat. You don’t want him dead, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hurt him!”
“Wait, hold on, Rowan—“
But she’s already gone.
I groan and collapse back onto the bed.
What the hell is wrong with me?! Getting a teenager involved?
But there’s no other way I’d ever escape.
And I’ll have to come back. Even if I don’t want to, I can’t risk getting Rowan in trouble, and besides, my mom’s still blazed off her tits in the other room. No, even out there, I’m still trapped here.
At least I have a problem to distract me from thinking about my stalker husband.
22
ANGIE
“Where’s Colm?” I stand at the end of my wing in the doorway. It’s empty and open. Rowan’s leaning over the banister staring down at the first floor.
“I told him I saw some shady guys lurking in the back yard. He went to check it out.” She’s frowning, face screwed up. “Timing’s all wrong,” she mutters.