Chapter Forty-Three

Lyrical

T oday is the day that I'm supposed to showcase my painting in the art gallery. I can't stop the butterflies in my stomach or my palms from sweating. I rock on the edge of the curb in front of Gogh Hall as I watch students and staff walk in and out of the building, bundling up my jacket over my white blouse as the wind blows. It's chilly and the fresh, crisp air stings my nostrils. Next month is the last month of the semester, and I can't wait. This semester has been both hard as fuck and stressful. I hope after this semester, when I'm officially out on my own, life gets easier, but for now, I'll take it one day at a time.

Snow is at class, so I'm glad that he's not coming with me to this event. I need space, and him living under the same roof as me just makes things worse. He tries to talk to me, but I ignore him, so he uses my parents or my friends to send me messages for me to speak to him. He even broke into my room a few times and I caught him sleeping in my lounge chair. I don't have anything to say to him other than the fact that he broke my heart. I'm not going to lie, I miss him like crazy and I thought about slipping into the guest room and fucking his brains out, but I don't. I need to be strong and hold my ground.

My father told me that I need to listen to Snow and hear him out. He should be on my side, not his. My father doesn't see it because he and Snow will never change. As long as he's seeking blood and revenge, I will always be second to him. My feelings won't ever matter to him. The entire time he never treated me as if I could take care of myself, but he has always been good to me. He protects me in a way I don't know how, and he pays attention to every detail about me. The man built me my own dream home and he started hurting himself when he found out that I was cutting again. I know Snow loves me, I never doubted it, but I can't get behind the lying and the secrets.

I can't get behind that I'm a pawn to him.

It hurts. God, it hurts not being with him, but I have to do what I have to do. I just want to be heard and seen by Snow.

Lightning splits the sky in half and a few droplets of rain splatter across my forehead.

Without a word, Professor Carter pulls up to the curb of the street, and he gets out, opens the passenger door, and before I slide in, I gaze around looking for by bodyguard Russell, but he's nowhere in sight. He'll just meet me at the gallery. I doubt Snow's father will attack me with someone around me. Plus, Professor Carter and I can discuss other opportunities for me in the future. He grabs my painting and places it in the back seat.

Once he slides into the driver's seat, he straps his seat belt over his large frame, then he pulls out of the parking lot and drives through campus before emerging onto the main road.

"Is that painting of you and Snow?"

My cheeks heat. I painted a picture of Snow's hand around my neck, his lips pressed against my temple and a grin spread across my lips. It's in black and white, an oil painting.

I nod, leaning against the soft cushion.

"I like it. People are going to eat it up like candy."

When I glance in the back of the car, I notice a car seat isn't there. I quickly forgot that he had a wife and a kid.

"Does your wife know that you're picking me up?"

"I don't have a wife. I have a girlfriend."

"But the lady at the engagement ball?"

"Was my sister."

"I saw a wedding band on your finger." I glance at his ring finger and the ring isn't there.

"I only wear that ring so women leave me alone."

We drive away from the city near North Haven and my heart sinks, and my pulse accelerates. Why do I feel so nervous? Why are my spidery senses going off? And why do I feel dread in the pit of my stomach? I glance at Carter, noting he has a wicked grin on his face.

"You'll go for the highest bidder." He twists his neck to glance at my body, his words catching me off guard.

"I hope so. I want my paintings to be worth at least three thousand."

He places his hand on the back of my neck and chills travel up my spine.

"When people really know how much you're worth, you're going to make me a lot of money. You're going to be my favorite muse."

Pure terror overrides my senses. My heart pounds in my ears, and I feel the blood in my cheeks draining.

"You see. Bailey had that same look on her face when I told her the same thing."

"How do you know Ba—"

He taps his finger on the steering wheel. "I'm her boyfriend."

The entire time, June was set up.

Fuck!

"My business partner approached me about wanting me to sell her, get his money worth and at first, I didn't want to because I already had feelings for her when Bailey was in my class a few years ago. Everything was good between us in the beginning. Fighting the urge to sell her, because I loved her. I was taught that women are more valuable because they have holes between their legs. That's what we learned in the mafia. She's my girl, always will be, but after the mafia was disbanded, I lost a lot of income and my business partner knew her so well, so he suggested I make a profit for the both of us."

The car feels small, and bile rises in the back of my throat. Placing my hand on the door handle, I pull hard, and when that doesn't work, I kick the window, but it's no use.

Carter burst out into laughter. "The way you think you can get away is comical."

"You drugged us at the football party, you spiked our drinks."

"Bingo. You're smart." He smiles as if he's proud of himself. "The guy that Snow killed at his party for spiking your drink? It was all a setup. I told him to approach you two so he can distract Snow, and I knew Snow didn't like you and Bailey at his parties."

"I didn't see you at his party."

"I was there watching the whole event."

"How did yo—"

Tears gather in my eyes and I try to resist the urge to cry.

"You staged my car accident to make it seem like I was driving under the influence."

"You're smart. Very smart."

"You set June up. You had him ki—"

"I paid him to follow you around and act like he was interested in you, and when you were on to us, one of my partners killed him and planted evidence on him. Rachel is one of my whores and I paid her to meet with you at the park to give you that stuff. She told me you sent her a message on social media."

Tears fall down my cheeks, and I clench my fist to my chest, trying to breathe.

"Please, Carter. Let me go. I won't tell anyone."

He grabs my chin, digging his nails into my flesh. "I will let you go once I sell you to someone else, and he'll do what the fuck he wants to you."

I grab my phone from my purse and try to hide it under my butt, but he snatches it from me. After he hits a button on the side of the door and the window rolls down, he tosses my phone out.

"Please, let me go. Ju—"

"Shut the fuck up and sit back and I won't end your life."

Time passes by slowly… the drive seems so long. He pulls up to a mansion made out of dark brown cobblestone. The lawn is overgrown with weeds and neglect, and I try to remember every detail so when I escape, I'll know where to run, like the white statue with a naked woman with water coming out of her nipples in front of the door, next to a row of expensive cars.

Once he kills the engine and slips out, he opens the car door for me, so I get out and elbow him in the chest. Before I can get anywhere, he yanks me by the hair, causing my scalp to sting, and I feel cool metal against my temple.

"If you try to run from me again, I'll put a bullet through your brain."

With his hand wrapped around my hair, he walks inside the mansion. He drags me to a basement. Glancing around, it looks familiar, like I've been here before.

"You're going to stay in here," he says, slamming the door shut.

I go to the window, trying to push on it, but it's no use. It's filled with dust mites and it looks like it hasn't been opened in years. I look around the dingy basement, spotting a girl strapped to a filthy mattress in the corner.

Slowly, I walk up to her. Her brunette hair is matted and unkempt and her face is dirty like she hasn't bathed in a while. She is naked with bruises and welts all over her body. The girl is thin and I can see every rib beneath her skin.

I cry hysterically as I pull on the chain, trying to break her free.

"I'm going to get you out of here," I promise. "Get us both out of here."

A familiar pair of hazel eyes gazes into mine, and they narrow. Tears leak down her face as she smiles sadly at me.

My heart catches in my throat. "Oh my God! Bailey? What has he done to you?"