Chapter4
1847 Words
Chapter 4
Let go of me, Mr Parker.
~ Zarah ~
I rolled my eyes as soon as he left, placing my mug on the counter. Alex huffed out a laugh, as he leaned on the island, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.
“He can be insufferable at times... But, he’s got a heart of gold,” Alex said, eyeing me from the corner of his eyes, as though daring me to disagree.
I said nothing. Because I wasn’t going to agree with him that Ethan had a heart of gold. Nope. I was convinced he doesn’t even have one to begin with. All I ever saw was his coldness, his need for control. How he could see past that, I didn’t know.
“You’re staying, right?” he asked, and I glanced at him as I rinsed the mug, the water slipping through my fingers as I tried to focus on something other than Ethan.
He shifted on her feet uncomfortably, sensing the weight of my silence, as I stared at him from under my lashes.
“I mean, he’ll be gone by the weekend... that’s just two days away,” he added, a little too quickly.
“We could have the whole building to ourselves,” he gushed, his eyes silently imploring me to stay.
I swallowed nothing, dabbing my hands on a towel as I considered his offer. As much as I wanted to leave to avoid Ethan's suffocating presence, the idea of just Alex and me, with no one else, was tempting.
“Alex, I…”
“Please for mum's sake…” Alex pleaded, clasping both of his hands together and giving me his best puppy eyes. A tiny smile broke out on my face as hope lit up his eyes.
“I’ll be staying…” I said, watching his light up with relief. His smile was so genuine it sent a pang through my heart. “Just because the asshole is leaving,” I added, and he nodded furiously, as if agreeing would make sure nothing could spoil our plans.
He tugged on my hair lightly before scurrying off to the room, muttering a few words as he left. I shook my head, picking up his mug and rinsed it off. As much as I adored him, Alex could be impulsive, living in his own world where everything works out. I, on the other hand, was always bracing for impact.
Alex is the only family I have, and even though Ethan seemed bent on driving a wedge between us, we’d always been the kind of duo that bounced back, stronger than before. That’s why I’d stay. For him. Not for Ethan.
Oh yeah, I’m staying. As much as the house was beautiful, its owner was still a dickhead.
We’d explored the city of Vegas, and just like in the papers, it was beautiful. But there was something about being there in person, with the energy of the city pulsing through the air, that took my breath away.
The Strat tower was awe-inspiring, towering above us, and it explained why the citizens of Vegas always flocked around it. There was a certain magic to this place that made me forget, even if just for a moment, about everything waiting back at the house.
By the time we’d finished going around, seeing the AREA15, Pop stroke, the High Roller… it was already getting dark.
“It’s 6p.m.,” Alex muttered, glancing at his phone. I stood, staring at the park, my body sweaty and tingling with exhaustion, but the excitement still strummed in my veins.
“We should head back,” I said, wiping my brow, but when I glanced at him, Alex was smiling mischievously.
“What is it?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. There was something off about that grin.
He looked down at his phone again, his excitement bubbling over, far beyond the thrill of sightseeing.
“Jennifer is around. She asked me to meet her,” he said with a little laugh, like it was the most casual thing in the world.
I stared at him like he’d suddenly lost his mind. “You’re kidding, right?”
I knew Alex had an ulterior motive when he picked Vegas for our vacation. He’d been chatting with this stranger for the last two months, and I had a sinking feeling this trip had less to do with seeing The strat and more to do with finally meeting her.
“It’s dangerous,” I said, my voice firmer now. His smile faltered.
“She isn't Zarah. She’s actually really friendly,” he muttered, but I rolled my eyes. It was always the friendly ones that turned out to be psychopaths.
“I’m coming with you then,” I said, digging into my bag and coming up with pepper spray and a taser.
A few passersby gave us weird looks, but I didn’t care. Better safe than sorry.
“Zarah, this isn't the USA. This is Vegas, one of the safest places in the world,” he pointed out, eyeing the items in my hand. “You can’t come with me. It’s our first time meeting, and I want to make a good impression,” he insisted.
“Good impression that could lead to death? Hell no,” I snapped, shivers running down my spine as memories I’d pushed to the back of my mind tried to resurface.
“Zarah…”
“I don’t want to seem like a third wheel between you and Jenifer, but you barely know the lady,” I said, trying to get him to see my point.
“Fine.” He huffed, and I sighed in relief—until he snatched the pepper spray from my hand. “But I’m still going to be prepared,” he smirked, stuffing the can into his pocket.
“No. You’re not doing this. We’ll go back home and replan—”
But he was already leaning in to press a kiss on my cheek. “Unfortunately, Zarah, you don’t get to decide for me,” he muttered before sauntering off. Mumbling a “see you at home”… And then, he was gone.
I didn’t follow after him. I just stood there, watching him disappear into the crowd, and realized he was right. I couldn’t decide for him. He was a grown-ass man. Even if I had my fears and concerns, that was my burden to carry, not hers.
Still, the nagging sense of dread followed me all the way to the subway, the weight in my stomach growing heavier with every step. I boarded the bus that would take me back to Ethan’s house. I’d input the address into my GPS so I wouldn’t get lost, but now I kind of wished I had.
The compound was eerily quiet when I arrived, and I regretted not sticking with Alex. Being alone was suddenly far less appealing.
I pushed the door open and entered. My breath caught in my throat. Ethan was home, leaning on the kitchen island with a glass of something dark in his hand.
His eyes, as black as the night outside, washed over me before moving behind me, searching for Alex.
I ignored the flutter in my chest, that stupid, traitorous pulse that sped up every time he looked at me, and headed toward my room.
“Where’s he?” His voice cut through the silence, sharp and cold, the words like a blade skimming the surface.
I could have pretended not to hear him, just walked into the room and closed the door behind me. But he was his friend. If anything happened to him, he needed to know.
“He went to meet the man he’s been chatting with for two months,” I said as dryly as I could, not even bothering to look at him.
His eyes flicked to me, darkening.
“What do you mean by that?” There was a new edge to his voice now, one that made my skin prickle.
I rolled my eyes, tired of this. “Exactly what you heard.
“He went to meet a stranger, and you couldn’t stop him or go with him?” His voice grew hard, his anger rippling the surface, and anger rippling just beneath the surface, and I could feel it creeping into me, waking the anger in my blood.
I straightened up, turning to face him with a dry, defiant look.
“Alex is a grown-up man, and also my brother . He decided to meet with someone he’s known for two months. Who am I to stop him?” I challenged.
He dropped his glass on the counter and straightened to his full height, stepping forward. The space between us wasn’t much, and I knew he could cross it in two strides if he wanted to.
“He isn’t a f*****g grown man who can just wander around a city he barely knows at night,” he growled, his voice low, vibrating with controlled fury.
I tilted my head to the side, a cold smile tugging at the corner of my lips.
“If you’re so worried about him, why don’t you call him?” I said lightly, acting as though the tension buzzing between us didn’t set every nerve in my body on fire.
Before I could process what was happening, he was on me, shoving me against the window, my back slamming into the glass as his hand wrapped around my throat—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to send a message.
His nose flared, the anger radiating off him in waves. And yet, beneath that, something else simmered, something darker, more dangerous. My pulse raced in my neck, and I knew he could feel it.
“I should’ve gotten rid of you when I had the chance,” he said, his voice thick and dripping with venom. His chest pressed into mine, his hips close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. “Maybe then, you wouldn’t have influenced him so badly.”
“Let go of me, Mr. Parker,” I said, my voice cool. Not betraying the storm raging inside of me.
He smirked, it was sharper, dangerous. His grip around my neck tightened, before he suddenly released me and spun me around. I gasped as my body hit the cold glass again.
Ethan's chest pressed against my back, his body heat seeping into me. His hands slid down my arms, then my waist. I could feel his rough fingers against my hip. He was close, too close and worse... I wanted more.
“What would you do,” he whispered, “if I took you right here, right now, against this window? Make you beg me
to let you c*m?”
My stomach tightened. Fear, anger and desire coursing through me. I should have pushed him away and told him to get off me, but I didn't. I instead arched into him.
“I'd like to see you try, Mr. Parker,”
- Writer
