Page 104 of Drawn Together

“No,” I said, taking a step back as he tried to touch me. “Don’t talk to me. Don’t touch me. Leave me alone.”

CHAPTER 28MARFIL

We reached my apartment in total silence as I wiped away the stupid tears that would not stop streaming down my face, and felt the rage pounding in my ears, increasing with every second that passed. I wanted to scream, cry, and break things. I felt humiliated, as if I were an object that could be handed over to close a deal, someone who didn’t have an opinion or feelings.

Inside my apartment, I tried to dart past Sebastian, but before I could get three steps through the door, he gently grabbed my wrist.

“Marfil…”

“Let me go!” I shouted, totally losing it. “You left me all alone! With him! How could you?!” I continued shouting, pushing at him over and over. “You said that if he ever touched me again, you would kill him!” I shoved his chest so hard that it hurt my wrist, still sore from when Marcus had twisted it. I rubbed the spot where he had dug into me with his nails, breaking the skin.

Sebastian looked down at my hand. “Did he do that to you?” he asked, brimming with latent rage, dropping his mask of self-control.

“Yes!” I shouted, moving away as he tried to touch me. “I called him an asshole and he practically broke my hand. What do you think of that?”

“Let me see.”

“No!” I shouted again.

I had just been reminded of everything I hated about men, and I had betrayed each and every one of my values by not screaming at the top of my lungs when that son of a bitch hurt me. Why hadn’t I slapped him in the face as soon as those horrible things came out of his mouth? Why hadn’t I done anything? Out of fear! I was cowardly; I was weak. I wished I were strong enough to deal with him myself, but I wasn’t. That’s why I had a fucking bodyguard!

“Why did you leave?” I shouted hoarsely, pushing him again.

This time he wrapped his arms around me and held me against his chest, his arms squeezing me tight as his breath came fast in my ear. I knew I could’ve kept hitting him for hours and he wouldn’t have complained, but I stopped because my hand hurt.

“I couldn’t do anything else,” he then said against my head. “I work for him now, understand?”

I froze.

“Do you think I wouldn’t kill him with my bare hands if I didn’t know that standing up to him would mean losing my job and not being able to protect you?”

I took a deep breath, trying to slow my racing heart.

“Do you think I wasn’t repressing the urge to storm into that restaurant and kill him every second I had to stand outside?” His mouth was in the space between my neck and my ear. “Tell me exactly what happened,” he demanded, brushing his lips across the most sensitive part of my neck as he noticed that my rage was giving way.

I took another deep breath, trying to find the words. “He boughtme, that’s what happened.”

He tensed. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

I felt my body give out, collapsing into his arms. Sebastian held me close as the last of the adrenaline drained from my body, leaving me exhausted.

“My father made a deal with him in order to settle some debts…”

“Did he explain the deal?”

I shook my head. “Marcus just said he was going to help my family because our fathers had been friends for so many years and he just wanted one thing in return: for me to give him another chance.”

Sebastian remained silent.

“This is all so surreal. Now he’s paying my rent, my college tuition, my expenses. It’s as if…”

“You belong to him,” Sebastian practically growled.

I wiggled my way out of his embrace and glared at him, angered by his words. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

Sebastian brushed the hair off my forehead in a gesture that felt like a soothing balm. “Of course not,” he said, looking me in the eye. “Will you let me get a look at those scratches, please?”

I nodded.