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Johnny might be helpless at the moment, but his dark beady eyes and his smug grin hold as much power over me as the day they were engraved into my memory.
“Mmm. Little Anderson. You cleaned up real nice, sweeting.”
I grimace at the sound of his voice. “I hate you.”
“What was that? You hate me?” He cocks his head and chuckles. “That’s what you said before and you still took me so good.”
Revulsion fills me to the point I might be sick.
Gavin stiffens behind me, but he does nothing. Instead, he pushes me inside until the door is able to shut behind us. “Don’t let him get to you. I’m here now.”
He’s a wall of strength at my back. I shut my lids and let it infuse me. Let it become a pillar to lean on. Depend on.
“You raped me, you disgusting pig.” I open my eyes and focus every shred of hatred in my body on Johnny. “Because you knew I’d never stoop so low as to fuck you. That the only way you could ever have me is by force.”
Laughing harder now, he says, “This, coming from a whore.” He looks around at the men as if searching for agreement. He finds none.
So he turns back to me. “You should be thankful. Jail did you good. Look at you, with a billionaire to protect you and your daughter. Or should I say, my daughter? How is Charlotte, by the way? I think it’s time I got to know her better, don’t you?”
Before I can reply, Gavin does, and his tone is more terrifying than Johnny’s ever could be. Deep, guttural, menacing. “If you attempt to say her name again, I will gut you before you finish.”
Johnny’s smile fades a little. “So what? What can you do to me? Do you know who I am? Who you’re going to have to deal with if you touch one fucking hair on my head?”
“Yes,” is Gavin’s easy response as his arm comes around my shoulder, and he places the thick hilt of his knife in my palm.
Gavin’s hand is firm over mine to steady it, and leans in. “Johnny’s life is yours, Andie. It’s within your power to punish him for what he did to you.”
This time, Johnny’s smile vanishes completely. Gavin knows Johnny’s position in Los Angeles, knows the people he’s friends with, colleagues, allies. And he’s not scared.
Suddenly, neither am I.
The knife is so big and deadly. The sharp sides of the blade gleam even in the low light of the room, and it’s almost hypnotizing. This beautiful thing can do something terrible if I will it to. It can give me revenge and peace.
I look up at the man from my nightmares, the man that ruined me for so long. He held power over me for over ten years. Now, I’m the one with the ability to change him. To ruin him.
Sweat beads off Johnny’s brow as he stares back with horror at what he must see in my expression. It’s a psychotic sort of glee at the mere possibility of finally ending his reign of terror over me.
Shifting my gaze from him to the blade in my hand, I smile. “I’ve imagined this so many times. What I would have done if I’d had a knife that day. How I would have slit your throat before you could stick your disgusting prick inside me.”
Behind me, Gavin growls in anger. His fingers put so much pressure on mine, I can feel his heartbeat pulsing fiercely. But he says nothing, letting me do what I must.
“Maybe I should just gut you like the fucking pig you are.” I take a couple of steps forward, until I’m so close to him I can see nose hairs. “I bet you’d squeal.”
I lift the knife toward him and he lets out a scream so high in pitch it hurts my ears. He begins to struggle, pulling against the ropes that bind him to the chair, but it’s futile. It’s actually kind of sad. And funny.
Laughter bubbles out of me and I let it. I laugh with gusto, laugh at the irony, at the ability to deal him with some serious karma, but he’s so pathetic that I can’t.
He’s nothing more than a helpless, harmless thought.
I wipe the tears from my eyes as I calm my chuckles and hand Gavin the knife back. “He’s too weak. Just send him home.”
Johnny slumps into his chair. I get it. A brush with death takes a lot out of you.
Gavin glances at the blade and back at Johnny. “Say thank you for her mercy.”
“T-thank you. Thank you,” Johnny sputters.
“I’m ready to go,” I tell Gavin.
