Page 37 of Ravaged By the Dark

The yelling stopped as her parents looked at the men coming into the house and asked for her daddy to come with them for a little while.

“Are we still going to get ice cream, daddy,” she asked as he walked out the door.

Her daddy knelt down and gave her a big hug. “I’m sorry, Pumpkin. I have to go with these nice men for a little while, but you be a good girl and help your brother with chores when he gets home, okay?”

“Are you coming back, daddy?”

He was silent, and her heart pounded fast in her chest as she waited for him to answer.

“I could never leave you, Pumpkin, not ever. I promise I will be back, and we will get that ice cream and go to the park. And if you are a good girl, we can go down to the marina and watch the boats.”

“I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too, Pumpkin.”

Renee woke with a start, tears in her eyes, and then stifled a scream as she turned her head and stared into Tyson’s eyes. He was in her home, in her room—the monster was in her bed. He was under the covers, his hand on her stomach as he stared at her. His face, a mask of calm, but she knew better. She knew the kind of beast that lived under the surface of his skin.

Every muscle was tense with a panic that tasted like acid in her mouth. She sat up a little to look at J.J.’s bed. He was thankfully sound asleep.

“What the hell are you doing here in my bed?” she whispered and tried to slide away.

His hand gripped her waist and pulled her back toward him.

“I told you, I own you. You refuse to listen, but you will.” Renee’s body quaked as she tried to figure out how to get out of this. “I hope these tears aren’t because of me?” Renee squinted her eyes closed tight as Tyson’s tongue licked her cheek. The hot wet sensation brought bile in her throat, but she managed to swallow it down.

“No, I was dreaming about something else,” she managed to get out.

“Do you know why I’m here,” Tyson asked. He ran his hand over her forehead into her hair. She didn’t know what to say to that and opted to shake her head no. “You insulted my generous offer. I told you to stop insulting me, or I would stop playing nice.”

Tyson’s hand gripped her hair hard, and it took every ounce of control she had not to alert J.J. that something was wrong.

She had no idea how much Ivan had told Tyson, but it was best to play stupid. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Tyson slipped his fingers into her hair, grazing against her skin, and she winced from his touch. Tyson smiled at her reaction and grabbed her waist viciously with his free hand, pulling her toward his chest.

“Don’t you dare lie to me, or I will fuck you right now in front of your brother. Trust me, you will scream for me then,” his voice was low and threatening. His dark brown eyes seemed to burn her with a crazed mix of lust and hatred.

Renee swallowed hard.

“I swear to you—I’m not lying. What generous offer?” She gave him her best I’m scared and confused look, which wasn’t hard considering her current position.

Tyson’s fist loosened in her hair. “At the club last night.”

She turned her head as much as she was able to stare at the beast in bed with her, praying that Ivan had kept his word and Tyson was simply testing her. If she were caught lying to him, it would be all over. And Tyson fucking her would be the least of her worries because when it came to Tyson’s fetishes…

“You really don’t know, do you?”

“No,” she whispered.

“I was at the club last night with some very important clients, and I invited you to sit at the table. You made me look like a fool in front of them.”

“I’m sorry, Tyson.” She swallowed again. “I didn’t get an invite. I had to get home for J.J. and didn’t even stop to take my makeup off before leaving.” Renee could see him mulling over her words, the gears turning in his brain.

Please just leave, please just leave.

“I may not be interested in running a gang with you, but I wouldn’t set out to insult you like that,” she lied again. She wanted to fucking kick him in the balls, shove his face in a toilet and flush it. If only she thought she could get away with it and still be alive… “I know I can be trouble sometimes, but I’m not stupid.”

“Did your brother talk to you?”