Voracious (The Edge of Darkness, #2)

by Leigh Rivers

I’ve never stuck up for myself this way, and I don’t intend to stop. I’m done with his abuse. I’m done being fucking silent and letting him treat me like his personal punchbag.

“It means it’s time for your punishment. Did you think I was going to let you off with everything? My friends have been waiting for years to have a shot of you again.”

NOO WAY IM GONNA PUKE

“Whoever it is, I’m going to kill him.”

“I know you’re blaming yourself for all of this, little one – I can hear it in your voice. He’s a disease. And he’ll be dealt with. You don’t need to be silent anymore.”

He’s silent, and then he says, “You’re going to annoy me by visiting every day, aren’t you?” “If I take him up on his offer, then yes.”

“Shut up.” I shut up.

She claims to have softened me, but that’s impossible – I’m always hard.

I need to see her. I need to hear her voice. I need to touch her skin. I need to know this is real, that I am real.

I can’t wait to see Stacey beat the shit out of Cassie.

“Kneel.”

The mask lifts, revealing his good looks, before he lowers to his knees one at a time.

“Get on your hands and knees,” he says, gesturing to the spiral staircase. “And crawl up them.”

I never wanted to say those words to Stacey. I wanted to tell her that I’ve already broken rule five. That she can have every fractured shard of my heart, if only she knows how to fix it back together – but I’m an asshole, and I broke her heart instead.

Murderous fucking rage overcomes me at the thought of someone hurting my girls. No one fucks with what’s mine. I’m all but calm as she shakes her head and gasps into more tears.

Barry: I’m sorry it’s come to this. Please believe me when I say that Mr Mitchell always goes above and beyond to protect you, and I will do the same.

But if I get my hands on Chris? Everything my dad has done in his life will pale in comparison.

So I crawl. I’ll crawl the entire fucking way to Stacey if I need to.

I always think of her. She’s the only memory in my head that’s holding me in place. My anchor.

“He’s the son of Tobias Mitchell. He doesn’t need help.”