Corrupt(30)

Instead, I played. Spinning around, I walked around the perimeter of the room, careful to stay behind the columns. Then I slipped through another door, seeing him come after me, his lips tight, before I closed it on him.

But as soon as I looked down, saw the slate tile and heard the running water, I knew I’d f*cked up.

“Shit,” I growled in a whisper.

I hesitated, thinking about going back, but I knew Michael was coming that way.

Putting my head down, I followed the short tunnel, passing a steam room, a sauna, and two large Jacuzzis, feeling eyes on me, and not so much as breathing as I passed a few guys lounging about on couches around the spa. Dashing into the adjoining locker room, I looked up and saw a young, blond-haired man coming my way, so I veered to the left, down an empty aisle and heard more voices. I stopped and hid myself at the end of a row of lockers.

Doors slammed on my left, two men chatted on my right, and Michael would be on my back any second.

I leaned against the cold steel, looking around and trying to figure out where the exit was. If there even was another one.

But then I jerked, a locker door slamming and its vibrations hitting my back.

“Mr. Torrance,” a man called. “There’s no smoking in here.”

“Fuck off.”

And chills immediately spread down my arms, making my heart skip a beat. I stilled, afraid to move.

I knew that voice. Mr. Torrance.

Slowly turning my head, I twisted my body around completely and inched toward the edge of the lockers. I peered around the side just enough, hoping not to see what I knew I would.

A lump stretched my throat. “Oh, shit,” I whispered.

Damon Torrance.

He sat in a cushioned chair, leaning his head back with his eyes closed, droplets of water glistening down his neck, arms, and torso—bare since he only wore a towel around his waist.

He pinched a cigarette between his fingers and brought it to his lips, the ashen end burning orange as he inhaled. Then, just as I remember, he blew it out slowly, letting it drift up instead of out, looking more like fog than smoke as it dissipated in the air above him.

My stomach churned at the stench, bringing back memories of that night. I’d had to take two showers to get that smell off me.

I may have felt a little bad over the years about what happened to his friends, but to him…not so much.

Suddenly, a hand came down on my mouth, and I sucked in a quick breath, rearing back against a hard chest.

“I don’t have time for this,” Michael warned in my ear.

He released me, and I spun around, looking up at him. His eyes were hot with anger, and I guessed my plan hadn’t worked. He wasn’t amused.

“How come I didn’t know that your friends were out?” I asked quietly.

“What interest is it of yours?”

What interest of mine? A lot, actually. I’d been with all of them the night before they were arrested. And more happening later on that night that Michael probably wasn’t aware of.

“I just thought it would’ve been a big deal,” I said, keeping my voice down. “In Thunder Bay, anyway. I hadn’t heard anything about their release, which seems strange.”

“What’s strange is that I’m still standing here wasting my time with you.” He dipped his head down, hovering close. “Are you done yet?”

I stared ahead, his chest level with my gaze, and I dug in my eyebrows, trying to stay the ache behind my eyes.

I opened my mouth, speaking softly. “You don’t have to…” I trailed off, unable to look at him.

“To what?”

I hardened my jaw to keep my chin from trembling as I looked up at him. “To speak to me like that. You don’t have to be so mean.”

He continued to stare down at me, his entire face hard and frozen.

“There was a time,” I went on, softening my expression, “when you did like talking to me. Do you remember? When you noticed me and looked at me and—”

But I stopped, seeing his face inch closer as he planted his hands on the column behind my head.

“There are some places that aren’t for you,” he said slowly, filling each word with meaning as if talking to a child. “When you’re wanted, you’re invited. If you’re weren’t invited, then you weren’t wanted. Does that makes sense?”

He peered down at me, looking like he was explaining why I needed to eat my vegetables before dessert.

It’s an easy enough concept, after all, Rika. Why can’t you understand it? He was saying that I was in the way and a bother. He didn’t want me around.

“You don’t belong here, and you’re not welcome. Do you understand?” he asked again.

I glued my teeth together, air pouring in and out of my nose as I tensed every goddamn muscle in my body, trying not to break. Lightning struck behind my eyes, making them ache and burn, and I don’t remember ever feeling like this. He’d ignored me, condescended, and insulted on occasion, but the cruelty hurt beyond words.

“That was English, Rika,” he barked, making me jump. “A dog listens better than you.”

Tears immediately pooled, and my chin trembled. I swallowed the lump, feeling my stomach ache, and I felt like I wanted to sink into a hole, disappear, and forget.

Before he could enjoy the satisfaction of seeing me crumble, I shot out, pushing his arm away and breaking into tears as I ran back the way I came. Everything in my sight blurred as I passed the spas again and yanked open the locker room door, hurrying out as I fought against the sobs in my throat.