I Despise You: A Dark High School Bully Romance Read online

  “Actually, I haven’t told him we broke up. It just never came up. But are you sure you want to go with me all the way to my father’s house?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.” As crazy as it sounds, I still want to help.

  AS SOON AS CHASE AND I enter the foyer, his father spots us and calls Chase to come with him. Chase glances at me, but I only give him a nod.

  When he leaves, I feel weird standing there in my long cream gown, surrounded by people I don’t know in a huge, shiny house.

  Judging by the amount of statues and paintings on the walls, I think Chase’s father likes to live in a museum or an art gallery. Everything about the house screams rich, and every part has been perfectly cleaned and arranged so that nothing is out of place.

  Relief floods my chest when I see Chase coming my way. He stumbles and bumps into a guard. As he apologizes, I see him quickly stuff something into the pocket of his suit.

  “Everything okay?” I ask when he reaches me.

  “Yeah. My father is pissed because you’re here. He thinks you’re only after my—well, his—money, and that I’m dating you only to spite him. But I think he’s glad I’m fighting with him over you rather than over the past.” He leans forward, his lips brushing my ear. “And I just swiped a guard’s key card.”

  “Does that mean you have a plan?”

  “Yep. My father took me to his office, and I cracked open the window without him realizing. The key card opens the storage room next door. If I can get through the window of the storage room, there’s a chance I can reach the office and climb through the window there.”

  I raise my eyebrows at him. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

  “Not really, but there’s a windowsill and some indentations in the wall that I can use for support. I just need to wait for the right moment to slip away.”

  “Okay.” His plan sounds crazy, but that’s nothing new.

  We mingle with the other guests, but soon we realize that getting away won’t be easy. If Chase’s father isn’t looking at him, then it’s one of the guards doing it.

  “Am I imagining things or is everyone watching us?” I whisper.

  “You’re not, and they are. Fuck! I guess he thinks I’m going to do something to embarrass him and he wants to stop me before it happens.”

  “But what could you possibly do?”

  “Start making out with you, maybe. I don’t know.” He shrugs.

  “Do you think they’d notice if I slipped away? Maybe it wouldn’t be as weird if I got lost on my way to the bathroom or if I took longer to get out. Besides, going after me everywhere would be weird like hell.”

  “What? No! You can’t do it. It has to be me. It’s too risky. If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”

  “But you can’t get away, and if you’re willing to do it, then it shouldn’t be too dangerous.” I don’t want to end up hanging from a building, but maybe it’s not as bad as it seems. “I can go check it out at least. If it’s too much of a problem, I won’t do it.”

  “Absolutely not. First, you’re wearing a dress. It can catch on something. Second, if I fall, it doesn’t matter. You’ll still be safe. Third, this is my mess. No one else should take a risk for me, especially not you.”

  “What do you mean it doesn’t matter if you fall? Chase! Stop acting like your life doesn’t matter!”

  “But it doesn’t. Everywhere I go, I ruin things. I ruin people. I destroy lives. So what if I’m gone? No one will miss me.”

  I catch his hand, looking deep into his eyes. “I will miss you.”

  His lips part in surprise.

  “And I’m going to try to do this. I promise I won’t do anything if I’m not a hundred percent sure I can do it safely.”

  “Liliana—”

  “No, Chase. It’s fine. Just give me the key card and tell me where to go.”

  He glances at the guards, pressing his lips together.

  “Be careful, please,” he says after explaining where I should go, and tucks the key card in my hand, squeezing my fingers.

  I give him a small nod, and then I disappear into the crowd. It takes me a bit to lose the guards, but they’re really looking at Chase more, not at me. I slip away, rushing through the hallway and taking the stairs to get to the second floor.

  I look right and left before swiping the key card through the slot. The door opens, and I enter the storage room.

  I slip out of my shoes and pad over to the window. When I take a look through it, my pulse speeds up. Getting to the other window won’t be easy. Actually, this is probably the stupidest thing I’ll ever do. If I even survive it.

  But as I take a closer look, I realize Chase was right about the indentations that I can grab onto.

  I need to tear off the bottom of my dress to make it shorter. Luckily, I spot a pair of scissors on one of the shelves, so I cut my dress.

  If I manage to pull this off, I’ll have to get out of the house and then call Chase because I won’t be able to go back to the party like this.

  I haul myself through the window and do my best not to look down. Holding tightly onto the rough stone, I move from stone to stone.

  The window seems like a billion miles away, and I just focus on my movements, trying to forget about the danger. When I reach the window, I push it open all the way and throw myself inside.

  My chest heaves, sweat beading my forehead and dripping down my back. I look around the office, and my gaze falls on the open laptop on the desk. If Chase’s father has the footage, I guess it’s on his computer.

  When my hand lands on the touch pad, the screen briefly turns black and asks me for a password. Shit! I don’t know what the password is.

  I probably can’t even guess it, unless it’s something stupid if Chase’s father feels like no one will get this far to even reach his laptop.

  I’m surprised it’s not locked with a fingerprint or facial recognition, but maybe that’s needed only when it’s turned on for the first time. Chase must’ve distracted his father enough that he forgot to turn off the laptop.

  I look around for any clues that could help me with the password, but the only thing I can see everywhere is the name of Chase’s father’s company. Huh.

  What are the odds that he loves his company more than anything in the whole world?

  I type the name, and a few moments later, the laptop unlocks. I can barely believe my good luck as I quickly click through the files and folders, not even sure what I’m looking for or how I’ll recognize what I need.

  A random folder titled X catches my attention, and I open it. There’s a bunch of videos in it, and I click on the first one.

  I clamp my hand over my mouth to stop a scream, and I can feel the color drain from my face.

  The camera is looking straight at Kayla, who has tears in her eyes. Whoever is on top of her has the camera attached to his clothes.

  When she tries to scream, a hand is pressed over her mouth. I’m sure it’s not Chase’s. But whose is it?

  Kayla fights, trying to push the man off her. She reaches for the camera, which falls off and rolls over multiple times until finally stopping.

  Kayla struggles as Chase’s father, with his pants down, his hips pushing against hers, wraps his hands around her throat.

  It takes me a moment to notice the door has opened, but when I do, I scream so loudly my whole body shakes.

  Chapter 29

  “SECURITY!” CHASE’S father yells, pulling out a gun.

  I duck behind the desk, my heart in overdrive.

  Shots ring out, a bullet hitting the wall not too far away behind me as I huddle into a small ball on the floor, even though I know that’s not going to help me.

  I’m trapped, and Chase’s father has a gun.

  “No!” I hear Chase yell.

  A loud thud follows, and when I dare to take a peek around the desk, I see Chase’s father on the floor.

  “Run!” Chase shouts at me as he kicks the gun away from h
is father’s grasp at the last moment.

  I scramble to my feet, and Chase and I burst out of the office. The guards are coming our way, their guns out, so we race in the opposite direction.

  “We need to split. I’ll find you!” Chase says. “Follow the hallway. Go downstairs. Last door. You’ll get to the kitchen. From there, get out through the window. Ignore everyone else. Okay?”

  I nod, and I don’t even have time to tell him anything. Getting out of this house alive is the only thing that matters, and I run as fast as my feet can carry me.

  I follow Chase’s instructions, and everyone stares at me as I burst into the kitchen. Someone yells at me to get out. But I ignore them and push open one of the windows. I haul myself out, and when my feet touch the ground, I start running again.

  My feet hurt as I step on twigs and small stones, but I don’t have time to worry about that. When I glance over my shoulder, I see Chase running from the other side of the house. My relief is short-lived, because the sounds of gunfire follow, and I throw myself behind one of the bushes.

  Chase’s father has a huge property, so the nearest neighbor is at least five minutes away. I don’t know how we’ll get to our car. Someone is probably waiting there for us. The guests have probably been told there’s a thief or a threat.

  And if we just run, I have no idea if we can get away. I underestimated this whole thing. I didn’t believe we’d be in so much danger, but I was so, so wrong.

  Chase finds me and crouches next to me. “I’m going to talk to my father and find a plausible explanation. I’ll make him think it’s all just a big misunderstanding and—”

  “No, you can’t! I found a video,” I choke out. “He killed Kayla!”

  “What?” Chase blinks at me. “But that’s not—”

  “I saw it with my own eyes. He knows it. He’ll want me dead. Or maybe even both of us.”

  “I need to go back for that video!” Chase jumps up, and I catch his arm, trying to pull him back.

  “No! You can’t! He’ll kill you.”

  “But if I don’t, he’ll destroy it and we’ll have no proof!”

  “But we’ll be alive!”

  “I’ll distract them and get that video. You need to get out of here!”

  “But—” I don’t get to finish the sentence, because he’s already on his feet and running.

  Fuck!

  I hear the shouts of the guards, and I know I have to move. They must’ve figured out we went in this direction, and they’ll be coming here to check. I can’t let them find me.

  Pushing myself up, I move to another bush, and then I race to a tree. I take a quick look behind me, and when I can’t see anyone, I broke into a run.

  I don’t know where I’m going, so I just run through the trees that are getting thicker and thicker.

  My feet are bleeding, and I stop to catch my breath. Where is Chase? What if something happened to him?

  I sit down, huddled in a hole under a tree trunk and listening for every movement.

  Birds chirp. The leaves shift in the breeze. Something cracks here and there, making my heart jump into my throat.

  But I can’t see anything.

  My heart is too loud, my throat dry. But I need to push through the panic and think.

  Something flies out of nowhere at me. It gets stuck in my exposed leg, making me yelp. As I grasp it, I realize it’s a dart. I want to push myself to my feet and run, but my legs are heavy, just like my whole body.

  Before I slump to the ground and my eyes close, I see a man coming from around one of the trees, gun in hand.

  I’m going to die.

  It’s the last thing I think before I’m dragged under.

  Chapter 30

  MY EYES FLY OPEN, AND I want to jump up, but I can’t move much because my hands are tied above my head to the headboard of a bed.

  I’m in a room, and when I lift my head, squinting at the light coming from the window, I see Chase slumped in a chair to which he’s tied, his eyes closed. There’s a trail of blood going down his forehead.

  Alive. We’re both still alive.

  But we’re not alone.

  An armed guard stands behind Chase and watches him with vigilant eyes. To my right, Chase’s father is pacing up and down, his gaze focused on the ground.

  I tug at my bindings, but it’s futile. Even if I free myself, it’s not like I can do anything against two armed men.

  But why are we here? What does Chase’s father want and why hasn’t he killed us yet? I’m not really complaining about it, but it scares me, because I don’t know what he has in mind.

  I just know that he’s a sick, sick bastard with no heart or conscience. Maybe he only wants us to watch each other die slowly and in agony while we’re helpless to do anything about it.

  “Ah, you’re awake,” Chase’s father says as he turns to me, and I don’t like the gleam in his eyes.

  My legs are free, so I try to kick him when he gets closer, but he easily catches my leg and climbs on the bed.

  His hand moves up my leg, almost like a caress, and I feel sick to my stomach.

  “It would be a shame for such a beautiful body to go to waste.” He grins at me, pushing what’s left of my dress up.

  I try to kick him again or get him to let me go, but he grasps my thighs, spreading my legs open, his smile only widening.

  It takes me a second to realize what he intends to do. A wave of nausea hits me, but I take a deep breath. The images of Kayla fighting flash in my mind.

  He enjoys this. He enjoys the struggle. It turns him on.

  Even though every inch of my body wants to fight, I go completely still.

  I know I can’t fight him off. He’ll pin me down easily since I’m already tied up. All I can do is not give him what he wants.

  I lift my eyes to his, unflinching. He unbuttons his pants, annoyance flashing through his eyes.

  “Aren’t you going to scream?” he asks.

  I keep staring at him.

  His fingers bury in my dress, and he yanks at it with so much force, the material rips.

  I focus on my breathing. One breath in. One breath out.

  Whatever he does, I can’t let it affect me.

  His smile fades when he reaches for my panties and I don’t react.

  “Give me your gun.” He turns to the guard, extending his hand. “She needs a little persuasion because she’s too shy.”

  I don’t know how any of that makes sense, but the guard approaches and hands him the gun. Chase’s father points the gun at me. My heart is threatening to jump out of my chest, but I don’t want to show it.

  I can’t.

  A loud crashing sound startles both of us. I barely see Chase as he pounces on the guard. His father has to turn his head to see what’s going on, and I use his distraction and kick the gun out of his hand.

  Chase fights the guard and manages to shove him through the door. After he locks the door, Chase throws himself at the gun before his father can even get off the bed.

  “Get away from her!” Chase growls as he points the gun at his father, who raises his hands up and backs away.

  “Son, you don’t want to do this.”

  “You’re a monster.”

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know or understand. You’re so young. We should talk first.”

  Chase inches closer to me, his grip on the gun not faltering. With his free hand, he reaches out to release my hands.

  “Talk? There’s nothing to talk about!” Chase yells. His voice softens when he glances at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” I say, sitting up and rubbing my wrists.

  “What is it that you want?” Chase’s father asks. “You know I can give you anything you may wish for. All your dreams will come true. Anything you want. You can keep your girlfriend too. Let us come to some kind of arrangement, like men.”

  Chase snorts. “You have no honor. Why should I trust a word you say?”

  “I reali
ze I made a mistake. I was wrong, okay? Is that what you want to hear?” His father eyes him carefully, and I’m sure he doesn’t mean a word that leaves his mouth.

  “No. You deserve to die! Right here, right now.”

  “Chase, wait. We should call the cops.” Even if I believe Chase’s father should die for what he’s done, I don’t want him to drag Chase even deeper into the darkness with him.

  I don’t want his father’s death to weigh on him forever. And it’s a too-easy way out for this cruel, cold-hearted monster.

  “What are the cops going to do? He has them in his pocket,” Chase says. “And we have no proof. It’ll just be our word against his, and it’ll mean nothing. If he dies, it’s over.”

  “Maybe it doesn’t have to be this way.” I get to my feet and turn to Chase’s father. “Give us your phone. Unlocked.”

  If Chase’s father is such a freak, then it wouldn’t surprise me if he has the video with him so he can get off on it whenever he wants.

  His father frowns, looking at his son.

  “Do it,” Chase barks.

  His father reluctantly pulls out his phone, unlocks it, and tosses it to me. I catch it and search through it as quickly as possible.

  When I find the video, I meet Chase’s gaze. “We’re calling the cops,” I say, and then I upload the video online.

  It’s the only way to make sure it won’t get deleted or swept under the rug.

  I feel terrible for Kayla because many people will get to see the last moments of her life, but it’s the only way she can get the justice she deserves.

  “What are you doing?” Chase’s father asks, his brow creased, as he tries to come closer to me.

  “Stay back!” Chase snaps, keeping the gun aimed at him.

  “Everyone will know what you did,” I say to Chase’s father. “The video is online.”

  Fury contorts his face as he lunges at me. “You bitch!”