Corrupt

by Penelope Douglas

  I clenched my teeth, staring ahead at nothing.

  His hot breath fell on my neck as he spoke, “I know what you want to watch, Rika,” he gritted out. “I know you like to watch me. School girls shouldn’t be so naughty.”

  My eyes rounded, and I sucked in a breath, pushing out from between his arms and jumping to the ground.

  Embarrassment warmed my face as I dashed for the parking lot, but a hand suddenly caught mine, and I was pulled back in the opposite direction.

  “Michael,” I gasped, my throat thick with fear. “Let me go.”

  He stepped closer. “How do you know I’m Michael?”

  I blinked, dropping my head, unable to look at him. My eyes fell on his hand holding mine. My skin burned so hot, I wasn’t sure if I was on fire or freezing.

  I swallowed the tightness in my throat. “It feels like you.”

  But he leaned in, making my violent heart pound even harder, and whispered, “You don’t know what I feel like.”

  Then he reached up and grabbed my school necktie, yanking my body in as he pulled the tie roughly, loosening it, and slipping it over my head.

  “What are you doing?” I breathed out.

  But he didn’t answer.

  I narrowed my eyes, watching him as he pulled the tie apart and walked around behind me, holding it over my eyes.

  But I pushed it down, turning to look at him. “Why?”

  Why did I need a blindfold?

  “Because you’ll see more with your eyes closed,” he answered.

  And I stood still as he fastened my tie around my eyes, his fingers touching my hair.

  He let go of the tie, but I still felt his chest at my back, and I swayed an inch, feeling my equilibrium shift. I almost wanted to smile, feeling the butterflies in my stomach.

  “Michael?” I said softly.

  But he remained silent.

  I breathed faster, feeling overwhelmed with the sensations. The scent of the hemlocks and red maples mixed with the cool sea air and dying leaves rushed me along with the light breeze that chilled my cheeks.

  My nipples hardened, and every hair on the back of my neck stood up. What was he doing?

  “Michael?” I said more quietly. I was starting to feel dumb.

  But he still didn’t say anything.

  My heart started pounding, and I clutched the hem of my skirt, fighting the heat between my thighs.

  I swallowed, slowly turning around and holding up my hands, finding his chest and placing my palms on him.

  “You can’t scare me,” I told him.

  I felt his hand take mine and pull it off his chest. “I already do.”

  And he walked around me, pulling me after him. I jogged a few steps, coming up to his side and holding onto his arm, trying not to stumble as we waded through the weeds, rocks, and uneven ground.

  I tightened my fingers around his hand, the coarse skin of his palms feeling so good. What would his hands feel like on the rest of me?

  “There’s stairs,” he warned, cutting off my thoughts. I slowed, stepping up and finding my footing.

  “Come on,” he urged, leading me up. After several steps, the sunlight coming through the blindfold faded, and I knew we were inside.

  The dank smell of rain and rot from years of neglect surrounded me, and I turned my head, trying to locate the echoes of voices all around. I followed Michael, walking slowly as I figured the floors were filled with debris.

  Male shouts and cheers came at me from the left, and I listened, hearing them laughing and cheering. Grunts and groans followed, and I gauged that the fight was still going on.

  I followed Michael, still holding onto him, but I raised my other hand, touching the blindfold. I didn’t like not being able to see, not knowing whether or not someone was coming at me. I felt like everyone was staring at me.

  “Why won’t you let me see?” I asked, coming to a stop next to him.

  “Would that be more exciting for you?”

  I twisted my head to him, even though I couldn’t see him. “Is having me blindfolded more exciting for you?”

  But then I turned my head forward again, stunned at how flippant I’d sounded. I’d always been nervous around Michael, and I was shocked—and maybe a little proud—that it had come out so easily.

  I heard a couple of quick breaths come out of him, and I thought that he had laughed, although I couldn’t tell for sure.

  “I want you to do something for me.” He let go of my hand, and I felt him brush against my shoulder as he came to stand behind me. “I want you to keep the blindfold on and don’t take it off. I’ll be back.”

  “Be back? What?” I pinched my eyebrows together, feeling chills sweep up my legs and worry knotting my stomach.

  I felt him touch the middle of my back, and his breath fell across my temple. “Show me what you’re made of.”

  And then he pushed me.

  I gasped, stumbling forward, my flats grinding against the dirt and dust-ridden stone floor as my arms shot out, trying to keep me from falling as I breathed quickly.

  “Wha—” I choked out. “Michael?” I called, turning my head side to side.

  Where the hell was he? I reached up and grabbed the blindfold. Screw this.

  But then I stilled, his words playing back at me in my head. Show me what you’re made of.

  He was testing me. Or playing with me. I inhaled a deep breath, steeling myself.

  I could wait a little longer. You’re okay. You can do this. I wasn’t tapping out yet.

  The grunts and growls of the fight were only a few feet away, and I could hear people talking and laughing. I wasn’t sure if it was because of me or the fight, but my face burned anyway, embarrassment making me want to hide. It felt like I had a thousand eyes on me, watching my every move.

  My bottom lip trembled, and I held out my arms, my chest rising and falling a mile a minute as I tried to see if anyone was near me. I felt exposed, and I didn’t like it.

  I took small steps, touching nothing but air as I felt my way.

  “Michael?” I called again, a small cry stretching my throat that I refused to let out.

  “Ah, fuck!” someone shouted, and I listened, gauging that it was coming from the fight.

  I heard scuffling and a punch landing, and then cheers rang out, echoing in the vast space above.

  “Woo!” a male voice shouted while others laughed.

  I heard a couple of girls giggle not far off, and I sucked in a breath, hearing footsteps near me.

  “Not sure what they have planned for you, honey,” a female voice teased, “but I’m jealous.”

  Another girl laughed, and I scowled under the blindfold, anger warming my skin.

  I straightened my back and touched the blindfold again, just wanting to peel it away.

  But I curled my fists around the fabric, resisting. If I took it off, he would win. Michael would’ve kept it on, because he didn’t care. Who’s looking at me? Are they whispering about me? Are they laughing at me? Michael wouldn’t care.

  I could do this.

  I dropped my hands and squared my shoulders, my pulse still throbbing in my neck.

  Nothing was wrong. I was embarrassed, insecure, and uncomfortable, but it was in my head.

  Until someone brushed my shoulder, and I stilled, feeling a hand graze my ass.

  “Mmm, I know you,” the male voice said. “Rika Fane, Trevor’s girlfriend, right?”

  No. Not right, I immediately thought.

  But then I froze, recognizing the menacing tone that always seemed to carry a double meaning no matter what he said.

  Damon.

  “What are you doing here without your man?” he taunted. “And who got you all trussed up like this?”

  The skin on my arms hummed, and I wanted to rip the blindfold off. I didn’t like him looking at me when I couldn’t see.

  Damon wasn’t safe.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, holding my ground. “Trevor’s not my b
oyfriend.”

  “Too bad. I like playing with shit that’s not mine.”

  And then his finger grazed my bottom lip, and I twisted my head away. “Stop,” I demanded.

  But then he wrapped a hand around the back of my neck and pulled me in. “You sleep over at the Crist’s sometimes, huh?” he growled low, his breath falling on my lips. “You’ve got your own room there?”

  I planted my hands on his chest, trying to push away, but he gripped my hip with the other hand, holding me in place.

  “Damon!” I heard a bark come from behind him. “Fuck off and leave her alone!”

  It wasn’t Michael’s voice.

  Damon sighed and challenged in a bored tone, “I take what I want when I want it, Kai. We’re not in high school anymore.”

  I ground my teeth together, struggling against him, but he wrapped both arms around my waist like a steel band, and I felt his whisper above my ear.

  “How about I visit your room tonight, huh?” His hands dropped to my ass, and I squirmed, pushing against him, but he was too strong.

  “Will you open the door for me?” he whispered against my lips. “Will you open other things for me?”

  And then his hand dropped between us, sliding between my legs and rubbing me over my skirt. I let out a scream, but he cut me off, covering my mouth with his. I couldn’t breathe as I squirmed and cried out, the sound muffled under his lips.

  Michael, where the fuck are you?

  I balled my fists against his chest and grabbed his bottom lip between my teeth, biting down hard until he released me and shot backward.

  “Fuck!” he yelled, and I drew in ragged breaths, holding out my hands, because I didn’t know where he was or if he was coming back at me.

  I felt a small breeze, sensing someone else coming up.

  “I said back off!” Kai yelled, sounding as if he was in front of me.

  “She bit me!” Damon raged.

  “Then you got less than you deserved!” Kai shot back. “Go downstairs and blow off some steam. It’s going to be a long fucking night.”

  I reached up, grabbing the blindfold and wanting to see, but instead, I dropped my hands, curling my fists in anger.

  “You okay, Rika?” Kai asked.

  I heaved breath after breath, my body swaying as my head swam.

  I bit him. I suddenly wanted to laugh. My hands tingled, and I straightened, feeling a little stronger.

  “I wish I could say he was all bark and no bite, but…” Kai trailed off, letting the thought sit.

  Yeah. We both knew that wasn’t true.

  I inhaled, his heady body wash with only a hint of sweat hitting me. “I’m fine,” I answered. “Thanks.”

  I pulled away and turned to my right, fed up with standing here like a target.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To the catacombs,” I replied.

  “You can’t.”

  I pursed my lips, twisting my head to face him. “I’m not a kid. You got that?”

  “Yeah, I got it.” His deep voice held a hint of humor. “But you’re facing the wrong direction.”

  I sucked in a quick breath, feeling him take my shoulders and spin me further to the right.

  “Oh,” I mumbled, embarrassment heating my face. “Okay. Thanks.”

  “No problem, kid,” he said, his voice thick with a laugh I could tell he was trying to hold back.

  I held out my hands just a bit, still refusing to let Michael win by taking off the mask as I took a hesitant step forward. But then I stopped and turned my head again.

  “You knew my name,” I stated, remembering that he’d called me Rika. In fact, Damon had said my name, too.

  “Yeah.” Kai approached my back. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Why wouldn’t he?

  Why would he? I’d never spoken to these guys. It at least made sense that Michael knew of me, since I spent so much time at his house, but I was sure the others had never even noticed me.

  “You study fencing,” Kai started, “you’re heir to a fortune in diamonds, and you’ve been on Honor Roll since birth.”

  I smiled to myself, finding his sarcasm a hell of a lot easier to deal with than Damon’s hands.

  “And,” he continued behind me, his voice lowering, “You wore an amazing black bikini at the Fourth of July cookout at the beach this past summer. I looked longer than I should have.”

  My cheeks instantly warmed. What did he just say?

  Kai Mori was as handsome as Michael and as equally sought after by women. He could

  have anyone. Why would he even have given me a second glance?

  Not that I ever held out hope he would. He wasn’t Michael, of course.

  “Michael shouldn’t have let you come in here,” Kai warned. “And I don’t think you should go down there.”

  I felt a smile pull at my lips. “I know. That’s the same thing everyone else would tell me.”

  I turned around, adding under my breath, “Except Michael.”

  I held my hands out a few inches in front of me, spreading out my fingers and stepping slowly forward, moving toward the dull hum of the music and howls coming from deep below.

  I shouldn’t go down by myself.

  Kai had sent Damon down there, and even though I wasn’t sure he would try anything again, I did know I wasn’t safe with him.

  Michael had told me to wait—he’d take me down—but…

  But something inside of me hated being at anyone’s mercy. I didn’t want to follow, I didn’t want to wait, and I didn’t want to wonder. All of those things made me feel uncomfortable, like someone else was leading me around by the nose, and I didn’t like being controlled.

  That’s what I admired about the Four Horsemen. They were always in control and always visible. Why wait for Michael when I could do it myself?

  Cool wind blew across my bare legs, and I inhaled the smell of earth, water, and old wood drifting up through the door from the catacombs. I was close.

  But then someone grabbed one of my outstretched hands, and I sucked in a quick breath, planting both of my palms on his chest and clutching the soft cotton of his sweatshirt.

  “Michael?” I moved my hands up, noticing that his shoulders were nearly level with the top of my head. “Have you been here the whole time?”

  But he remained silent.

  I breathed in and out, trying to calm my heartbeat. The full length of his legs and torso was flush with nearly every inch of mine, and my skin warmed.

  I stepped back.

  “Why did you do that?” I asked. “If you’ve been here the whole time, why would you let Damon handle me like that?”

  “Why didn’t you just take off the blindfold and run away?”

  I straightened my back, steeling my spine. Was that what he had wanted? For me to tap out and run away? Why was he testing me?

  It didn’t matter. How could he just stand there—see what was going on—and not step in? Kai had put a stop to it, and I thought Michael…

  I dropped my head, afraid he could see my face heating. I guess I thought more of Michael than I should.

  I tipped my chin back up, trying to keep emotion out of my voice. “You shouldn’t have been okay with it.”

  “Why?” he retorted. “Who are you to me?”

  I clenched my fist at my side.

  “Toughen up,” he bit out in a whisper as his breath fell across my cheeks. “You’re not a victim, and I’m not your savior. You handled it. End of story.”

  What the hell was the matter with him? What did he want from me? I would’ve thought he’d show concern. Jesus.

  All of the men in my life—my father, Noah, Mr. Crist, and even Trevor—hovered over my life like I was a baby learning how to walk. I never cared so much for their concern, and even found it stifling at times, but from Michael…I might’ve liked it. Even just once.

  He placed a finger under my chin, tipping my head up as his voice softened. “You did well. Did it feel good? To
fight back?”

  I caught the hint of amusement in his tone, and my stomach fluttered.

  Michael had been right. I wasn’t a victim, and even though the thought of him showing up to save the day would’ve given me some kind of hint as to what he felt about me—if anything—the fact remained that I never wanted to be someone who couldn’t fight their own battles.

  Hell, yes, it felt good.

  I felt him move away, but his fingers slid between mine.

  “So you want to go downstairs?” he asked in a low voice.

  My lips quirked despite my agitation.

  I let him lead the way as we continued in the direction Kai set. Howls echoed up from deep below, and my chest shook with anticipation.

  Any bit of light from the other side of the blindfold disappeared and everything turned black as the air around me became cooler, thicker, and filled with the scent of earth and water, like a cave.

  “There are stairs,” he warned.

  I immediately slowed my step. “Can I take off the blindfold then?”

  “No.”

  I pushed down the anger boiling up and stuck out my other hand, finding the rough and bumpy rocks of the stone wall to my right. Michael slowed down, letting me cautiously feel my way down the stairs as we traveled in a spiral.

  The grains of dirt grinded under my flats, and chills spread up my thighs, reminding me that it was getting colder and darker…

  And that I was too unaware of my surroundings.

  I didn’t know who was down here, what they were doing, and depending on how deep we travelled into the maze, I might not be able to find my way out, either.

  Michael had made it very clear that, while he may have my hand right now, he didn’t have my back. So why didn’t any of that make me want to stop?

  I slid cautious steps down the stairs, travelling deeper and deeper and feeling like the walls were getting closer to me. I inhaled a hard breath, the thin air under the earth weighing on my skin like a heavy blanket.

  Michael took another step, and I followed, coming up to his side where he’d stopped.

  Like a Storm’s Love the Way You Hate Me played all around me, and I gathered that all the tunnels were wired with speakers, the music probably filling every room.