Page 1 of Glorious Sinner

Prologue

Stephanie

Seven years ago

“I want to go home.” I tugged on Ryan’s hand again as he dragged me through his friend’s house, completely ignoring me. The party was getting out of hand. The place was full of people I didn’t know, and honestly, some were kind of frightening. Loud guys, half-dressed girls, fights breaking out. Ryan was drunk and I was pretty sure on something else as well.

I was scared. And I wanted to go home.

I tugged Ryan’s hand again, trying to get his attention. “Ryan, please, just take me home.”

He spun on me suddenly, looking pissed off, really and truly angry. “You go home when I’m fucking ready.”

I flinched. He’d never spoken to me like that before, and I’d never seen that look in his eyes. A look that gripped me behind the ribs and squeezed. He didn’t miss the hurt on my face, and going by his hissed curse, that pissed him off as well.

When we reached the living room, the place heaving with people, Ryan shoved his way through to the other side, grabbed a guy who had passed out in an armchair by the collar, and threw him off and onto the floor. The guy landed at an odd angle and I stared down at him in shock. Before I could bend down to check on him, I was tugged back onto Ryan’s lap. He’d plonked himself in the chair and held on to me tight, so tight it actually hurt.

I looked into his bloodshot eyes. “Please, Ryan. Please, will you just take me home? I’m…I don’t feel so good.” I felt woozy. He’d been filling my cup with beer all night. I’d only had alcohol a couple of times before and I was starting to feel sick.

Ryan’s mouth thinned, his jaw getting tight. His hand was high on my leg and his fingers dug in, making me wince. “Fucking hell, Stephanie. Just sit there without complaining for five fucking minutes, would you? I want people to see you’re with me, that you’re mine.” His hand slid higher.

I yelped and tried to jam my legs closed. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Like what?” he gritted out. “You’re my girl and I want everyone to know it.”

I frowned. I’d been dating Ryan for four months. He was twenty, two years older than me, and my first real boyfriend. My friend Sally and her boyfriend, Chad, had set us up. I’d liked him instantly. He’d made me laugh, had made me feel special. And honestly, I’d been ready to move on from the killer dose of unrequited love I’d been carrying around for a guy who didn’t know I existed.

But this Ryan I wasn’t a fan of, not one bit.

“Everyone here knows we’re dating.” I shook my head and the whole room seemed to spin. “I’m…I feel woozy.” I’d drunk too much, but the room was also thick with pot smoke, which definitely wasn’t helping. I opened my mouth to ask him to take me home again, but he grabbed my face and jerked me down to kiss him.

It wasn’t like his usual kisses; there was nothing soft or sweet about it. His teeth scraped mine, his fingers digging deeper into my skin. I tried to pull back and he nipped my lip hard.

I jerked back and dragged the back of my hand across my mouth. It came back streaked with blood. I blinked back the tears stinging my eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

His gaze dropped to my lips and widened. “I’m sorry. Shit, Steph, I didn’t mean to do that…”

I shoved him hard and managed to get free and out of his lap, and made a dash for the door. Not easy when people crowded in from all sides—the room spinning didn’t help either. Somehow I shoved my way through and stumbled out the front door and down the steps.

“Steph! Stephanie! Get the fuck back here!”

I ignored Ryan and moved as quickly as I could across the yard, stumbling in the stupid heels Sally had basically forced me to wear. Also, my too-short skirt was trying to climb up and over my ample ass. I tugged it down and stumbled again, almost falling on my face.

My arm was grabbed roughly and I was jerked back. “I fucking said wait,” Ryan said, yanking me around to face him.

“Let me the hell go.” I tried in vain to pull free.

“What the fuck are you doing?” His eyes had narrowed. He looked pissed off again. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”

I jerked back. “No. What are you talking about?”

“I got people I need to impress in there.”

“What?” I had no idea what he was talking about.

He shook me roughly. “Business,” he spat. “I’m doing business tonight. I need people to see I have my shit together. I wanted them to see I’ve got you. Fuck, no other chick in that house is as hot as you.”

“What?” I repeated on a whisper this time.