by Kai Juniper
Do It or Else
Kai Juniper
Contents
Books by Kai Juniper
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
26. Graduation Day
Books by Kai Juniper
Also from Waltham Publishing
Do It or Else
By Kai Juniper
Copyright © 2020 Kai Juniper
All rights reserved.
Published by Waltham Publishing, LLC
Cover designed by Marisa Wesley of Cover Me Darling
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, things, and events are fictitious, and any similarities to real persons (live or dead), things, or events are coincidental and not intended by the author. Brand names of products mentioned in this book are used for reference only and the author acknowledges that any trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.
The author holds exclusive rights to this work and unauthorized duplication is prohibited. No part of this book is to be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.
Books by Kai Juniper
BROKE & BULLIED SERIES
Don’t Try Me
Don’t Tempt Me
TWISTED PINE ACADEMY SERIES
Twisted Lies
Twisted Sins
Twisted Secrets
Twisted Truths
DIRTY LITTLE SECRET SERIES
Do What I Say
Do What I Want
Do It Or Else
Chapter One
Ella
A text from Briggs pops up on my phone right before class gets out. Meet me behind the bleachers.
Go to hell! I text back.
Does he seriously think I'd meet with him after what he did? Because of him, my dad and I no longer have a house, or we won't in a few months.
I never should've trusted Briggs. I kept telling myself that, but I didn't want to believe it. Ever since the hit-and-run, I've seen a side of Briggs I didn't know existed. He was the type of guy I'd actually want to date. I even gave him my virginity! Turns out it was all fake.
He's probably laughing right now, knowing he not only fooled me into thinking he was a nice guy, but fooled me enough to have sex with him. What the hell was I thinking? Why couldn't I see past his lies? Why did I ever believe Briggs could be anyone other than the guy I knew before the accident? The egotistical asshole who only cares about himself.
The bell goes off just as another text pops up. Meet me or else.
Now he's threatening me? He's such an ass.
I'm not even going to waste time responding to that. I grab my backpack and head out of class. I pass Charlotte in the hall, but she won't even look at me. I have to find a way for us to be friends again. I'm not losing Charlotte because of Briggs.
After a quick stop at my locker, I race out of the building to the parking lot.
"Do you smell that?" Scarlett says as I go past her, waving her hand in front of her nose. "She seriously smells like trash."
Aubrey laughs. "Look what she's wearing. Is that supposed to be a dress?"
"Maybe if you're a hooker," Scarlett says, loud enough for everyone to hear.
I'm wearing the dress I wore to Briggs' house the night we had sex. I didn't pay much for it, and when I washed it, it shrunk. Now it's even shorter and tighter than it was when I bought it. When I put it on this morning I almost didn't wear it, but I was running really late and didn't have time to change.
I'm at my truck now but can't find my keys. I toss my backpack on the hood of the truck and dig in each of the pockets. I always put my keys in the front pocket, but they're not there, and they're not in any of the other pockets. They must've fallen out. I'll have to go search the school.
As I'm zipping up my backpack, my phone dings. I check it as I'm walking back to the building.
Behind the bleachers. Now!
It's Briggs again. What the hell does he want? Does he think I'm going to go there and have sex with him after what he did? Or is this another one of his stupid pranks?
My phone dings again. It's another text from Briggs.
Meet me or you don't get your keys.
He took my keys? When? How?
Furious, I stomp down the hill and across the field to the bleachers.
"Where are you?" I yell, looking around.
He doesn't answer and I don't see him.
"Briggs, this isn't funny!" I yell. "Give me my fucking keys!"
Strong arms go around my waist and pull me against a rock-hard chest. "Shut up and listen to me."
His deep voice makes my pulse quicken and the feel of his body pressed against mine causes a tingle between my legs. I hate my body for reacting like this. Briggs is the enemy. Why can't my body understand that?
I feel his hot breath by my ear and shiver.
"You only do that for me," he says, his deep voice reverberating through me as he holds me so tight I can't move.
"Do what?" I snap.
"Shiver," he whispers in my ear, which makes me shiver again.
Dammit! Why can't I stop myself from reacting like this?
"Just tell me what the fuck you want!" I say, struggling to get free.
"I want a lot of things," he says, his hand sliding down the front of my dress, landing on the inside of my thigh. His hand is warm against my skin, and a part of me wishes he'd keep going, craving his touch and wanting more. I hear my breath catch as he slides his hand up my leg to just under my dress. My body's shooting off fireworks inside, but I'm trying my best to hide it, as if his touch doesn't affect me.
"This is what you wanted? To force yourself on me?"
"You used to like it," he says, as his fingers trace a line up my inner thigh.
I suck in a breath. "Stop."
He takes his hand off my leg but keeps me held against him. I really want to hate him, and hate how it feels to be in his arms, but I'm not there yet. My brain still needs to convince my body and heart that he's an evil, lying bastard that can't be trusted.
"What do you want?" I say through gritted teeth. "Just tell me."
"The test on Friday. AP Chem."
"Yeah? What about it?"
"You're going to get a C on it."
"A C?" I laugh. "Yeah, I don't think so. I'm getting an A, like I always do. I've already studied for it. I could take it right now and get an A."
He tightens his grip on me and I feel his lips brush against my ear. "You're getting a C. Or else."
"Or else what?"
"You don't want to find out."
"This is bullshit. Let me go." I move side-to-side, trying to get free, but his arms have me locked in place.
"Say you'll do it," he growls by my ear.
"It's never happening." I whip my head to the side, slamming it into his jaw.
"What the fuck?" he says, rising up, but not letting me go.
"That's what you get for threatening me. Now let me go!"
He blows out a breath. "I'm not joking around here, Ella. You need to fucking do this."
"Why? Why do you want this so bad? You already have everything you could ever want and it's still not enough?"
"I don't want this," he snaps. "I need it."
I roll my eyes. "And why do you need it?"
"I just do. Ella, I swear, if you don't do this, I'll do it for you."
I pause, trying to figure out what that means. "How? What are you going to do?"
"You don't want to find out."
"There's nothing you could do, Briggs. You're just making empty threats."
"You have no idea what I'm capable of, do you?" he asks in an ominous tone. I shiver, and this time it's not from being turned on, but from the way he said that just now.
"Briggs, stop it," I tell him. "You're scaring me."
"Good," he says. "Maybe now you'll take me seriously."
I swallow and stare down at his massive arms wrapped around my waist, holding me hostage. All the years he bullied me, I never feared him like I do right now. Something's changed in him. I don't know what it is, but there's this intensity to him that I haven't felt before, an underlying anger, an almost desperate plea for me to go along with this. And if I don't? I think he's right. I don't want to find out.
"Briggs?"
"What?"
"Would you ever...hurt me?"
He doesn't answer.
"Would you?" I say.
"Just fucking do this and you won't have to find out."
Would he hurt me or not? I want to believe he wouldn't, but what if I'm wrong?
"I don't think you would," I say.
He's quiet, but I hear him breathing hard.
"There's a part of you that wants to," I say, "but I don't think you'd let yourself. I don't think you'd hurt me, Briggs."
"Then you don't fucking know me," he says, finally releasing me.
I turn and face him. "Tell me why you're doing this."
He stares back at me and I see the regret on his face, like this isn't what he wants to do. Is that why he held me with my back to him? So I couldn't see his face and see the regret? If he doesn't want to do this, then why is he doing it? Why is he threatening me? Why is he trying to scare me?
"You don't want to do this," I say. "This isn't you. Did someone put you up to this?"
"Who the fuck would put me up to this? I'm the one who wants to be valedictorian."
"You keep saying you need to be valedictorian, not that you want to. What's this really about?"
"It's about me being valedictorian and you getting the fuck out of my way."
"You say that, but..." I shake my head. "I don't think you want to do this."
"If I didn't, then why the fuck are we here?"
"I don't know." I look down, then back up at him. "I don't know what's going on with you, Briggs. I wanted to believe you were someone else, and I think for a moment you were. I felt it. I felt it when we were together. When we were..."
"Fucking?" he says with a harsh laugh. "It was sex. That's it. We fucked. It didn't mean anything."
His words slice through me, burning my chest, my heart aching like he just punched a hole through it. Does he really mean it? Did our time together really mean nothing to him? The long talks? The sex? Was it all just to get me to do what he wanted?
"Is that really how you feel?"
He shrugs. "I do what I have to to get what I want."
"You used me for sex," I say, getting angry. "Is that what you're telling me?"
He smirks. "If I remember right, I didn't even have to try. You were all over me, practically begging for it. Actually, I think you did beg."
My throat burns as I fight back tears. Why is he acting like this? Why is he being so cruel? Did the sex really not mean anything to him? I swear I felt something between us, but maybe I just imagined it because it's what I wanted. I didn't want my first time to be meaningless. I told myself it didn't matter, that I was just doing it to get it over with, but it wasn't true. I did it because I felt something for Briggs. I thought he felt it too.
"You're an ass," I say, glaring at him.
"I can't disagree."
"I'm leaving." I go around him, but he grabs my arm, stopping me.
"Friday's test. C or below."
"Yeah, that's not happening."
He leans down to my face. "Do what I fucking say, or deal with the consequences." He turns and walks off.
I watch him go, furious, and wishing I'd never gotten involved with that jerk.
As he reaches the top of the hill, I realize he still has my keys. I run after him, catching up to him in the parking lot.
"Give me my keys," I say, standing in front of him.
He smiles. "Are you saying we have a deal?"
"No. I'm saying give me my keys!"
"No deal, no keys."
"The keys have nothing to do with it." I hold out my hand. "Just give me the damn keys!"
"Ella, are you okay?" Calvin asks, walking over to me. He came out of the building as I was running up to Briggs.
"I'm fine," I say, my eyes on Briggs.
"We're good," Briggs says as he reaches in his pocket. He tosses the keys to me.
Calvin's eyes go between us. "You sure you don't—"
"I said we're good!" Briggs says in a loud, deep voice that startles Calvin and makes him take a step back. "Get out of here."
Calvin looks at me. I nod for him to go. He turns and walks off.
"Briggs!" Parker yells from the door to the school. "Get your ass in the gym! You're late to practice and Coach is pissed!"
"I'm coming!" Briggs yells, his eyes still on mine. He lowers his voice and says, "Don't fuck with me, Ella. You do what I say or this isn't going to end well."
Briggs meets up with Parker at the door. He says something to Parker and they both glance at me before going back in the school.
Was Parker in on this too? Did he know Briggs was just using me to get what he wanted? Was all the time Briggs and I spent together just a way to get me to like him enough to give him the valedictorian title? Did he really think I'd do that?
As I'm walking to my truck, I notice Calvin getting into his car. He sees me and waves.
"Ella!" He gets out of his car and runs over to me.
"Hey, Calvin." I force out a smile. I don't want to talk to him. I just want to go home.
"Are you okay?" he asks.
"I'm fine, but I really need to get home. I'm late for work."
He stands by my truck as I open the door. "What was going on with you and Briggs? It sounded like you two were fighting."
"It's Briggs. We're always fighting."
"But today sounded serious." He watches as I get in the truck. "Are you sure everything's okay? You can talk to me if you need to."
"Thanks, but really, I'm fine. I can handle Briggs."
He nods. "Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow."
He goes back to his car. I think he might have a crush on me. I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I need to gently tell him I'm not interested before this goes any farther. I don't want him asking me out.
I don't want any guy asking me out. After Briggs, I need a break from guys. Briggs broke my heart and doesn't even care. That shouldn't surprise me, but it does. I thought he cared about me, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
Chapter Two
Briggs
I feel like shit for the way I treated Ella, but it's the only way I can protect her. She needs to give up the valedictorian title before my father finds out she's first in the class. If she won't agree to it, I'll have to find a way to take it from her. But I don't know how, or even if I can do it. I've fallen for Ella and don't want to take away what she's earned, but if it means saving her from my father, I'll do it. I'll do anything to protect her.
When my father threatened to take out the person ahead of me, I didn't know what he meant. I still don't, but the look in his eyes when he said it was enough to scare the shit out of
me. It's the same look he gets when he's drunk and enraged and throwing punches at me. He's been getting worse, and I don't know if it's because of the divorce or something at work. I think it might be both. He used to love being at the office, but lately he's seemed stressed whenever we're there.
"You going to Finn's tonight?" Parker asks as we take our stuff from the lockers.
We just finished up at the gym and I'm exhausted. I just want to go home and sleep.
"I can't," I say, grabbing my gym bag. "I need to study."
"Forget studying. Finn got some new weed and his dad just stocked the liquor cabinet."
"It's the middle of the week. That shit needs to wait until the weekend."
"Since when? You never had a problem drinking during the week."
"I do when we have a game coming up. You shouldn't be doing that shit during the season. We suck enough as it is. We don't need to be making it worse."
"YOU suck," he mutters. "The rest of us don't."
I grab his shirt and yank him up to my face. "You want to repeat that a little louder?"
"No," he mumbles.
"I didn't think so." I let him go and slam my locker shut. "See you tomorrow."
"Briggs, wait!" Parker says as I'm leaving. I turn back and see him looking at his phone. "We got another one."
I check my phone. There's a new text that reads, Your next assignment is to sit with someone at lunch. Someone you've made fun of. Do it Thursday. I'll be watching.
"They're watching," I say, "which means it's someone at school. Who the fuck could it be?"
"I don't know, but there's no fucking way I'm doing that," Parker says, slinging the strap of his gym bag over his shoulder.