Chapter Six.

Ava's POV

Tears sprang into my eyes.

I didn't leave the states, running away from an abusive man, just to walk into the den of another.

It's as though I have caught his fancy. And he's going to do with me, whatever he wants to do.

The tip of the blade dug a little deeper into my flesh than necessary when I breathed.

“I'm sorry.” I spew out. Nervousness took over me and I started to remember what happened with my ex. The fear and everything creeped into me. It made me breathe faster. Like I was having a panic attack.

I haven't had that in a while now. They only happen when Kayden hits me too much. And that happened like three weeks before I left him.

I felt the knife drop from my neck and my breathing started to balance out a little. Not too much, but I could see through my tears now.

And that was because he switched the light on.

“You know, for such a little thing like you, you don't seem to know how to mind your business.” He said, nonchalantly.

I raised my hand to touch my neck where he assaulted and pushed back an attempt to sob because I felt the stickiness of my blood. The metallic smell wafted through my nose also.

“I…I'm not in your business.” I said, defeated.

“What now? Cat got your tongue? Weren't you a smart ass just now?”

I didn't say anything so as not to feed his delusions.

“You won't ignore me when I talk to you. So, speak up.”

“I d..don't have anything to say. Just leave my house.” I stammered out.

“That's more like it. I like to see you fight against yourself. It's cute.”

“Why are you in my bedroom Jaxon?” I asked in a small voice. Scared and tired at the same time.

“I don't have much to say to you,” his tone turned cold and scary all at the same time, that I held my breath. “You won't breathe a word of what you saw outside to another living soul. Do you hear me?” He said dangerously.

“I told you, I didn't see anything. I s…swear.”

Before I could blink next, he grabbed my throat and slammed my head into the headboard. Pain racked through my head and I groaned out in pain. I raised my wrapped hand that was injured to pry him away. It was as though he was about to snatch my breath away from me.

“Do not fuck with me right now, Bambi. Answer the question and give me the reply I wanna hear.” He said. I could not take my eyes away from his gray ones.

Even though he was on the verge of choking me to death, I still find his eyes mesmerizing.

“P…pl…please…” I gurgled out.

He released me and did not say anything. But the look he had on his face said it all. He was unconsciously playing with the blade in his hand. And it was as if that was sending a message of, ‘I'll kill you if you fuck up’.

“I won't say anything.” I whispered.

“What was that?” He asked.

“I won't tell anyone.”

“Speak louder.” He said again and anger was brewing in my stomach.

“I said I won't fucking tell anyone what I saw!” I shouted in his face.

Immediately I did, I regretted that action. He went silent, looking at me with an unreadable expression on my face.

“That's my girl.” He suddenly bursted. “I knew I liked you.” He said, laughing maniacally like a mad man.

And I hate that his comment about calling me his girl warmed my stomach.

Fuck this guy.

“Can you leave now?” I said as calmly as I could even though I was feeling the opposite of calm.

“Since we have come to an agreement, I would gladly do so.” He said and stood up.

The way he did it, it made the room smaller than it actually was. He was looming over me. Which made me feel small.

“Thanks.”

“Change your lock though. It's too flimsy.”

He turned and was about to leave when he stopped. My heart started to thump fast again. What does he want now?

“On a brighter side, I knew you asked me what you could do to make up for my coffee that you spilled. I think I came up with something.” He said dryly.

I don't want to ask what it is because I'm scared of whatever he might have come up with.

“You won't ask what?”

I shook my head, scared shitless.

“Well, how about you become my personal barista?”

I raised my eyebrows in total confusion.

“I know you're bright, so stop acting like you're not. So what I'm saying is, you serve me coffee yourself every single day since I frequent the place. I'll let you know of my choices later and I'll….”

“What are we talking about?”

“You heard me.”

“And I'm not agreeing with your absurd method of payment. If you don't want cash, get the fuck out of my face.” My boldness rattled me a little but I did not care. Like I said earlier, fuck this guy for real.

I stood up from the bed, staying at the other side so as to look at him from the opposite end.

“You're not in a position to be choosing right now.” He said in that scary tone again. One minute he sounds play, the next cold and the next, down right scary as fuck.

“I…I can't do that.”

“I'm not giving you a choice though. Either you do what I tell you to do, or I call those pests back into the cafe. You won't want that right?” He pointed out.

By pests, did he mean the men harassing that was harassing Archie? He would not do that right?

“What do you think? It's just one word from me. Everyone in this town wants to get on my good side. And you might want to stay in my good graces also, given that you're new here.”

“You won't do that.” I said. More like trying to convince myself.

“Let's try.”

Before I knew what I was going to do, I took hold of a pillow and threw it at him which landed straight in his face.

“You really should not have done that.” He said and started to stalk towards me like I was his prey and he was a predator. My heart started to beat fast. Sweat was clinging onto what I was wearing and my hand throbbed with pain.

“Archie is such a sweet lady. It would be a pity if her body was found battered beaten...and worse, raped.” He said close to my ear.

He's backed me up against the wardrobe. “And I'll cover that shit up. They won't get to arrest the people behind it. And you over here, will not live to tell the fucking story.” He growled in my ear.

Tears were streaming down my face. I don't know how, but I knew he would do it. And nothing will stop him. Not in this small town.

He is the rule. With the way people cowered when he was within their proximity earlier today, he is the power here.

Oh God.

It's not even twenty four hours yet, and I've met the worst fate one could have ever gotten.

“So, what do you say?” He asked again. His hands landed on either side of my waist, pulling me into him.

“I…I don't work there. I just got to town and there is no way the boss of that place will accept me. She obviously hates me for …causing ruckus in her shop …I…”

“Shhh, Bambi. I don't want to hear excuses.” He said ever so gently as though he cared.

“You're a smart girl. You'll definitely make it work.” He said and then he did the most absurd thing.

He kissed the top of my head gently for a couple of seconds before he vanished. My eyes were closed but I could feel his presence leave.

I opened my eyes, to will myself and confirm if this was a dream that I should most probably wake up from. But his pinewood and cinnamon smell that lingered in the air said otherwise.

My life is definitely over. How do I do this?

I broke down in tears. I bawled my eyes out and I could not bring myself to stop.

After almost an hour, I stood from the floor with a banging headache and walked into the bathroom. I splashed my face with cold water and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot red.

I walked back into the room with my head hung low and a lot of thoughts crossing my mind.

He will hurt Archie if I don't do what he said. He's hurt me too. I can't just let this happen to me. I can't just allow another man to dictate my life after running away from a dictator.

Climbing onto the bed, I started to arrange the blankets to cover me when my eyes caught something on the bedside.

I picked it up and unwrapped it. I was shocked at what I found inside.

It was an analgesic. And a couple of pain relief patches and pills.

I didn't buy those, it wasn't here earlier when I was cleaning up the apartment, and...

My heart beat thumped faster than usual as I stared at the analgesic.

There was no way he brought this for me right?

But he did, a voice said in my head.

Who the hell is this man? Why is he doing this?