ou choose to give yourself to holds power o

supposed to give your virgin

t I gave it to him. The problem

deflowering me, he stayed and held me until morning came and I sprun

enaline as I tapped on Marcel's shoulder, an

terested in the fact that the girl sitting in his car was the sister of the town's infamous thug, and not cautious, was someone who was far more menac

was

as w

so muc

th my arms crossed beneath my breasts, I occasionally shoot him a sideways glance, attempting to swallow the dryness in my throat. While I'm

there's a half-full glass st

lowed t

is hold, he pushed me back onto the bed and sat back down without saying a word. Well, with

water. Where the h

me falter, and as a shaky breath passes my lips, I reluctantly turn on my heels and cautiously move to the nightstan

is a relief that briefly makes me forget that th

unny,

re was a bullet in my brothe

embered that my bedroom didn't have a window and his best bet w

was already standing in the kitchen. His hand, bruised and bloody, was wrapped around the refrigerator hand

len knuckles. "Are you okay?" My voice quavered eve

until he turned his head to me, allowing the refrigerator door to shut before him. "I'm good," he respon

his acknowledgment, moving around

rcy

l did you do?!" My voice was louder than I intended, my e

tered, turning his

ad to the side. There it was: a large purple bruise on the side of his f

ne that said he wasn't going to tell me anything but

st Aid kit," I muttered in defeat, but before I could turn toward the cupboard, his

to the side only to find Marcel standing just bef

esonated with caution, warning me, "Go to my

om where Marcel stood with a smirk on his lips and a flash of

, pounding as I pressed,

aze averting to meet his golden-brown irises as I lower the n

gh eno

to the foot of the bed, and

incere, curiosity gleaming from his hard feature

There are moments that I wish that I could go back, moments

on is

unfortunately

it stopped mattering that I didn't have any. It stopped

han to make the same mistak

econd of waiting. When the door finally swung open, the knob nearly punched a hole in th

do it!" He snarled, his voice resonating with

my voice barely a tremble in the air. "You're scaring me..." The ro

an I did, and as naive as I was, he didn't have to

hing, it only intensified when

settle his rage. For a moment, it seemed as though he was searching my features for a hint of j

m and you don't ev

en. While I knew that it wasn't going to take a genius to figure out why Marcel

tified before, I was when h

g into something darker. He paused, his gaze piercing as though he could see right through me. His jaw c

ffle bag, pulling me out of my thoughts once more. The sound of him zipping it shut makes a string of chills shoo

his buddies, to give me a moment to try to calm my nerves, but he never does. Instead, he moves toward me, and

ss. He tightens his hold on

e into his side. His unoccupied hand reaches into the lapel of his suit jacket, and w

phone up in front of us. He turns his head toward me, pressing his li

back onto the bed, a yel

r brother to get me the rest of my money,

rs filling my eyes as I a

e, "I'm giving him an incenti

ve your mon

see, Mercy: when someone steals from me, regardless of whether the money finds its way back into my

at

he waves it at me. "You're s

me, d

hat bag," he nods at the duffle bag still sitt

earing disgust on my face like

when I think he can't be any more repulsive, he urges me, taunting me

ew

ssing his arms as he

of answering, but when he suddenly reaches back into the lapel of his jacket,

ows excitedly, excl

to imagine that he'd take the time to track me down only to break into my

ight before I left for college and it wasn't money that didn't belong

d you get yourse

y heart skips a beat, watching him reach for it. He glances at the screen, a glint of sati

vi

sound, Levi's voice roars with rage, "You stay the hell away fro

cry out.

enly lifts his gun. He points it at me with his finger o

king plea lingering as he says, "Mercy, it's gonna

uldn't be in this mess if you hadn't

evi snarls. "I delivered it and left

"Well, that's odd seeing as my client never received it and I found it in your sister's cl

gun at me as he says, "Why make me come loo

, Marcel," Levi's voice i

esn't last very long, and this time, when Marcel speaks, his voice darkens, telling Levi, "You have until th

tim

never wavers, my eyes still staring down the barrel of the loaded gun as he turn

o

at my shoulder. My heart drops to my stomach, tears falling from my eyes, and bef