Chapter Twenty-Two

I hate the possession I hear in his voice as if I’m a piece of property that got away from him, that was stolen from him. When in all actuality, I was a woman glad to be free. There was a part of me, a twisted part of me, that was relieved the day Jay came and took me away from that prison. I traded one monster for the next, and if I had it any other way, I’d never look back.

“You can have me,” I reply, the words are forced between my clenching teeth, but regardless of my reluctance which is clearly portrayed in my tone of voice, Will is satisfied with the submission. “Just refuse to see Jay,” I add. If he doesn’t, then this whole ordeal is unimportant.

“Why?” He questions, skeptically.

“Because… just promise me. Please? You’ve got me. This can’t end well. This will end in a bloodbath if someone doesn’t bring peace. If you get what you want, will you? I am willing to come back.”

He’s silent so long I almost believe he’s hung up.

He must be appalled I’m making demands.

I never made them before, before I was tainted by a gang he got himself involved with. This is partially his doing, and I’m sure he’ll bloody his palm trying to fix what’s been “Broken” within me; my inability to remain quiet anymore, to not fight back, to demand more and better for myself.

“Hello?” I call, and I’m met with an agitated huff.

“Fine. Meet me at the apartment in thirty minutes.”

“Okay.” I hang up, aware that my chest now feels heavy. I say a quick thank you to the cashier before I slip outside to the car and cautiously glance around.

No sign of Jay yet.

I begin driving to my old apartment, aware of how much life has changed in these past few weeks. My dog’s been dead for a while and that thought never gets easier to bear.

“I will miss him. At least Will can’t hurt him anymore.”

I firm my lips into a straight line as I continue to drive, suppressing the urge to cry because I know if I cry right now, my vision will blur and I’ll drive blind and possibly crash.

All before any of this starts. It would be too cruel.

When I finally get to my apartment, I park outside of it and just stare up at the ominous building.

I can do this.

Otherwise, I stole this car for nothing.

I give myself a mini pep-talk to attempt to force myself out of the car, but even having been away from this hell for a few weeks, I still feel that dread inside of me.

His abuse has gone so much further than just physical.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, close my eyes and take a few steadying breaths until I decide that I’ve waited long enough. I know eventually that Jay will catch up. If he finds me outside of the house, I’ll never go in. I’ll never step into my past and face it.

Here goes nothing.

The apartment is the same except I’m not greeted by a wagging tail of happiness. What I do hear is Will’s voice from behind me. I feel his hand on my lower back. I’m surprised at how soft the caress is.

I expected a punch in the first minute he saw me.

Where does this gentleness come from? More psychological warfare?

“Don’t touch me,” I hiss as I step away from him. He chuckles, and I watch him clap his hands dramatically.

“You’ve gotten bold while you’ve been away. Do you need a refresher on how to behave?”

Probably, but not by you.

I grind my teeth together and shake my head.

“That’s what I thought. Be a good fucking wife and listen to me.” He flexes his fingers on my back as he steps forward and pulls me into his arms. He begins whispering but the sound is menacing.

“I saw that video you decided to send me.” He places a kiss on my head.

What is he fucking doing?

“You look like you were enjoying it, Akira.” His hand travels up my back until it gets to my hair. He tangles his fingers in my hair and roughly yanks backward so my scalp stings with pain and my neck hurts as he angles my head upward. “Riding another man…”

“Enjoying his dick. The thought makes me fucking rageful,” He spits venomously into my ear. My body begins to quake with fear. “I’m hard right now, Akira. Would you ride me so willingly? Like that mobster fuck? Huh?”

He grabs my hand and places it on his crotch. His dick is hard. I recoil with disgust.

“Don’t you dare move your fucking hand away. Feel how crazy you drive me. How fucking furious you get me. When I fuck you, you will know your place. You will remember me, and you will forget what it was like to indulge in that man.”

He presses a wet, sloppy kiss on my mouth. The feeling of his lips makes my stomach twist into painful knots.

“You disgust me,” I spew. He whips me by my hair, and I stumble forward until I’m on the floor. I groan in pain and twist to look at him as he peers down at me with malice.

“That mad in the video was more than you’ll ever be. And I enjoyed fucking him. I craved his dick and he gave me as much as I wanted. He’s a real man. You are fucking nothing!” I scream.

“Save all that tenacity for when I’m inside of you.”

“Do whatever, Will. Whatever will make you feel like a fucking man. As if killing my dog wasn’t good enough.”

“Your fucking dog…. Ha. That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, Akira.”

He grins and winks at me and my foot twitches with the urge to kick him in the face. I’ve spent my entire life being submissive to men like him. Letting them abuse me. Letting them take control and make me feel like nothing.

“Because that’s all I’ve ever been to you,” I whisper angrily at him.

“Huh?” He questions.

“A punching bag.”

He shoots me a confused look and that’s when I decide enough is enough and I throw my leg forward, kicking him right in the face as hard as I can.

Never again!

The sound of bones cracking is what greets the air the moment my foot connects with his face. I know his nose is broken when he stumbles back and I get a sight of the crooked thing and watch as blood dribbles down his face.

“I’m not going to let you bully me anymore. You want to hurt me? I will fight back,” I state.

Jay has changed me so much. Because I can’t just lay down and take Will’s abuse anymore.

I can’t.

Will spits blood to his right and stalks toward me, grabbing my foot which I manage to kick out of his grasp, but he has a hold of it again and flips me around before I can stand.

“I fucking love when you fight back. It makes getting my way even better.”

He yanks me down and hooks his fingers in my pants before he starts tugging them down.

“No!” I press my palms flat and go to flip myself back around but his grip is supernaturally strong.

“He isn’t here to save you now.”

“I don’t need him to…” I manage to roll onto my back and sit up before I raise my fist and punch him directly in the nuts. He hisses and slaps me hard enough that my jaw pulsates in pain and my ears ring as my head goes flying sideways.

I don’t know how I’ll survive this.

It was never about getting me back fully.

“What the hell do you want with me? Keep me as a prize on your arm again?”

He laughs. It’s a wheezing sound as he clutches his nuts. He shakes his head.

“Oh, no. That’s not it at all. No more games, Akira. To the public, you’re dead. I’m going to have fun torturing you, all for days on end. Fucking you as I please, carving into you. When I’m finished I will dump your body somewhere and the public will pity me for my wife’s untimely demise at the hands of some lowlife gang.” Will laughs and spits blood onto the floor. He must be enjoying my look of horror.

“I’d really like to see you fucking try,” Jay snarls, angrily from the doorway.

He’s here.

I gasp, gratefully, “My Jay.”