I didn't know what to say as I stared at him. His attention was already refocused on the game. Keiran wasn't one to be told what to do so I knew something was up because he moved in silence, never showing his hand. Jesse thought he had the upper hand now but he didn't know how wrong he was.

Jesse walked over to me and grabbed my hand. Funny thing was; I didn't want his hand on mine. I didn't want him to touch me at all. Not even in a friendly way. I wasn't mad at Jesse for helping me but I didn’t want to be touched by anyone else.

He turned with me and tossed over his shoulder as he walked away. “Stay away from her.”

“Don't push it, Fitzgerald.” Jesse stopped and turned to face Keiran again. “Take your hand off her. She's mine.”

"She isn't property to be owned." Jesse argued. Keiran laughed, stood up and sauntered over to us, his eyes locked with mine the entire way.

“Well then you've never had Monroe,” he said cockily. My hand itched to slap him. I knew the meaning of his words and I guess Jesse did to when his eyes flew to me accusingly. “Everything about her is meant to be owned. She makes you want to own her because she likes that type of control.” He grinned at me, sneakily. “Don't you, Monroe?”

When he reached me, he grabbed my neck right there in front of the view of others and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“Let go of his hand and maybe I'll let you come tonight when I fuck you.” I immediately wrestled my hand from Jesse, cursing the fact that I wanted him. “Good girl,” he praised. “I wouldn't want to have to fuck up your little friend and have a real reason to go to jail. No one touches you. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I whispered. I hated the eagerness apparent in my voice.

“I'll see you later,” he said. His words were both threatening and lustful and I since learned they were one in the same with him and me.

* * *

“I'm sorry, Lake. I thought he could help!” I signed and shook my head.

“It's okay, Willow, at least there wasn't blood spilled,” I said as I spoke into the phone.

It had been an hour since Jesse brought me home. I apologized to him and made him leave immediately. I wasn’t dumb enough to rock the boat. I was just one incident shy of being sent to the crazy house. I tried to catch up on homework but my nervousness wouldn't let me concentrate.

Willow had called me wanting to see how things went and I tried not to let my frustration with her show. She was just being a friend but Keiran now thinks I didn't obey him and worse...he thinks I lied to him about breaking my friendship with Willow. How could he think a ten-year friendship like ours could be so easily broken anyway?

“Where did you disappear to anyway?” The other line became so quiet that I had the check to see if we were still connected. “Willow?”

“Oh um, well Dash he...”

“Got it. Willow, are you sure about Dash?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just want to make sure you're being careful.”

“Well we used protection every time –”

“Jeez Willow! Not what I meant.”

“Oh, sorry,” she giggled.

“Willow, I don't want you to get hurt,” I said being serious again.

“Lake, don't worry. I'm not falling for Dash. We're friends.”

Despite her claim, I didn't miss the longing in her voice. It finally dawned on me that no matter the consequence, I couldn't let Willow be hurt. I'm sure my aunt wouldn't want that either. I had to find another way to protect them both. 

“Willow, I have to tell you something. It’s about Keiran and Dash. They plan to –”

“I plan to do what?” Keiran's sudden appearance caused me to drop my phone. I spun around to see him standing in my bedroom doorway.

“How did you get in here?”

“Answer me,” he barked. I hesitated before answering.

“I was going to tell her.” It probably wasn’t wise to tell him the truth but I wanted him to know that I was stronger than he thought.

“Is that right?”

“I can't do this.”

“Fine,” he walked into the room. “Then I'll tell her.”

He scooped up my phone before I could process what he planned to do. When I tried to take my phone from him but he pushed me against the wall and used a strong hand to cover my mouth. All that could be heard was the muffled sounds of my protests and Willow calling my name over the phone,

“Willow,” Keiran's hypnotic voice spoke into the phone. “I would like to tell you something about your dear friend.”

I was shaking my head as hard as I could to unlatch his hand from my mouth so I could stop him. This was not how I wanted her to find out and he knew that. She would never forgive me hearing it from someone else.

“She is using you to –”

I didn't try to stop the tears that trailed down my face onto his hand. It caught his attention and he dropped his gaze from me to his hand.

“It seems she has had a change of heart.” He hung up my phone without saying goodbye and stepped closer to me pressing me against the wall. He planted his feet on the outside of mine and gripped my neck while keeping his hand over my mouth.

He pulled out his phone to dial a number and after a few seconds, begin speaking. “Yeah, you still on her? Where is she now? Good. Her loving niece is no longer interested in our deal.”