Page 101 of Hurt Me Not
Because I only hired Jax’s company for Pearl. Not for myself. I foolishly thought I had it handled.
I was here all alone. But it would be okay as long as they saved Pearl. I didn’t want to go through life if she was gone.
When I was younger, I used to wonder if there would be a day when he’d go too far and finally kill me. But I thought it wouldbe when he lost it while he was teaching me not to talk back to him or something. When he finally hit my head somewhere and I’d just be gone.
If I was being honest, sometimes I think I even welcomed it. Like I wanted him to.
Not anymore. I wasn’t going to make this easy for him.
“You’re seriously pathetic,” I said, forcing a smile to my face. “Do you think you’re some criminal mastermind plotting your revenge like in a movie? You had this huge plan to escape jail, switching yourself out with a duplicate—and don’t tell me that’s not a movie moment—all for what? Come kill me and my girlfriend? Was that all?
He sent me a smile. “Oh, so she's your girlfriend now?”
Damn it.
“You could do anything. Go anywhere while they don’t find out what happened. All you’re doing is wasting your time.”
“And all you’re doing is biding yours.”
He looked around the warehouse, and a man came from behind me to stand by my father and show him something on his phone.
My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw the look on his face. Pure satisfaction.
“Looks like Pearl’s stalker is having a bit offun, but they’ll be here soon.”
No. No. No. No.
Images of her at her apartment, cornered. Nowhere to run. Him on top of her. Her screaming for help, but no one hearing her or coming to help her.
His knife in her chest. His hands around her throat.
Stop. Stop. STOP.
I jerked against the men holding me. Pain flashed through me, but I couldn’t be bothered to give a damn.
“Don’t you fucking hurt her!”
My father just looked at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum.
“Too late for that. But don't worry, I told him to keep her alive for you.”
Chapter 25
Pearl
“I’m sorry,” I pleaded as I tried to wiggle my way out of his grasp. “Please. I regret it. After this, I’m all yours, okay? But I won’t be yours if you hurt me, right?”
He paused and leaned back. It was enough for me to push him off and crawl my way out from under him as quickly as possible. But just when I thought I was about to make it, his hands grabbed my ankles.
Just as I was about to scream my lungs out, my prayers were answered. The front door was kicked in, and two guys dressed in casual clothing came in, holding guns.
“Get down!”
I immediately buried my head on the floor as several loud pops went off.
He went down, and the weight of his body was on me. I sobbed as I tried to get out from under it, but he was too heavy. I could feel the warm blood seeping into my back. Panic raced through me.
“Get him off me!” I screamed, my voice hoarse. My hands were clawing against the floor to pull myself from under him.
